# Porting tips ## From 3.5 to 4.0 The **best advice is to start from the default `rc.lua` and backport any changes** you might have added to your `rc.lua`. This avoids most of the possible errors due to missing important changes. If you still wish to ignore this advice, first read the <a href="./89-NEWS.md.html">NEWS</a> section about the breaking changes. This document assumes you did. Be warned, even if it looks like it's working after changing some lines, **it wont supports dynamic screen changes and will have many subtle bugs**. The changes mentioned below **are important for the stability of your window manager**. Here is a diff of the 3.5.9 `rc.lua` with the 4.0 one. All changes due to new features and new syntaxes have been removed. A `-` in front of the line correspond to content of the 3.5 `rc.lua` and `+` its replacement in 4.0. This document does not cover the new features added in the Awesome 4 `rc.lua`, it only covers the minimal required changes to have a properly behaving config. To test during the port, we recommend the `Xephyr` X11 server. If Awesome4 **is not installed yet**, we recommand to install it in its own prefix to avoid conflicts in case you wish to stay on 3.5 for a little longer: cd path/to/awesome/code mkdir -p $HOME/.config/awesome4 mkdir build -p cd build # Install in a local folder, this assumes all the dependencies are installed cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/awesome4_test .. make -j4 # Use a copy of rc.lua to avoid it being overwritten accidentally cp awesomerc.lua $HOME/.config/awesome4/rc.lua make install # Start Awesome in a 1280x800 window Xephyr :1 -screen 1280x800 & DISPLAY=:1 $HOME/awesome4_test/bin/awesome \ -c $HOME/.config/awesome4/rc.lua \ --search $HOME/awesome4_test/share/awesome/lib If Awesome 4 is **already installed**, then backup your old `rc.lua` and overwrite `~/.config/awesome/rc.lua` (replace this by another path if you use a custom XDH config local directory). And only execute: Xephyr :1 -screen 1280x800 & DISPLAY=:1 awesome Screens are now added and removed without reloading `rc.lua`. The wallpaper are now set in a signal callback. --- {{{ Wallpaper -if `beautiful.wallpaper` then - for s = 1, screen.count() do - `gears.wallpaper.maximized`(beautiful.wallpaper, s, true) - end -end --- }}} +local function set_wallpaper(s) + -- Wallpaper + if `beautiful.wallpaper` then + local wallpaper = `beautiful.wallpaper` + -- If wallpaper is a function, call it with the screen + if type(wallpaper) == "function" then + wallpaper = wallpaper(s) + end + `gears.wallpaper.maximized`(wallpaper, s, true) + end +end + +-- Re-set wallpaper when a screen's geometry changes (e.g. different resolution) +`screen.connect_signal`("property::geometry", set_wallpaper) Tags need to be created for each screens, the old static initialization cannot work. Remove this section. --- {{{ Tags --- Define a tag table which hold all screen tags. -tags = {} -for s = 1, `screen.count`() do - -- Each screen has its own tag table. - tags[s] = awful.tag({ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }, s, layouts[1]) - end --- }}} The textclock is now part of the `wibox` library, rename it. -- {{{ Wibar -- Create a textclock widget -mytextclock = `awful.widget.textclock`() +mytextclock = `wibox.widget.textclock`() Widgets were previously added to static global tables. This isn't going to behave correctly when screen are added and removed. Remove this section. -- Create a wibox for each screen and add it -mywibox = {} -mypromptbox = {} -mylayoutbox = {} -mytaglist = {} -mytasklist = {} Many functions have been converted to methods. The old functions are deprecated, they are still supported, but will be removed in the next release. -mytaglist.buttons = awful.util.table.join( +local taglist_buttons = awful.util.table.join( - awful.button({ }, 1, `awful.tag.viewonly`), + awful.button({ }, 1, function(t) t:`view_only`() end), - awful.button({ modkey }, 1, `awful.client.movetotag`), + awful.button({ modkey }, 1, function(t) + if `client.focus` then + `client.focus:move_to_tag`(t) + end + end), `awful.button`({ }, 3, `awful.tag.viewtoggle`), - `awful.button`({ modkey }, 3, `awful.client.toggletag`), + `awful.button`({ modkey }, 3, function(t) + if client.focus then + client.focus:toggle_tag(t) + end + end), - `awful.button`({ }, 4, function(t) `awful.tag.viewnext`(awful.tag.getscreen(t)) end), - `awful.button`({ }, 5, function(t) `awful.tag.viewprev`(awful.tag.getscreen(t)) end) + `awful.button`({ }, 4, function(t) `awful.tag.viewnext`(t.screen) end), + `awful.button`({ }, 5, function(t) `awful.tag.viewprev`(t.screen) end) ) -mytasklist.buttons = awful.util.table.join( +local tasklist_buttons = awful.util.table.join( awful.button({ }, 1, function (c) if c == `client.focus` then c.minimized = true -- Without this, the following -- :isvisible() makes no sense c.minimized = false - if not c:isvisible() then - `awful.tag.viewonly`(c:tags()[1]) + if not c:isvisible() and c.`first_tag` then + c.first_tag:view_only() end -- This will also un-minimize -- the client, if needed c:raise() end end), This section is **very important**. This is where adding and removing screens is handled (including during startup). Note that the `mysomething` table previously removed are replaced by custom screens attributes. -for s = 1, `screen.count`() do +`awful.screen.connect_for_each_screen`(function(s) + -- Wallpaper + set_wallpaper(s) + + -- Each screen has its own tag table. + awful.tag({ "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9" }, s, awful.layout.layouts[1]) + -- Create a promptbox for each screen - mypromptbox[s] = `awful.widget.prompt`() + s.mypromptbox = `awful.widget.prompt`() -- Create an imagebox widget which will contains an icon indicating which layout we're using. -- We need one layoutbox per screen. - mylayoutbox[s] = `awful.widget.layoutbox`(s) + s.mylayoutbox = `awful.widget.layoutbox`(s) - mylayoutbox[s]:buttons(`awful.util.table.join`( + s.mylayoutbox:buttons(`awful.util.table.join`( `awful.button`({ }, 1, function () `awful.layout.inc`( 1) end), `awful.button`({ }, 3, function () `awful.layout.inc`(-1) end), `awful.button`({ }, 4, function () `awful.layout.inc`( 1) end), `awful.button`({ }, 5, function () `awful.layout.inc`(-1) end))) -- Create a taglist widget - mytaglist[s] = `awful.widget.taglist`(s, `awful.widget.taglist.filter.all`, mytaglist.buttons) + s.mytaglist = `awful.widget.taglist`(s, `awful.widget.taglist.filter.all`, taglist_buttons) -- Create a tasklist widget - mytasklist[s] = `awful.widget.tasklist`(s, `awful.widget.tasklist.filter.currenttags`, mytasklist.buttons) + s.mytasklist = `awful.widget.tasklist`(s, `awful.widget.tasklist.filter.currenttags`, tasklist_buttons) -- Create the wibox - mywibox[s] = `awful.wibox`({ position = "top", screen = s }) + s.mywibox = `awful.wibar`({ position = "top", screen = s }) -- Widgets that are aligned to the left local left_layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal() - left_layout:add(mylauncher) - left_layout:add(mytaglist[s]) - left_layout:add(mypromptbox[s]) + left_layout:add(s.mytaglist) + left_layout:add(s.mypromptbox) -- Widgets that are aligned to the right local right_layout = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal() - if s == 1 then right_layout:add(wibox.widget.systray()) end + right_layout:add(wibox.widget.systray()) right_layout:add(mytextclock) - right_layout:add(mylayoutbox[s]) + right_layout:add(s.mylayoutbox) -- Now bring it all together (with the tasklist in the middle) local layout = wibox.layout.align.horizontal() layout:set_left(left_layout) - layout:set_middle(mytasklist[s]) + layout:set_middle(s.mytasklist) layout:set_right(right_layout) - mywibox[s]:set_widget(layout) + s.mywibox:set_widget(layout) end) -- }}} `awful.util.spawn` is now called `awful.spawn`. -- Standard program - `awful.key`({ modkey, }, "Return", function () `awful.util.spawn`(terminal) end), + `awful.key`({ modkey, }, "Return", function () `awful.spawn`(terminal) end), Another dynamic screen related changes. -- Prompt - awful.key({ modkey }, "r", function () mypromptbox[mouse.screen]:run() end), + awful.key({ modkey }, "r", function () `awful.screen.focused`().mypromptbox:run() end), `awful.prompt` now uses a more future proof arguments table instead of many optional arguments. awful.key({ modkey }, "x", function () - `awful.prompt.run`({ prompt = "Run Lua code: " }, - mypromptbox[mouse.screen].widget, - `awful.util.eval`, nil, - `awful.util.getdir`("cache") .. "/history_eval") - end), + awful.prompt.run { + prompt = "Run Lua code: ", + textbox = `awful.screen.focused`().mypromptbox.widget, + exe_callback = `awful.util.eval`, + history_path = `awful.util.get_cache_dir`() .. "/history_eval" + } + end), Another function-to-method API change: - `awful.key`({ modkey, }, "o", `awful.client.movetoscreen` ), + `awful.key`({ modkey, }, "o", function (c) c:`move_to_screen`() end), The `mod4+[1-9]` keybindings also have some changes related to deprecated functions. -- Bind all key numbers to tags. -- Be careful: we use keycodes to make it works on any keyboard layout. -- This should map on the top row of your keyboard, usually 1 to 9. for i = 1, 9 do -- View tag only. awful.key({ modkey }, "#" .. i + 9, function () - local screen = `mouse.screen` - local tag = `awful.tag.gettags`(screen)[i] + local screen = `awful.screen.focused`() + local tag = `screen.tags`[i] if tag then - `awful.tag.viewonly`(tag) + `tag:view_only`() end end), - -- Toggle tag. + -- Toggle tag display. awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "#" .. i + 9, function () - local screen = `mouse.screen` - local tag = `awful.tag.gettags`(screen)[i] + local screen = `awful.screen.focused`() + local tag = `screen.tags`[i] if tag then `awful.tag.viewtoggle`(tag) end for i = 1, 9 do awful.key({ modkey, "Shift" }, "#" .. i + 9, function () if client.focus then - local tag = `awful.tag.gettags`(client.focus.screen)[i] + local tag = `client.focus.screen.tags`[i] if tag then - `awful.client.movetotag`(tag) + `client.focus:move_to_tag`(tag) end end end), - -- Toggle tag. + -- Toggle tag on focused client. awful.key({ modkey, "Control", "Shift" }, "#" .. i + 9, function () if client.focus then - local tag = `awful.tag.gettags`(client.focus.screen)[i] + local tag = `client.focus.screen.tags`[i] if tag then - `awful.client.toggletag`(tag) + `client.focus:toggle_tag`(tag) end end - end)) + end), + ) end The default rules need to be changed to avoid having offscreen clients: awful.rules.rules = { -- All clients will match this rule. { rule = { }, properties = { border_width = beautiful.border_width, awful.rules.rules = { focus = awful.client.focus.filter, raise = true, keys = clientkeys, + buttons = clientbuttons, + screen = `awful.screen.preferred`, + placement = `awful.placement.no_overlap`+`awful.placement.no_offscreen` The `tags` global table has been removed to support dynamic screens, you can now access tags by name. - -- properties = { tag = tags[1][2] } }, + -- properties = { screen = 1, tag = "2" } },