Part of CachyOS Wiki Notes. From the official CachyOS wiki (last updated 2025-11-02).
i3 Keybinds and FAQ
Credits to vnepogodin (https://github.com/vnepogodin) for the simple config. X11 only — not compatible with Wayland.
Mod key is the Windows key (SUPER), changeable in the config file.
Notable keybinds
| Action | Bind |
|---|---|
| Terminal | Super+Return |
| Rofi program launcher | Control+Space |
| Kill focused window | Super+Q |
| Workspaces | Super+1 … Super+9 |
| Resize mode | Super+R (exit with Return / Escape / Super+R) |
| Lock screen | Super+L |
| Reload i3 config | Super+Shift+C |
| Restart i3 in place | Super+Shift+R |
| Exit i3 (end X session) | Super+Shift+E |
Documented categories: Application Control, Workspace Navigation, Window Navigation, Window Management, Layout Control, Resize Mode, System Controls.
FAQ
Autostart a program (e.g. set a wallpaper at start) — i3’s flexible autostart feature. At the end of the config file there are lines starting with exec and exec_always:
exec chromium
That starts Chromium in workspace 1 whenever you log into your i3 session.
exec vs exec_always — exec_always runs the action even after i3 gets reloaded. Reference: https://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html#exec.
Do multimedia keys work? Yes. General reference: https://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html.
Related: Switching Desktop Environments, CachyOS Desktop Environments.