System Crafters Live! - December 3, 2021

Watch the recording on YouTube!

¶Updates

EmacsConf 2021 was great!
Emacs 28.0.90 (release candidate) has been announced
This is the first SC stream using PipeWire!
Today is the last day of the holiday sale on the System Crafters Store! (code: HOLIDAY)

¶Can StumpWM Replace EXWM?

Today we're going to experiment with a well-known Common Lisp window manager called StumpWM!

I want to try and replicate some of my EXWM workflow or find suitable/better replacements:

Single Emacs frame per workspace, each with its own Perspectives (automate creation)
Launching programs with app-launcher package
Specific X programs appearing on specific workspaces
Managing browser windows

There are a few other things I want to figure out:

Interactive configuration hacking workflow
Understanding how floating frames work (pin window, movement, switching focus between floating and tiled)
Managing multiple Emacs frames smoothly
Controlling where new windows are displayed (group, floating or tiled, etc)
Communication/automation between Emacs and StumpWM
Using Emacs as a Rofi-like launcher for programs
Mode line customization

¶Interactive REPL Notes

To start the REPL:


(require :slynk)
(slynk:create-server :dont-close t)

Install Sly, use M-x sly-connect, use the default arguments.

C-c C-d C-d: look up autodoc/documentation for symbol at cursor
C-M-x / C-c C-c: eval form

¶Resources

¶Final Configuration

You can check out my latest StumpWM config here:

https://github.com/daviwil/dotfiles/blob/guix-home/Stump.org

Here is the config we ended up with by the end of the stream:

~/.emacs.d/init.el


(defun dw/stumpwm-send-command (command)
  (start-process-shell-command "stumpish" nil (concat  "stumpish " command)))

(defun dw/init-stumpwm-workspaces ()
  (require 'stumpwm-mode)
  (set-frame-parameter (selected-frame) 'name "Emacs")
  (select-frame (make-frame '((name . "Chat"))))
  (persp-switch "Chat")
  (persp-kill "Main")
  (select-frame-by-name "Emacs"))

(add-hook 'after-init-hook #'dw/init-stumpwm-workspaces)

~/.config/stumpwm/config:


(in-package :stumpwm)

;;; -- Add StumpWM module paths --

(stumpwm:add-to-load-path "~/.guix-home/profile/share/common-lisp/sbcl/stumpwm-swm-gaps")
(stumpwm:add-to-load-path "~/.guix-home/profile/share/common-lisp/sbcl/stumpwm-ttf-fonts")
(stumpwm:add-to-load-path "~/.guix-home/profile/share/common-lisp/sbcl/stumpwm-stumptray")
(stumpwm:add-to-load-path "~/.guix-home/profile/share/common-lisp/sbcl/stumpwm-kbd-layouts")

;;; -- Environment setup --

;; Set up workspaces
(run-commands
  "gnewbg chat"
  "gnew dev"
  "gnewbg web"
  "gnewbg comm"
  "gnewbg media"
  "gnewbg-float mpv")

;; Change the prefix key to Super-d
(set-prefix-key (kbd "s-d"))

;; Mouse click should focus the window
(setf *mouse-focus-policy* :click)

;; Show messages in the center
(setq *message-window-gravity* :center)

;;; -- Key Bindings --

;; Enable multiple keyboard layouts (English and Greek)
(load-module "kbd-layouts")
(kbd-layouts:keyboard-layout-list "us" "gr")
(setf kbd-layouts:*caps-lock-behavior* :ctrl)

;; Run xmodmap to remap keys
(run-shell-command "xmodmap ~/.dotfiles/.config/i3/Xmodmap")

;; Set some super key bindings
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-h") "move-focus left")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-l") "move-focus right")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-j") "move-focus down")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-k") "move-focus up")

(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-C-h") "move-window left")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-C-l") "move-window right")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-C-j") "move-window down")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-C-k") "move-window up")

(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-f") "fullscreen")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-r") "iresize")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-q") "delete")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-SPC") "run-shell-command emacsclient -e \"(call-interactively #'app-launcher-run-app)\"")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-SPC") "switch-keyboard-layout")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-l") "run-shell-command slock")

(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-TAB") "next-in-frame")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-S-TAB") "prev-in-frame")

(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-`") "gselect chat")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-1") "gselect dev")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-2") "gselect web")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-3") "gselect comm")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "s-4") "gselect media")

(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-`") "gmove chat")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-1") "gmove dev")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-2") "gmove web")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-3") "gmove comm")
(define-key *top-map* (kbd "C-s-4") "gmove media")

;;; -- Visual Enhancements --

;; Get gapped
(load-module "swm-gaps")
(setf swm-gaps:*inner-gaps-size* 3)
;(run-commands "toggle-gaps-on")

;; Enable TTF fonts
(load-module "ttf-fonts")
(setf xft:*font-dirs* '("/home/daviwil/.guix-home/profile/share/fonts/"))
(setf clx-truetype:+font-cache-filename+ "/home/daviwil/.local/share/fonts/font-cache.sexp")
(xft:cache-fonts)

(set-font (make-instance 'xft:font :family "JetBrains Mono" :subfamily "Regular" :size 16))

;;; -- Mode line --

;; Set mode line colors
(setf *mode-line-background-color* "#232635")
(setf *mode-line-foreground-color* "#A6Accd")

;; Start the mode line
(run-commands "mode-line")

;; Add the system tray module
(load-module "stumptray")
(stumptray:stumptray)

;;; -- Window Placement Rules --

(define-frame-preference "chat"
  (0 nil T :title "Chat"))

(define-frame-preference "dev"
  (0 T T :class "Emacs"))

(define-frame-preference "mpv"
  (0 T T :class "mpv"))

(define-frame-preference "web"
  (0 T T :class "qutebrowser")
  (0 T T :class "Nightly"))

(define-frame-preference "media"
  (0 T T :class "Spotify"))

;;; -- Start initial applications --

;(run-shell-command "polybar panel")
(run-shell-command "feh --bg-scale ~/.dotfiles/backgrounds/samuel-ferrara-uOi3lg8fGl4-unsplash.jpg")
(run-shell-command "dunst")
(run-shell-command "nm-applet")
(run-shell-command "syncthing-gtk --minimized")
(run-shell-command "redshift -l 37.983810:23.727539 -t 6500:3500")
(run-shell-command "emacs")

;;; -- Start the REPL --

(require :slynk)
(slynk:create-server :dont-close t)