Can StumpWM Replace EXWM?

• 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)

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

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

• https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/StumpWM
• Gavin Freeborn’s StumpWM Video
• Phundrak’s StumpWM config

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)