Navigating i3wm can be difficult coming from a regular DE. Here are some basic shortcuts to use, which can make your life easier as a beginner.
Almost all of these shortcuts use the "mod" -key, which is configured to be ALT or SUPER by default.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Put a window into floating mode | MOD + SHIFT + SPACE |
| Open Dmenu | MOD + D |
| Close a tile | MOD + SHIFT + Q |
| Switch between workspaces | MOD + Number (1, 2, 3, etc.) |
| Open a terminal | MOD + ENTER |
| Quickly restart i3wm | MOD + SHIFT + R |
| Put focused application on another workspace | MOD + SHIFT + NUMBER (1, 2, 3, etc.) |
| End i3 / X session (log out) | MOD + SHIFT + E |