rofi/doc/rofi-manpage.markdown

# ROFI 1 rofi

## NAME

rofi - A window switcher, run dialog and dmenu replacement

## SYNOPSIS

**rofi** [ -width *pct_scr* ] [ -lines *lines* ] [ -columns *columns* ] [ -font *pangofont* ] [ -fg
*color* ] [ -bg *color* ] [ -bgalt *color* ] [ -hlfg *color* ] [ -hlbg *color* ] [ -key *combo* ] [
-dkey *comdo* ] [ -rkey *comdo* ] [ -terminal *terminal* ] [ -location *position* ] [ -hmode ] [
-fixed-num-lines ] [ -padding *padding* ] [ -opacity *opacity%* ] [ -display *display* ] [ -bc
*color* ] [ -bw *width* ] [ -dmenu [ -p *prompt* ] ] [ -ssh-client *client* ] [ -ssh-command
*command* ] [ -now ] [ -rnow ] [ -snow ] [ -version ] [ -help] [ -dump-xresources ] [
-disable-history ] [ -levenshtein-sort ] [ -case-sensitive ] [ -show *mode* ] [ -switcher *mode1,
mode2* ] [ -e *message*] [ -sep *separator* ] [ -eh *element height* ] [ -l *selected line* ] [
-run-list-command *cmd* ]

## DESCRIPTION

**rofi** is an X11 popup window switcher. A list is displayed center-screen showing open window titles, WM_CLASS, and desktop number.
The user may filter the list by typing, navigate with Up/Down or Tab keys, and select a window with Return (Enter). Escape cancels.

## License

MIT/X11

## USAGE

**rofi** can be used in two ways, single-shot; executes once and directly exits when done or as
daemon listening to specific key-combinations.

The default key combinations are:

* `F12`

   Show all windows on all desktops.

* `mod1-F2`

   Show run-dialog.

* `mod1-F3`

   Show run-dialog.


## OPTIONS

`-key`

  Change the key combination to display all windows (default: F12).

      rofi -key F12
      rofi -key control+shift+s
      rofi -key mod1+Tab


`-rkey`

  Change the key combination to display the run dialog (default: mod1-F2).


      rofi -rkey F11
      rofi -rkey control+shift+d
      rofi -rkey mod1+grave (grave=backtick)


`-skey`

  Change the key combination to display the ssh dialog (default: Alt-F3).


      rofi -skey F10
      rofi -skey control+shift+s
      rofi -skey mod1+grave (grave=backtick)


`-now`

  Run rofi in all-windows mode once then exit. Does not bind any keys.

`-rnow`

  Run rofi in run-dialog mode once then exit. Does not bind any keys.

`-snow`

  Run rofi in ssh mode once then exit. Does not bind any keys.

`-dmenu`

  Run rofi in dmenu mode. Allowing it to be used for user interaction in scripts.

  Pressing `shift-enter` will open the selected entries and move to the next entry.

`-show` *mode*

  Open rofi in a certain mode.

  For example to show the run-dialog:

        rofi -show run

  This function deprecates -rnow,-snow and -now

`-switchers` *mode1,mode1*

  Give a comma separated list of modes to enable, in what order.

  For example to only show the run and ssh dialog (in that order):

        rofi -switchers "run,ssh" -show run

  Custom modes can be added using the internal 'script' mode. Each mode has two parameters:

        <name>:<script>

  So to have a mode 'Workspaces' using the `i3_switch_workspace.sh` script type:

        rofi -switchers "window,run,ssh,Workspaces:i3_switch_workspaces.sh" -show Workspaces

`-case-sensitive`

  Start in case sensitive mode.

### Theming 

`-bg`

  Set the background text color (X11 named color or hex #rrggbb) for the menu (default: #222222).

      rofi -bg "#222222"

`-bg`

  Set the background text color  for alternating rows (X11 named color or hex #rrggbb) for the menu
  (default: #222222).

      rofi -bgalt "#222222"

`-bc`

  Set the border color (X11 named color or hex #rrggbb) for the menu (default: #000000).

      rofi -bc black


`-bw`

  Set the border width in pixels (default: 1).

      rofi -bw 1


`-fg`

  Set the foreground text color (X11 named color or hex #rrggbb) for the menu (default: #cccccc).

      rofi -fg "#cccccc"

`-font`

  Pango font name for use by the menu (default: mono 14).


      rofi -font monospace\ 14


`-hlbg`

  Set the background text color (X11 named color or hex #rrggbb) for the highlighted item in the
  menu (default: #005577).

      rofi -fg "#005577"


`-hlfg`

  Set the foreground text color (X11 named color or hex #rrggbb) for the highlighted item in the
  menu (default: #ffffff).

      rofi -fg "#ffffff"


`-opacity`

  Set the window opacity (0-100).

      rofi -opacity "75"

### Layout

`-lines`

  Maximum number of lines the menu may show before scrolling (default: 25).

      rofi -lines 25

`-columns`

  The number of columns the menu may show before scrolling (default: 25).

      rofi -columns 2

`-width` [value]

  Set the width of the menu as a percentage of the screen width (default: 60).

      rofi -width 60

  If value is larger then 100, the size is set in pixels. e.g. to span a full hd monitor:

      rofi -width 1980

  If the value is negative, it tries to estimates a character width. To show 30 characters on a row:

      rofi -width -30

  Character width is a rough estimation, and might not be correct, but should work for most monospaced fonts.

`-location`

  Specify where the window should be located. The numbers map to the following location on the
  monitor:

      1 2 3
      8 0 4
      7 6 5

`-hmode`

  Switch to horizontal mode (ala dmenu). The number of elements is the number of `lines` times the
  number of `columns`.

`-fixed-num-lines`

  Keep a fixed number of visible lines (See the `-lines` option.)

`-padding`

  Define the inner margin of the window. Default is 5 pixels.

  To make rofi look like dmenu:

      rofi -hmode -padding 0

`-sidebar-mode`

    Go into side-bar mode, it will show list of modi at the bottom.
    To show sidebar use:

        rofi -rnow -sidebar-mode -lines 0

### Pattern setting

`-terminal`

  Specify what terminal to start (default x-terminal-emulator)

      rofi -terminal xterm

`-ssh-client` *client*

  Override the used ssh client. Default is `ssh`.


### SSH settings

`-ssh-set-title` *true|false*

  SSH dialogs tries to set 'ssh hostname' of the spawned terminal.
  Not all terminals support this.
  Default value is true.

  *This command has been deprecated for the ssh-command string*

`-ssh-command` *cmd*

  Set the command to execute when starting a ssh session.

### Run settings

`-run-command` *cmd*

  Set the command to execute when running an application.
  See *PATTERN*.

`-run-shell-command` *cmd*

  Set the command to execute when running an application in a shell.
  See *PATTERN*.

`-run-list-command` *cmd*

  If set, use an external tool to generate list of executable commands. Uses 'run-command'

### History and Sorting

`-disable-history`

  Disable history

`-levenshtein-sort`

  When searching sort the result based on levenshtein distance.

  Note that levenshtein sort is disabled in dmenu mode.

### Dmenu specific

`-sep` *separator*

    Separator for dmenu. For example to show list a to e with '|' as separator:

            echo "a|b|c|d|e" | rofi -sep '|' -dmenu

`-p` *prompt*

    Specify the prompt to show in dmenu mode. E.g. select monkey a,b,c,d or e.

            echo "a|b|c|d|e" | rofi -sep '|' -dmenu -p "monkey:"

`-eh` *element height*

    The height of a field in lines. e.g.
        
            echo -e "a\n3|b\n4|c\n5" | rofi -sep '|' -eh 2 -dmenu

`-l` *selected line*

    Select a certain line.

### Message dialog

`-e` *message*

    Popup a message dialog (used internally for showing errors) with *message*.
    Message can be multi-line.

### Debug

`-dump-xresources`

  Dump the current active configuration in xresources format to the command-line.

## Pattern

To launch commands (e.g. when using the ssh dialog) the user can enter the used commandline, 
the following keys can be used that will be replaced at runtime:

* `{host}`: The host to connect to.
* `{terminal}`: The configured terminal (See -terminal-emulator)
* `{ssh-client}`: The configured ssh client (See -ssh-client)
* `{cmd}`: The command to execute.

## Dmenu replacemnt

If `argv[0]` (calling command) is dmenu, **rofi** will start in dmenu mode.
This way it can be used as a drop-in replacement for dmenu. just copy or symlink **rofi** to dmenu in `$PATH`.


    ln -s /usr/bin/dmenu /usr/bin/rofi

## Signals

`HUP`

    If in daemon mode, reload the configuration from Xresources. (arguments still override).

## Keybindings

Rofi supports the following keybindings:

* `Ctrl-v, Insert`: Paste clipboard
* `Ctrl-Shift-v, Shift-Insert`: Paste primary selection
* `Ctrl-u`: Clear the line
* `Ctrl-a`: Beginning of line
* `Ctrl-e`: End of line
* `Ctrl-f, Right`: Forward one character
* `Ctrl-b, Left`: Back one character
* `Ctrl-d, Delete`: Delete character
* `Ctrl-h, Backspace`: Backspace (delete previous character)
* `Ctrl-j,Ctrl-m,Enter`: Accept entry
* `Ctrl-n,Down`: Select next entry
* `Ctrl-p,Up`: Select previous entry
* `Page Up`: Go to the previous page
* `Page Down`: Go to the next page
* `Ctrl-Page Up`: Go to the previous column
* `Ctrl-Page Down`: Go to the next column
* `Ctrl-Enter`: Use entered text as command (in ssh/run dialog)
* `?`: Switch to the next modi. The list can be customized with the `-switchers` argument.
* `ctrl-/`: Switch to the previous modi. The list can be customized with the `-switchers` argument.
* `Ctrl-space`: Set selected item as input text.
* `Shift-Del`: Delete entry from history.
* `grave`: Toggle case sensitivity.

## FAQ

`Text in window switcher is not nicely lined out`

    Try using a mono-space font.

`Rofi is completely black.`

    Check quotes used on the commandline: e.g. used “ instead of ".

## WEBSITE

**rofi** website can be found at [here](https://davedavenport.github.io/rofi/)

**rofi** bugtracker can be found [here](https://github.com/DaveDavenport/rofi/issues)

## AUTHOR

Qball Cow <qball@gmpclient.org>

Original code based on work by: Sean Pringle <sean.pringle@gmail.com>