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ALTTAB(1) General Commands Manual ALTTAB(1) NAME alttab - the task switcher SYNOPSIS alttab [-w N] [-d N] [-sc N] [-mk str] [-kk str] [-bk str] [-pk str] [-nk str] [-ck str] [-dk str] [-mm N] [-bm N] [-t NxM] [-i NxM] [-vp str] [-p str] [-s N] [-theme name] [-bg color] [-fg color] [-frame color] [-inact color] [-min color] [-bc color] [-bw N] [-font name] [-vertical] [-sortmin] [-e] [-b N] [-ns] [-v|-vv] DESCRIPTION The task switcher designed for minimalistic window managers or standalone X11 session. Unlike task switchers integrated in most simple WMs, alttab features visual interface and convenient tactile behaviour, switching windows on releasing Alt key. Being lightweight and depending only on core X11 libs, it still features customizable look and behaviour. OPTIONS Most command line options have corresponding X resource, see doc/alttab.ad for example. -w NUMBER resource: alttab.windowmanager default: autodetect, fallback to 3 Control how to obtain window list and set focus. NUMBER must be be- tween 0 and 3: 0: No WM, raw X. Set this value manually, as it's not autodetected. Only top-level viewable children of root window are listed. Running -w 0 under WM is discouraged: hidden windows or windows on another desktops will not be listed; instead, some strange windows may be included. 1: EWMH compatible. Compatible WM list is in SEE ALSO below. alttab functions in xmonad (EWMH must be allowed, details in doc/wm-setup.md), i3, evilwm, xfwm4, metacity, jwm, openbox, fluxbox, icewm, enlightenment, black- box, aewm, fvwm, sawfish, bspwm. The following WMs support EWMH par- tially but work in -w 1 mode too: dwm (issue #9), matchbox (issue #34), windowmaker (issue #9), xpra (issue #37), cwm (issue #35), ctwm (issue #39), lwm (issue #40), awesome (issue #41). 2: Ratpoison. Alttab uses ratpoison own remote control capability. Also, alttab registers itself in its "unmanaged list" automatically. 3: Ancient WM. Fallback, worse than 0. Search for application windows at random nodes of window tree (WM is probably reparenting) and select only those with a name, including non-viewable (WM is probably iconify- ing). May cause lag. Tested in twm, flwm, wm2. -d NUMBER resource: alttab.desktops default: 0 Show windows belonging to desktops (workspaces, groups). NUMBER must be between 0 and 4: 0: Current desktop. This is default, although in non EWMH-compatible WM, except ratpoi- son, it's effectively the same as 1. 1: All desktops. 2: All desktops, excluding special (-1) one. In various EWMH WM this desktop may be designed hidden or containing sticky windows. In i3, it's "scratchpad". 3: All desktops, excluding current and special. 4: Special (-1) desktop only. -sc NUMBER resource: alttab.screens default: 1 Show windows belonging to xrandr/xinerama screens. NUMBER must be 0 or 1: 0: Current screen. As defined according to -vp pointer or -vp focus. 1: All screens. This is default. -mk str resource: alttab.modifier.keysym default: Alt_L (i.e. Left Alt) Keysym of main modifier. String or number accepted. Suitable exam- ples: Control_L, Super_L. -kk str resource: alttab.key.keysym default: Tab Keysym of main key. For example, grave (aka tilde), Escape. -bk str resource: alttab.backscroll.keysym default: any Shift, according to ShiftMask Keysym of backward scroll key. -pk str resource: alttab.prevkey.keysym default: no key assigned Keysym of auxiliary 'previous' key. For example, Left, H. -nk str resource: alttab.nextkey.keysym default: no key assigned Keysym of auxiliary 'next' key. For example, Right, L. -ck str resource: alttab.cancelkey.keysym default: Escape Keysym of auxiliary 'cancel' key. -dk str resource: alttab.killkey.keysym default: k Keysym of key for killing X client to which currently selected win- dow belongs. -mm NUM resource: alttab.modifier.mask OBSOLETED, guessed from -mk instead. -bm NUM resource: alttab.backscroll.mask OBSOLETED, guessed from -bk instead. -t NNxMM resource: alttab.tile.geometry default: 112x128 Size of a single tile (mini-window). If switcher doesn't fit the viewport (-vp), tile may be thinner. -i NNxMM resource: alttab.icon.geometry default: 32x32 Size of icons. -vp str resource: alttab.viewport default: focus Limit viewport for the switcher. The switcher always has variable size and position, but tries to never break out of -vp container, while -p specifies position relative to this container. Together these options allow for WM-independent multi-monitor support. Possi- ble values for -vp: focus: in multihead configuration: the monitor which shows largest part of currently focused window. If this part is shared with other monitors, then the smallest of these monitors is chosen. In single head configuration: the geometry of default root window. pointer: the monitor which has mouse pointer, otherwise the same as focus. The "multihead" above means more than one active XRANDR output. They are detected at runtime, so hopefully monitors may be attached/de- tached without restarting alttab. total: the geometry of default root window. If you specify this in tiling multihead configuration, then the switcher will be drawn relative to the entire combined screen, crossing monitors' borders. WxH+X+Y: Specific position relative to default root window. This allows for static manual bounding if XRANDR detection fails. Suppose X root window spans over two 2560N1440 monitors, resulting in combined screen of 5120x1440 size. Then the switcher may be posi- tioned at the center of the right monitor with -vp 2560x1440+2560+0 -p center. -p str resource: alttab.position default: center Position of switcher: "center", "none" or specific position relative to upper left corner of viewport, in the form +X+Y. -s NUMBER resource: alttab.icon.source default: 2 Source of icons. NUMBER must be between 0 and 5: 0: Use icons from X11 window attributes only. 1: Load icon from file if not found in window attributes. Alttab searches for PNG and XPM icons in $XDG_DATA_DIRS and also un- der: /usr/share/icons /usr/local/share/icons ~/.icons ~/.local/share/icons Directory structure should obey freedesktop standard, but desktop files are ignored, instead file name is expected to be equal to ap- plication class. That is, if alttab doesn't recognize an icon for window of class foo, as obtained by 'xprop WM_CLASS', then just drop a 32x32 icon into /usr/local/share/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/foo.png. Also, alttab scans for icons in legacy directories without freedesk- top directory structure: /usr/share/pixmaps ~/.local/share/pixmaps 2: Prefer icon from file when it matches requested size better (see -i option). 3: Use icons from files only. 4: Don't draw icons. 5: Prefer icon from X11 window attributes when it matches requested size better. -theme name resource: alttab.theme default: hicolor Desktop theme for application icons. Used when -s is 1, 2 or 3. The following six options accept color names or #rrggbb. Special value _rnd_low or _rnd_high produce random color from lower or upper RGB space respectively. -bg color resource: alttab.background default: black Tile background color. -fg color resource: alttab.foreground default: grey Foreground color. -frame color resource: alttab.framecolor default: #a0abab Color of frame around selected tile. -inact color resource: alttab.inactcolor default: foreground color Color of frame around non-selected tiles. -min color resource: alttab.mincolor default: frame color In stacking WM, color of frame for minimized windows. -bc color resource: alttab.bordercolor default: black Color of extra border around the entire switcher. This border may look redundant. Do not confuse with -frame. -bw N resource: alttab.borderwidth default: 0 (no extra border) Width of extra border above. -font name resource: alttab.font default: xft:sans-10 Label font name in format: xft:fontconfig_pattern, like in emacs and rxvt. See SEE ALSO for fontconfig pattern. It's neither GTK font pattern nor legacy XLFD. Your Xresources database probably already has *background, *foreground or *font wildcard definitions, which alttab will obey. Precedence order (pre- ferred first): alttab.font resource, -font option, wildcard resource like *font in xfd: format. -vertical resource: alttab.vertical default: no Vertical layout. -sortmin resource: alttab.sortmin default: no Sort minimized windows last. -e resource: alttab.keep default: no On release of Alt, don't switch, keep showing the switcher. This al- lows for external call: xdotool key alt+Tab . See doc/mobile.md for possible usage. -b NUMBER resource: alttab.bottomline default: 0 Content of auxiliary line at the bottom of each tile. NUMBER must be between 0 and 2: 0: Empty. 1: Name of desktop to which the window belongs. 2: User name. Requires _NET_WM_PID freedesktop property and /proc file system. -ns resource: alttab.noskiptaskbar default: no Ignore application request of not including a window on a taskbar. -v, -vv resource: no default: silent Verbosity. -h short help CAVEATS Run alttab after WM, or autodetection will fail. AUTHOR Copyright 2017-2026 Alexander Kulak <sa-dev AT odd POINT systems>. REPORTING BUGS Please report issues on github https://github.com/sagb/alttab/issues. SEE ALSO EWMH compatible WM list https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Window_Man- ager_Hints#List_of_window_managers_that_support_Extended_Window_Man- ager_Hints. Description of fontconfig pattern https://www.freedesktop.org/soft- ware/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html. May 2026 ALTTAB(1)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | OPTIONS | CAVEATS | AUTHOR | REPORTING BUGS | SEE ALSO
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