Customizing instantWM

instantWM is customized through ~/. Xresources

The syntax for changing a parameter value is the following

instantwm.parameter: value

After editing ~/. Xresources, run xrdb ~/. Xresources and then restart instantWM

Bar height

Example

instantwm.barheight: 2

This parameter sets the amount extra rows of pixels that get added to the top and bottom of the title bar. Putting 0 here would mean the text would touch the bars boundaries.

Example of a top bar with the height 2

Example of a top bar with the height 24

Fonts

This is the default font.

instantwm.font: Cantarell-Regular:size=12

To change font size, simply change the number at the end.

instantwm.font: Cantarell-Regular:size=22

You can change this to any font you like with any size, granted that you put in the right font name.

Colors

Full Color list

instantwm.hover.normal.win.fg
instantwm.hover.minimized.win.fg
instantwm.hover.sticky.win.fg
instantwm.hover.focus.win.fg
instantwm.hover.stickyfocus.win.fg
instantwm.hover.overlay.win.fg
instantwm.hover.overlayfocus.win.fg
instantwm.hover.inactive.tag.fg
instantwm.hover.filled.tag.fg
instantwm.hover.focus.tag.fg
instantwm.hover.nofocus.tag.fg
instantwm.hover.empty.tag.fg
instantwm.hover.normal.close.fg
instantwm.hover.locked.close.fg
instantwm.hover.fullscreen.close.fg
instantwm.hover.normal.win.bg
instantwm.hover.minimized.win.bg
instantwm.hover.sticky.win.bg
instantwm.hover.focus.win.bg
instantwm.hover.stickyfocus.win.bg
instantwm.hover.overlay.win.bg
instantwm.hover.overlayfocus.win.bg
instantwm.hover.inactive.tag.bg
instantwm.hover.filled.tag.bg
instantwm.hover.focus.tag.bg
instantwm.hover.nofocus.tag.bg
instantwm.hover.empty.tag.bg
instantwm.hover.normal.close.bg
instantwm.hover.locked.close.bg
instantwm.hover.fullscreen.close.bg
instantwm.hover.normal.win.detail
instantwm.hover.minimized.win.detail
instantwm.hover.sticky.win.detail
instantwm.hover.focus.win.detail
instantwm.hover.stickyfocus.win.detail
instantwm.hover.overlay.win.detail
instantwm.hover.overlayfocus.win.detail
instantwm.hover.inactive.tag.detail
instantwm.hover.filled.tag.detail
instantwm.hover.focus.tag.detail
instantwm.hover.nofocus.tag.detail
instantwm.hover.empty.tag.detail
instantwm.hover.normal.close.detail
instantwm.hover.locked.close.detail
instantwm.hover.fullscreen.close.detail
instantwm.nohover.normal.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.minimized.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.sticky.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.focus.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.stickyfocus.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.overlay.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.overlayfocus.win.fg
instantwm.nohover.inactive.tag.fg
instantwm.nohover.filled.tag.fg
instantwm.nohover.focus.tag.fg
instantwm.nohover.nofocus.tag.fg
instantwm.nohover.empty.tag.fg
instantwm.nohover.normal.close.fg
instantwm.nohover.locked.close.fg
instantwm.nohover.fullscreen.close.fg
instantwm.nohover.normal.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.minimized.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.sticky.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.focus.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.stickyfocus.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.overlay.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.overlayfocus.win.bg
instantwm.nohover.inactive.tag.bg
instantwm.nohover.filled.tag.bg
instantwm.nohover.focus.tag.bg
instantwm.nohover.nofocus.tag.bg
instantwm.nohover.empty.tag.bg
instantwm.nohover.normal.close.bg
instantwm.nohover.locked.close.bg
instantwm.nohover.fullscreen.close.bg
instantwm.nohover.normal.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.minimized.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.sticky.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.focus.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.stickyfocus.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.overlay.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.overlayfocus.win.detail
instantwm.nohover.inactive.tag.detail
instantwm.nohover.filled.tag.detail
instantwm.nohover.focus.tag.detail
instantwm.nohover.nofocus.tag.detail
instantwm.nohover.empty.tag.detail
instantwm.nohover.normal.close.detail
instantwm.nohover.locked.close.detail
instantwm.nohover.fullscreen.close.detail
normal.border
focus.tile.border
focus.float.border
snap.border
status.fg
status.bg
status.detail

General

Color types

Most elements have three colors, bg is mostly used for text, bg is behind the text and should provide good contrast when paired with fg. Additionally detail is used for shading details below the element.

Hover types

Each color property has a variant that is switched to when hovered over with the mouse cursor. The normal color and the hover variant are called nohover and hover respectively.

State types

Each element can be in one of several states, for example a window title can be focussed or minimized.

Element types

name	description
tag	tag number indicator
win	window title
close	close button on active window title

Examples

Explicit color declaration

instantwm.nohover.focus.tag.bg: #00ff00
instantwm.hov.tag.bg: #00ff00

Colors - Old

This is the config syntax for instantWM versions of beta 6 and earlier. Newer versions introduced an updated config that is not compatible with the old one anymore.

Warning

The names in the old list are deprecated, Xresources written in this syntax will not affect instantWM installations newer than beta 6

Example

instantwm.minimizedColor : #747c90
instantwm.bgColor : #292f3a
instantwm.hoverShadowColor : #475166
instantwm.hoverBgColor : #596377
instantwm.minimize : #b77ca7
instantwm.darkMinimize : #8b3b93
instantwm.darkActiveTag : #b7416e
instantwm.activeTag : #e16a98
instantwm.hoverFocus : #82ceaa
instantwm.darkHoverFocus : #5ea584
instantwm.darkFocus : #447a61
instantwm.focus : #5ea584
instantwm.border : #912e54
instantwm.activeBorder : #5ea584
instantwm.close : #e16a98
instantwm.darkClose : #b7416e
instantwm.hoverClose : #d37492
instantwm.darkHoverClose : #ce577c
instantmenu.norm.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.norm.bg : #292f3a
instantmenu.norm.detail : #3e485b
instantmenu.fade.fg : #575e70
instantmenu.fade.bg : #292f3a
instantmenu.fade.detail : #3e485b
instantmenu.highlight.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.highlight.bg : #353d4b
instantmenu.highlight.detail : 3e485b
instantmenu.hover.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.hover.bg : #353d4b
instantmenu.hover.detail : #3e485b
instantmenu.sel.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.sel.bg : #5ea584
instantmenu.sel.detail : #3e485b
instantmenu.out.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.out.bg : #5ea584
instantmenu.out.detail : #5ea584
instantmenu.green.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.green.bg : #bde077
instantmenu.green.detail : #b7ce42
instantmenu.red.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.red.bg : #e16a98
instantmenu.red.detail : #b7416e
instantmenu.yellow.fg : #dddddd
instantmenu.yellow.bg : #fea63c
instantmenu.yellow.detail : #cb8735

This example is taken from the dotfiles of https://github.com/XeroOl