$mod+Tab and “auto back and forth”

[p3k]

I could swear $mod+Tab switched between two workspaces back and forth if pressed repeatedly in a quick manner, and only switched to the next workspace if consecutively pressed in a slower manner.

This got lost at some time, most likely during a standard apt upgrade procedure. At least I cannot recall reconfiguring i3 or regolith settings during the time.

The key pattern is still in my “muscle memory”.

Is it possible to make this work again? I have workspace_auto_back_and_forth yes configured.

[vstath]

Yes please. I just installed the latest version and I'm missing "back and forth" functionality badly

In the very old versions I could do something like

bindsym $mod+b workspace back_and_forth

Is there a new way to do the same? Anyone knows?

[vstath]

ok, to answer my own question:

as my user I did:

1. edited file

~/.config/regolith3/Xresources

and added

workspace_auto_back_and_forth yes

2. then edited

~/.config/regolith3/sway/config.d/55_session_keybindings

and added

bindsym $mod+x workspace back_and_forth

Then restarted my session pressing <WIN_KEY>+SHIFT+r and it just works fine.

Hope it works for you, too

[p3k]

thanks for your reply, @vstath – while it works for me, too, using $mod+x, it does not with the key combo I desire $mod+Tab:

bindsym $mod+Tab workspace back_and_forth

ERROR: Duplicate keybinding in config file:
  state mask 0x40 with keysym Tab, command "workspace back_and_forth"
ERROR: FYI: You are using i3 version 4.21 (2022-09-21)
ERROR: Duplicate keybinding in config file:
  state mask 0x40 with keysym Tab, command "workspace back_and_forth"
ERROR: FYI: You are using i3 version 4.21 (2022-09-21)
ERROR: Could not translate string to key symbol: "-"
ERROR: Could not translate string to key symbol: "scratchpad"
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600000
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600000
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600008
ERROR: Received ExposeEvent for unknown window 0x03600008
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600008
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360000b
ERROR: Received ExposeEvent for unknown window 0x0360000b
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360000b
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360000e
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360000e
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360000e
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600011
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600011
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600011
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600014
ERROR: Received ExposeEvent for unknown window 0x03600014
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600014
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600017
ERROR: Received ExposeEvent for unknown window 0x03600017
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600017
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360001a
ERROR: Received ExposeEvent for unknown window 0x0360001a
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360001a
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360001d
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360001d
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x0360001d
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600020
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600020
ERROR: Received ConfigureNotify for unknown window 0x03600020

[p3k]

I cannot find any duplicate definition with Tab at locations I can think of:

❯ grep -r Tab ~/.config/regolith2/
# This is the one I added
/home/tobi/.config/regolith2/i3/config.d/99_custom:bindsym $mod+Tab workspace back_and_forth
❯ grep -r Tab /etc/regolith/
# nothing

[garte]

wm.binding.ws_next is your Meta+Tab key combo that would clash with your own Meta+Tab binding. So if you reassign it to something else you won't have any error messages.

In short: Add wm.binding.ws_next: Mod1+Shift+Mod4+Tab to your Xresources (or another unused key combo) to overwrite the default Meta+Tab assignment.

[p3k]

Yes, I get that. But I see that I want something differently: not a key combo that only switches between two windows back and forth, but one that does the following (as already outlined in this PR’s description):

1. If pressed consecutively in a quick manner: back and forth
2. If pressed consecutively in a slow manner: next window

It might be just me phantasizing this worked before (I am getting older) but still the muscle memory is there 👻

[garte]

Ah sorry. I've never used Meta-Tab that way, I couldn't remember it ever working like that.