Configuration Guide

Customize every aspect of DWN to match your workflow and style.

Configuration File

DWN reads its configuration from ~/.config/dwn/config using an INI-style format. Changes take effect on restart (or you can reload in a future version).

First Run

DWN creates a default configuration file on first run if one doesn't exist. You can also copy the example config from the source repository.

[general] - Core Settings

Basic behavior settings for applications and focus handling.

Option	Default	Description
`terminal`	`xfce4-terminal`	Terminal emulator launched with Ctrl+Alt+T
`launcher`	`dmenu_run`	Application launcher for Alt+F2
`file_manager`	`thunar`	File manager for Super+E
`focus_mode`	`click`	`click` or `follow` (sloppy focus)
`decorations`	`true`	Show window title bars and borders

Example

[general]
terminal = alacritty
launcher = rofi -show run
file_manager = nautilus
focus_mode = click
decorations = true

[appearance] - Visual Settings

Control the visual appearance of windows, panels, and gaps.

Option	Default	Range	Description
`border_width`	`2`	0-50	Window border width in pixels
`title_height`	`24`	0-100	Title bar height in pixels
`panel_height`	`28`	0-100	Top/bottom panel height
`gap`	`4`	0-100	Gap between tiled windows
`font`	`fixed`	-	X11 font name for text

Example

[appearance]
border_width = 2
title_height = 28
panel_height = 32
gap = 8
font = DejaVu Sans-10

[layout] - Layout Behavior

Configure the default layout mode and tiling parameters.

Option	Default	Range	Description
`default`	`tiling`	-	`tiling`, `floating`, or `monocle`
`master_ratio`	`0.55`	0.1-0.9	Portion of screen for master area
`master_count`	`1`	1-10	Number of windows in master area

Example

[layout]
default = tiling
master_ratio = 0.60
master_count = 1

[panels] - Panel Visibility

Control which panels are displayed.

Option	Default	Description
`top`	`true`	Show top panel (workspaces, taskbar, systray)
`bottom`	`true`	Show bottom panel (clock)

Example - Minimal Setup

[panels]
top = true
bottom = false

[colors] - Color Scheme

Customize all colors using hex format (#RRGGBB).

Option	Default	Description
`panel_bg`	`#1a1a2e`	Panel background color
`panel_fg`	`#e0e0e0`	Panel text color
`workspace_active`	`#4a90d9`	Active workspace indicator
`workspace_inactive`	`#3a3a4e`	Inactive workspace indicator
`workspace_urgent`	`#d94a4a`	Urgent workspace indicator
`title_focused_bg`	`#2d3a4a`	Focused window title background
`title_focused_fg`	`#ffffff`	Focused window title text
`title_unfocused_bg`	`#1a1a1a`	Unfocused window title background
`title_unfocused_fg`	`#808080`	Unfocused window title text
`border_focused`	`#4a90d9`	Focused window border
`border_unfocused`	`#333333`	Unfocused window border
`notification_bg`	`#2a2a3e`	Notification background
`notification_fg`	`#ffffff`	Notification text

Example - Nord Theme

[colors]
panel_bg = #2e3440
panel_fg = #eceff4
workspace_active = #88c0d0
workspace_inactive = #4c566a
workspace_urgent = #bf616a
title_focused_bg = #3b4252
title_focused_fg = #eceff4
title_unfocused_bg = #2e3440
title_unfocused_fg = #4c566a
border_focused = #88c0d0
border_unfocused = #3b4252
notification_bg = #3b4252
notification_fg = #eceff4

[ai] - AI Integration

Configure AI features. See AI Features for full setup instructions.

Option	Description
`model`	OpenRouter model ID (e.g., `google/gemini-2.0-flash-exp:free`)
`openrouter_api_key`	Your OpenRouter API key (or use environment variable)
`exa_api_key`	Your Exa API key (or use environment variable)

Example

[ai]
model = google/gemini-2.0-flash-exp:free
openrouter_api_key = sk-or-v1-your-key-here
exa_api_key = your-exa-key-here

Security Note

For better security, use environment variables instead of storing API keys in the config file: export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-...

[autostart] - XDG Autostart

Configure automatic application startup. DWN follows the XDG Autostart specification.

Option	Description
`enabled`	Enable/disable all autostart functionality (default: `true`)
`xdg_autostart`	Scan XDG .desktop files from /etc/xdg/autostart and ~/.config/autostart (default: `true`)
`path`	Additional directory for symlinks/scripts (default: `~/.config/dwn/autostart.d`)

Example

[autostart]
enabled = true
xdg_autostart = true
path = ~/.config/dwn/autostart.d

Directories scanned:

/etc/xdg/autostart/ - System defaults (nm-applet, blueman, power-manager)
~/.config/autostart/ - User XDG autostart entries
~/.config/dwn/autostart.d/ - DWN-specific symlinks and scripts

Complete Configuration Example

~/.config/dwn/config

# DWN Window Manager Configuration
# https://dwn.github.io
[general]
terminal = alacritty
launcher = rofi -show drun
file_manager = thunar
focus_mode = click
decorations = true
[appearance]
border_width = 2
title_height = 24
panel_height = 28
gap = 6
font = DejaVu Sans-10
[layout]
default = tiling
master_ratio = 0.55
master_count = 1
[panels]
top = true
bottom = true
[colors]
panel_bg = #1a1a2e
panel_fg = #e0e0e0
workspace_active = #4a90d9
workspace_inactive = #3a3a4e
workspace_urgent = #d94a4a
title_focused_bg = #2d3a4a
title_focused_fg = #ffffff
title_unfocused_bg = #1a1a1a
title_unfocused_fg = #808080
border_focused = #4a90d9
border_unfocused = #333333
notification_bg = #2a2a3e
notification_fg = #ffffff
[ai]
model = google/gemini-2.0-flash-exp:free
# API keys via environment variables recommended
[autostart]
enabled = true
xdg_autostart = true
path = ~/.config/dwn/autostart.d