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Rofi Launcher Configuration

Rofi is a powerful application launcher and window switcher with extensive customization options.

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Overview

Configuration file: ~/.config/rofi/config.rasi Rofi provides a fast, keyboard-driven interface for launching applications, switching windows, and running custom scripts.

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Basic Configuration

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Core Settings

configuration {
    modi: "window,drun,run,ssh";
    font: "mono 14";
    location: 0;
    show-icons: true;
    icon-theme: "Papirus";
    combi-modi: "run,window";
}
location: 0 centers the Rofi window on the screen. Other values position it at different screen edges.

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Modi Configuration

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Available Modi

Rofi supports different modes (modi) for various tasks:
ModiDescription
drunDesktop application launcher
runCommand launcher
windowWindow switcher
sshSSH connection selector
combiCombined mode showing multiple modi
calcCalculator mode (requires plugin)

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Using Modi in i3

From the i3 configuration: 
# Application launcher (drun)
bindsym $mod+d exec --no-startup-id rofi -show drun

# Calculator mode
bindsym $mod+Shift+d exec --no-startup-id rofi -show calc -modi calc -no-show-match -no-sort

# Power menu (custom script)
bindsym $mod+Tab exec --no-startup-id $HOME/dotfiles/.config/rofi/powermenu.sh

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Icon Configuration

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Enable Icons

show-icons: true;
icon-theme: "Papirus";
Ensure the icon theme is installed on your system. Popular options include:
  • Papirus
  • Numix
  • Adwaita
  • Breeze

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Install Icon Theme

1
  • Install Papirus (recommended):
    • 2
    sudo pacman -S papirus-icon-theme  # Arch Linux
sudo apt install papirus-icon-theme  # Debian/Ubuntu
    3
  • Verify installation:
    • 4
    ls /usr/share/icons/ | grep -i papirus
    5
  • Rofi will automatically use the theme

    • ​
    Theming

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    Custom Theme

    The configuration references a custom theme: 
    @theme "/home/joaopedro/.config/rofi/themes/main.rasi"

    ​
    Alternative Built-in Themes

    The config shows several theme options (commented out): 
    //@theme "/usr/share/rofi/themes/Arc-Dark.rasi"
//@theme "/usr/share/rofi/themes/iggy.rasi"
//@theme "/usr/share/rofi/themes/purple.rasi"
//@theme "/usr/share/rofi/themes/android_notification.rasi"

    ​
    Browse Available Themes

    rofi-theme-selector
    This interactive tool lets you preview and select themes.

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    Creating Custom Themes

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    Basic Theme Structure

    Create ~/.config/rofi/themes/custom.rasi: 
    * {
    background-color: #1e1e2e;
    text-color: #cdd6f4;
    border-color: #89b4fa;
    selected-normal-background: #89b4fa;
    selected-normal-foreground: #1e1e2e;
}

window {
    width: 600px;
    border: 2px;
    border-radius: 8px;
    padding: 8px;
}

inputbar {
    spacing: 8px;
    padding: 8px;
}

listview {
    lines: 10;
    columns: 1;
    spacing: 4px;
}

element {
    padding: 8px;
    border-radius: 4px;
}

element selected {
    background-color: @selected-normal-background;
    text-color: @selected-normal-foreground;
}

    ​
    Window Elements

    • window - Main window container
    • mainbox - Main content area
    • inputbar - Search input field
    • listview - List of results
    • element - Individual list items
    • scrollbar - Scrollbar appearance
    • message - Message box
    • mode-switcher - Modi switcher buttons

    ​
    Common Properties

    • background-color - Background color
    • text-color - Text color
    • border-color - Border color
    • border - Border width
    • border-radius - Corner rounding
    • padding - Internal spacing
    • margin - External spacing
    • width/height - Dimensions
    • font - Font settings

    ​
    Advanced Configuration Options

    configuration {
    /* Window positioning */
    location: 0;  /* 0=center, 1-9 for screen edges */
    yoffset: 0;
    xoffset: 0;
    
    /* Display settings */
    fixed-num-lines: true;
    hide-scrollbar: false;
    sidebar-mode: false;
    
    /* Fullscreen mode */
    fullscreen: false;
    
    /* Terminal for commands */
    terminal: "rofi-sensible-terminal";
}

    configuration {
    /* Matching behavior */
    matching: "normal";  /* normal, regex, glob, fuzzy */
    case-sensitive: false;
    tokenize: true;
    
    /* Sorting */
    sort: false;
    sorting-method: "normal";  /* normal, fzf, levenshtein */
    
    /* History */
    disable-history: false;
    max-history-size: 25;
}

    configuration {
    /* Desktop entries */
    drun-match-fields: "name,generic,exec,categories,keywords";
    drun-display-format: "{name} [<span weight='light' size='small'><i>({generic})</i></span>]";
    drun-show-actions: false;
    drun-url-launcher: "xdg-open";
    
    /* Window switcher */
    window-format: "{w}    {c}   {t}";
    window-match-fields: "all";
}

    ​
    Keyboard Bindings

    While Rofi is open:
    KeyAction
    EnterAccept entry
    EscapeCancel
    Ctrl+j/kMove down/up
    Ctrl+n/pNext/previous entry
    TabNext row
    Shift+TabPrevious row
    Ctrl+spaceSelect entry
    Shift+Right/LeftSwitch modi
    Page Up/DownPage navigation
    Home/EndFirst/last entry
    Ctrl+vPaste
    Ctrl+wClear line
    Ctrl+uDelete to start
    Ctrl+kDelete to end
    configuration {
    kb-primary-paste: "Control+V,Shift+Insert";
    kb-clear-line: "Control+w";
    kb-move-front: "Control+a";
    kb-move-end: "Control+e";
    kb-accept-entry: "Control+j,Control+m,Return,KP_Enter";
    kb-remove-to-eol: "Control+k";
    kb-mode-next: "Shift+Right,Control+Tab";
    kb-row-up: "Up,Control+p,ISO_Left_Tab";
    kb-row-down: "Down,Control+n";
}

    ​
    Custom Scripts and Modi

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    Power Menu Script

    Create ~/.config/rofi/powermenu.sh: 
    #!/usr/bin/env bash

options="Shutdown\nReboot\nLogout\nLock\nSuspend"

selected=$(echo -e "$options" | rofi -dmenu -i -p "Power Menu")

case $selected in
    Shutdown)
        systemctl poweroff
        ;;
    Reboot)
        systemctl reboot
        ;;
    Logout)
        i3-msg exit
        ;;
    Lock)
        i3lock -c 000000
        ;;
    Suspend)
        systemctl suspend
        ;;
esac
    Make it executable: 
    chmod +x ~/.config/rofi/powermenu.sh

    ​
    Custom Modi Example

    1
  • Create script at ~/.config/rofi/scripts/custom-modi.sh
  • Make it executable:
    • 2
    chmod +x ~/.config/rofi/scripts/custom-modi.sh
    3
  • Add to Rofi config:
    • 4
    configuration {
    modi: "window,drun,run,custom:~/.config/rofi/scripts/custom-modi.sh";
}
    5
  • Launch with:
    • 6
    rofi -show custom

    ​
    Calculator Plugin

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    Installation

    # Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S rofi-calc

# Build from source
git clone https://github.com/svenstaro/rofi-calc
cd rofi-calc
make
sudo make install

    ​
    Usage

    rofi -show calc -modi calc -no-show-match -no-sort
    Results are automatically copied to clipboard when selected.

    ​
    Command Line Options

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    Common Options

    # Show specific modi
rofi -show drun
rofi -show window
rofi -show run

# Custom prompt
rofi -show drun -p "Launch:"

# Specific theme
rofi -show drun -theme Arc-Dark

# Set width
rofi -show drun -width 600

# Set lines
rofi -show drun -lines 10

# Case-sensitive matching
rofi -show drun -case-sensitive

# Fullscreen
rofi -show drun -fullscreen

    ​
    Troubleshooting

    1
    Test Configuration
    2
    rofi -dump-config
    3
    Check for Errors
    4
    rofi -show drun -no-config
    5
    Verify Theme Syntax
    6
    rofi -rasi-validate ~/.config/rofi/themes/custom.rasi
    7
    Debug Mode
    8
    rofi -show drun -debug
    Common Issues:
    • No icons showing: Install icon theme and verify show-icons: true
    • Theme not loading: Check file paths and syntax
    • Slow performance: Reduce max-history-size or disable icons
    • Modi not working: Verify plugins are installed

    ​
    Integration with i3

    Add to i3 config: 
    # Application launcher
bindsym $mod+d exec --no-startup-id rofi -show drun

# Window switcher
bindsym $mod+Tab exec --no-startup-id rofi -show window

# Run command
bindsym $mod+Shift+d exec --no-startup-id rofi -show run

# SSH launcher
bindsym $mod+Shift+s exec --no-startup-id rofi -show ssh

# Clipboard manager (requires greenclip)
bindsym $mod+c exec --no-startup-id rofi -modi "clipboard:greenclip print" -show clipboard

    ​
    Performance Tips

    configuration {
    /* Faster matching */
    sort: false;
    
    /* Reduce cached items */
    max-history-size: 10;
    
    /* Disable desktop cache for faster startup */
    drun-use-desktop-cache: false;
    
    /* Limit threads */
    threads: 0;  /* 0 = auto-detect */
}

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