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This page documents system-level commands that control Mango’s operation, input devices, displays, and keyboard layouts.

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Core System Commands

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quit

Exits the Mango compositor.
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action
quit
Quits Mango and ends the Wayland session
Example: 
bind=SUPER,m,quit
This will close all running applications. Save your work before using this command.

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reload_config

Reloads the configuration file without restarting Mango.
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action
reload_config
Hot-reloads ~/.config/mango/config.conf applying changes immediately
Example: 
bind=SUPER,r,reload_config
What gets reloaded:
  • Keybindings
  • Colors and appearance
  • Animation settings
  • Window effects
  • Rules and options
What requires restart:
  • Input device settings (trackpad, keyboard layout)
  • Monitor configuration changes
  • IPC-related settings

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spawn

Launches an external program or command.
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action
spawn
Spawns a new process with the specified command
​
command
string
required
The command to execute (can include arguments)
Examples: 
# Launch applications
bind=Alt,Return,spawn,foot
bind=Alt,space,spawn,rofi -show drun
bind=SUPER,b,spawn,firefox
bind=SUPER,f,spawn,thunar

# Run commands with arguments
bind=SUPER,s,spawn,grim -g "$(slurp)" ~/screenshot.png

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spawn_shell

Spawns a command through a shell, allowing shell features like pipes and redirects.
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action
spawn_shell
Executes command through /bin/sh -c
​
script
string
required
Shell command or script to execute
Examples: 
# Run shell script
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,s,spawn_shell,/path/to/your/script.sh

# Use shell features
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,l,spawn_shell,~/.config/mango/lock-screen.sh

# Pipe commands together
bind=SUPER,p,spawn_shell,ps aux | grep mango | rofi -dmenu

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spawn_on_empty

Spawns a command only if the current tag has no windows.
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action
spawn_on_empty
Conditionally spawns if tag is empty
​
command
string
required
Command to execute when tag is empty
Example: 
# Auto-launch terminal on empty tag
bind=SUPER,Return,spawn_on_empty,foot
Use case: Prevent spawning multiple instances when switching to a tag.

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killclient

Closes the currently focused window.
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action
killclient
Sends close request to focused window
Example: 
bind=ALT,q,killclient
bind=SUPER,c,killclient
This sends a graceful close request. Applications can prompt to save before closing.

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Input Device Commands

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toggle_trackpad_enable

Toggles the trackpad on/off at runtime.
​
action
toggle_trackpad_enable
Enables or disables the trackpad device
Example: 
bind=SUPER,t,toggle_trackpad_enable
Use case: Disable trackpad when using external mouse, or while typing.

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switch_keyboard_layout

Cycles through configured keyboard layouts.
​
action
switch_keyboard_layout
Switches to next keyboard layout in XKB configuration
Example: 
bind=SUPER,space,switch_keyboard_layout
Configuration: 
# Set available layouts
xkb_rules_layout=us,de,fr
The command will cycle: us → de → fr → us

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setkeymode

Sets a specific keyboard mode or layout by index.
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action
setkeymode
Directly sets keyboard layout by index (0-based)
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mode
integer
required
Layout index from xkb_rules_layout
Example: 
# Direct layout selection
bind=SUPER,1,setkeymode,0  # First layout
bind=SUPER,2,setkeymode,1  # Second layout
bind=SUPER,3,setkeymode,2  # Third layout

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Display Commands

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disable_monitor

Disables a specific monitor output.
​
action
disable_monitor
Turns off the specified monitor
​
output
string
required
Monitor name (e.g., “eDP-1”, “HDMI-A-1”)
Example: 
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,d,disable_monitor,eDP-1
Finding monitor names: 
wlr-randr

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enable_monitor

Enables a previously disabled monitor.
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action
enable_monitor
Turns on the specified monitor
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output
string
required
Monitor name to enable
Example: 
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,e,enable_monitor,HDMI-A-1

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toggle_monitor

Toggles a monitor on/off.
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action
toggle_monitor
Toggles monitor between enabled and disabled states
​
output
string
required
Monitor name to toggle
Example: 
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,m,toggle_monitor,HDMI-A-1
Use case: Quickly disable laptop screen when docking.

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create_virtual_output

Creates a virtual display output for testing or screencasting.
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action
create_virtual_output
Creates a headless virtual display
Example: 
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,v,create_virtual_output
Use cases:
  • Testing multi-monitor layouts without physical displays
  • Creating virtual displays for screen recording
  • Development and debugging

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destroy_all_virtual_output

Removes all virtual display outputs.
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action
destroy_all_virtual_output
Destroys all virtual outputs created with create_virtual_output
Example: 
bind=SUPER+SHIFT+ALT,v,destroy_all_virtual_output

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Advanced Commands

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chvt

Switches to a different virtual terminal (TTY).
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action
chvt
Changes to specified virtual terminal
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vt
integer
required
Virtual terminal number (1-12)
Example: 
bind=CTRL+ALT,F1,chvt,1
bind=CTRL+ALT,F2,chvt,2
Switching away from Mango’s TTY will suspend the Wayland session. Use carefully.

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setoption

Sets a configuration option at runtime.
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action
setoption
Dynamically changes a config option without reloading
​
option
string
required
Configuration option name
​
value
string
required
New value for the option
Examples: 
# Toggle effects on the fly
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,b,setoption,blur,1
bind=SUPER+SHIFT+ALT,b,setoption,blur,0

# Adjust gaps dynamically
bind=SUPER,equal,setoption,gappih,10
bind=SUPER,minus,setoption,gappih,0
Supported options:
  • Most appearance options (blur, shadows, gaps, borders)
  • Window behavior options
  • Animation settings
Some options like input device settings require a restart and won’t work with setoption.

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bind_to_view

Binds the focused window to a specific tag permanently.
​
action
bind_to_view
Pins window to specific tag across all monitors
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tag
integer
required
Tag ID to bind to (1-9)
Example: 
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,1,bind_to_view,1
bind=SUPER+SHIFT,2,bind_to_view,2
Difference from tag:
  • tag: Moves window to tag (can be moved again)
  • bind_to_view: Permanently binds to tag (sticky)

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See Also

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