Copy of the legacy ~/.pi/agent/docs tree rebuilt as the command-center knowledge base: concept files promoted to path identity, index listings stripped of frontmatter, all wikilinks/relative links resolved, every checkable claim verified against the live fleet (Dankserver = Ryzen 7 7700X + RTX 3090; Strix Halo is Dankclaw), unverifiable claims tagged. kb-lint exits 0.
42 lines
981 B
Markdown
42 lines
981 B
Markdown
---
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type: howto
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title: Niri Tips and Gotchas
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description: Practical tips for working with niri — Mod key behavior, shell expansion, config reload, vim keys, and programmatic invocation.
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tags:
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- niri
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- tips
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- gotchas
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verified: 2026-08-28
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---
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# Helpful Tips
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## 1. Mod key
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Use `Mod` instead of `Super` for configs that work both on TTY and in nested windows.
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## 2. No shell expansion in spawn
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`spawn` does not expand `$VAR` or `~`. Use `spawn-sh` or wrap in `sh -c`.
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## 3. Config reload
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niri supports live-reloading config without restart.
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## 4. Alternative navigation
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Vim-like keys (H/J/K/L) are bound by default alongside arrow keys.
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## 5. Programmatic invocation
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Every action can be invoked via `niri msg action <action-name>`.
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## 6. Find XKB keys
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Use `wev` to discover key names.
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## Related
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* [Key Bindings Syntax](/tools/niri/key-bindings-syntax.md) — Configuration details
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* [Action Reference](/tools/niri/action-reference.md) — All available actions
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