Frank
ac1608e71f
The working tree had replaced the operating contract in AGENTS.md with a niri config-reload + keybinding-constraints note. Content relocated to its proper home: tips.md 3-config-reload (SIGHUP footgun, load-config-file) and key-bindings-syntax.md constraints section. AGENTS.md restored from HEAD.
1.6 KiB
1.6 KiB
type, title, description, tags, verified
| type | title | description | tags | verified | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| howto | Niri Tips and Gotchas | Practical tips for working with niri — Mod key behavior, shell expansion, config reload, vim keys, and programmatic invocation. |
|
2026-08-28 |
Helpful Tips
1. Mod key
Use Mod instead of Super for configs that work both on TTY and in nested windows.
2. No shell expansion in spawn
spawn does not expand $VAR or ~. Use spawn-sh or wrap in sh -c.
3. Config reload
Do NOT send SIGHUP to the niri process (kill -s SIGHUP $(pgrep -f 'niri --session')) — it causes a full session logout/restart instead of a live config reload.
Correct reload options, in order of preference:
niri msg action load-config-file— live reload without disrupting the session (preferred).- Log out and back in (safe, guaranteed clean reload).
- Let the user decide when to reload; agents should modify config files without auto-reloading.
Niri reads ~/.config/niri/config.kdl (or config.kdl relative to its CWD). Split config lives in ~/.config/niri/cfg/ — each .kdl file is included from the main config, so a reload picks up edits to any included module.
4. Alternative navigation
Vim-like keys (H/J/K/L) are bound by default alongside arrow keys.
5. Programmatic invocation
Every action can be invoked via niri msg action <action-name>.
6. Find XKB keys
Use wev to discover key names.
Related
- Key Bindings Syntax — Configuration details
- Action Reference — All available actions