System Scripts

Utility scripts for automating tasks in Config-Sway

Config-Sway includes several utility scripts to automate common tasks and enhance your Sway experience. These scripts are located in ~/.config/scripts/ and handle autostarting applications, layout management, and wallpaper configuration.

Available Scripts

autostart.sh

Automatically launches applications in specific workspaces when Sway starts.

Location: ~/.config/scripts/autostart.sh

Features

• Launches Firefox in workspace 1
• Opens VSCode in workspace 2
• Starts Kitty terminal in workspace 3
• Includes error handling and notifications

Usage

Add to your Sway config to run on startup:

exec ~/.config/scripts/autostart.sh

How It Works

1. Delay Startup

   Waits 2 seconds for Sway to fully initialize

2. Check Dependencies

   Verifies swaymsg is available

3. Launch Applications

   Opens each application in its designated workspace with 1-second delays between launches

Full Script

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

sleep 2

if ! command -v swaymsg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  notify-send "Autostart (Sway)" "swaymsg no disponible" 2>/dev/null || true
  exit 0
fi

# Firefox in workspace 1
swaymsg 'workspace number 1; exec firefox' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
sleep 1

# VSCode in workspace 2
swaymsg 'workspace number 2; exec code' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
sleep 1

# Kitty in workspace 3
swaymsg 'workspace number 3; exec kitty' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true

# Add your own applications:
swaymsg 'workspace number 4; exec discord' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
sleep 1

swaymsg 'workspace number 5; exec spotify' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true

---

mode-hacker.sh

Creates a “hacker” layout with a terminal, clock, and audio visualizer.

Location: ~/.config/scripts/mode-hacker.sh

Features

• Creates a three-pane layout
• Left pane: Full-height Kitty terminal
• Right top: TTY-clock display
• Right bottom: Cava audio visualizer

Usage

Bind to a keyboard shortcut in your Sway config:

bindsym $mod+Shift+h exec ~/.config/scripts/mode-hacker.sh

Layout Description

┌─────────────┬─────────┐
│             │         │
│             │  Clock  │
│   Terminal  │         │
│             ├─────────┤
│             │         │
│             │  Cava   │
└─────────────┴─────────┘

Full Script

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

sleep 0.3

if ! command -v swaymsg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  notify-send "Mode hacker (Sway)" "swaymsg no disponible" 2>/dev/null || true
  exit 0
fi

# Main terminal
swaymsg 'exec kitty --title x' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
sleep 0.35

# Split horizontally and add clock
swaymsg 'split horizontal' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
swaymsg 'exec kitty --override font_size=12 --title clock -- tty-clock -c -C 4' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
sleep 0.35

# Split vertically and add cava
swaymsg 'split vertical' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
swaymsg 'exec kitty --title cava -- cava' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true

# Install dependencies
sudo pacman -S kitty tty-clock cava  # Arch
sudo apt install kitty tty-clock cava  # Debian/Ubuntu

Customization

You can modify the clock appearance by changing the tty-clock parameters:

• -c: Center the clock
• -C 4: Set color (0-7 for different colors)
• -t: Display time only (no date)
• -D: Display date only (no time)

---

setwallpaper.sh

Sets or restores the wallpaper using swaybg.

Location: ~/.config/scripts/setwallpaper.sh

Features

• Reads wallpaper path from config file
• Falls back to default wallpaper if not found
• Uses solid color as last resort
• Automatically kills existing swaybg process

Usage

Run manually or add to Sway config:

exec ~/.config/scripts/setwallpaper.sh

How It Works

1. Read Config

   Reads wallpaper path from ~/.config/sway/wallpaper

2. Check File

   Verifies the wallpaper file exists

3. Apply Wallpaper

   Kills existing swaybg and launches with new wallpaper

4. Fallback

   Uses default wallpaper or solid color if configured wallpaper not found

Full Script

#!/bin/sh

# Read wallpaper path
W="$(cat ~/.config/sway/wallpaper 2>/dev/null || true)"

# If exists, load it
if [ -n "$W" ] && [ -f "$W" ]; then
    killall swaybg 2>/dev/null || true
    swaybg -i "$W" -m fill >/dev/null 2>&1 &
# Fallback to default wallpaper
elif [ -f ~/.config/wallpapers/arch-linux-logo.webp ]; then
    killall swaybg 2>/dev/null || true
    swaybg -i ~/.config/wallpapers/arch-linux-logo.webp -m fill >/dev/null 2>&1 &
# Last resort: solid color
else
    killall swaybg 2>/dev/null || true
    swaybg -c "#1e1e2e" >/dev/null 2>&1 &
fi

# Set your wallpaper path
echo "/path/to/your/wallpaper.jpg" > ~/.config/sway/wallpaper

# Apply the wallpaper
~/.config/scripts/setwallpaper.sh

Wallpaper Modes

swaybg supports several scaling modes:

• fill: Scale to fill the screen (default)
• fit: Scale to fit within screen
• stretch: Stretch to fill screen
• center: Center image without scaling
• tile: Tile image across screen

Modify the script to use a different mode:

swaybg -i "$W" -m fit >/dev/null 2>&1 &

Integration with Sway Config

Add all scripts to your ~/.config/sway/config:

# Autostart applications
exec ~/.config/scripts/autostart.sh

# Set wallpaper on startup
exec ~/.config/scripts/setwallpaper.sh

# Bind hacker mode to Super+Shift+H
bindsym $mod+Shift+h exec ~/.config/scripts/mode-hacker.sh

Troubleshooting

Script Not Executing

Ensure scripts have execute permissions:

chmod +x ~/.config/scripts/*.sh

Applications Not Launching

Check if the applications are installed:

command -v firefox
command -v code
command -v kitty

Wallpaper Not Loading

Verify swaybg is installed:

which swaybg

Check the wallpaper path:

cat ~/.config/sway/wallpaper
ls -la "$(cat ~/.config/sway/wallpaper)"

Creating Custom Scripts

You can create your own scripts following the same patterns:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail  # Exit on error, undefined variables, pipe failures

# Check for required commands
if ! command -v swaymsg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  notify-send "My Script" "swaymsg not available"
  exit 1
fi

# Your script logic here
swaymsg 'your commands'

Always use error handling and notifications to help debug issues.