Niri Keybinds & FAQ

Our main goal with our setup is to have a working Niri configuration that provides a smooth and intuitive desktop experience while keeping the configuration simple and accessible.

Take a look into our Niri FAQ.

Dotfiles maintained by Ly-sec For Noctalia related issues please take a look at the Noctalia docs.

Keybinds

Most of the key combinations require the use of the mod key which in our case is the Windows key (referenced as SUPER), you can change it in the config file.

Application Control

Description	Key
Open terminal	Super + Return
Open program launcher	Super + Control + Return
Open browser (Firefox)	Super + B
Open file manager	Super + E
Close focused window	Super + Q
Lock screen	Super + Alt + L

Description	Key
Go to workspace (1-9)	Super + 1 through Super + 9
Previous workspace	Super + Tab
Move between workspaces with scroll wheel	Super + Scroll

Description	Key
Focus window/column up	Super + ArrowUp or Super + K
Focus window/column down	Super + ArrowDown or Super + J
Focus column left	Super + ArrowLeft or Super + H
Focus column right	Super + ArrowRight or Super + L
Focus first column	Super + Home
Focus last column	Super + End

Description	Key
Focus monitor left	Super + Shift + ArrowLeft
Focus monitor right	Super + Shift + ArrowRight
Focus monitor up	Super + Shift + ArrowUp
Focus monitor down	Super + Shift + ArrowDown

Window Management

Description	Key
Move window to workspace (1-9)	Super + Control + 1 through Super + Control + 9
Move window/column up	Super + Control + ArrowUp or Super + Control + K
Move window/column down	Super + Control + ArrowDown or Super + Control + J
Move column left	Super + Control + ArrowLeft or Super + Control + H
Move column right	Super + Control + ArrowRight or Super + Control + L
Move column to first position	Super + Control + Home
Move column to last position	Super + Control + End
Move column to monitor left	Super + Shift + Control + ArrowLeft
Move column to monitor right	Super + Shift + Control + ArrowRight
Move column to monitor up	Super + Shift + Control + ArrowUp
Move column to monitor down	Super + Shift + Control + ArrowDown

Layout Controls

Description	Key
Expand column to available width	Super + Control + F
Center column	Super + C
Center visible columns	Super + Control + C
Decrease column width	Super + Minus
Increase column width	Super + Equal
Decrease window height	Super + Shift + Minus
Increase window height	Super + Shift + Equal

Window Modes

Description	Key
Toggle window floating	Super + T
Toggle window fullscreen	Super + F
Toggle column tabbed display	Super + W
Toggle overview mode	Super + O

Screenshots

Description	Key
Screenshot selection	Control + Shift + 1
Screenshot screen	Control + Shift + 2
Screenshot window	Control + Shift + 3

System Controls

Description	Key
Show hotkey overlay	Super + Shift + Escape
Emergency escape (restore control)	Super + Escape
Power off monitors	Super + Shift + P
Quit Niri	Control + Alt + Delete

Media Controls

Description	Key
Volume up	VolUp
Volume down	VolDown
Mute audio	VolMute
Mute microphone	MicMute
Media next track	MediaNext
Media previous track	MediaPrev
Media play/pause	MediaPlayPause

Description	Key
Horizontal scroll with mouse	Super + Scroll then Left/Right
Move column with horizontal scroll	Super + Control + Scroll then Left/Right
Alternative column navigation	Super + Shift + Scroll then Up/Down
Move column with alternative scroll	Super + Control + Shift + Scroll then Up/Down

FAQ

What makes Niri different from other window managers?

Niri uses a unique scrollable-tiling approach where windows are arranged in columns that can be scrolled horizontally. This provides an infinite desktop metaphor that’s particularly useful for ultrawide monitors and workflows requiring many open applications.

How do I change the keyboard layout?

Edit the input section in your config file:

input {
    keyboard {
        xkb {
            layout "us" // Change from "de" to your preferred layout
        }
    }
}

Can I customize the gaps and window appearance?

Yes, you can modify the layout section:

layout {
    gaps 8 // Change gap size

    focus-ring {
        width 2
        active-color "#your-color"
        inactive-color "#your-color"
    }
}

How do I add more startup applications?

Add them to the startup section:

spawn-at-startup "your-application"

What is the emergency escape key for?

The Super+Escape binding is designed to restore control when a fullscreen application blocks your keybinds. It disables any active keyboard shortcut inhibitor.

How do I configure multiple monitors?

Uncomment and modify the output section for your specific displays. Run niri msg outputs to get the correct names:

output "DP-1" {
    mode "[email protected]"
    scale 1
}