• documentation at
  • Step 1: Install Ratpoison and Essential Tools
  • Step 2: Create a Ratpoison Session File for LightDM
  • Step 3: Configure LightDM for Ratpoison Autologin
  • Step 4: Configure Ratpoison (~/.ratpoisonrc)
    • ~/.rpbar.ini
    • Configure dratmenu.py (/home/linaro/.local/bin/dratmenu.py)
    • Configure ratpoison.py (/home/linaro/.local/bin/ratpoison.py)
    • .Xresources
    • Setting Up rpws for Desktop Switching
    • Customizing rpws Hotkeys
      • Keybinding Legend:
  • Step 5: Configure User-Specific X Settings (~/.xsessionrc)
  • Step 6: (Optional but Recommended) Remove XFCE4
  • Step 7: Verify the Setup
  • Alternative: Manual Start with startx (If Not Using LightDM)

#documentation at

https://ib.bsb.br/ratpoison-documentation/

#Step 1: Install Ratpoison and Essential Tools

First, update your package lists and install Ratpoison. The rpws (Ratpoison Workspace System) script is included with the ratpoison package in Debian Bullseye. Consider installing dmenu for application launching and a basic terminal like xterm or rxvt-unicode.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install ratpoison dmenu xterm # Or rxvt-unicode, etc.
# Install other optional utilities you might find useful:
# sudo apt install alsamixergui bpytop brightnessctl catfish dialog gmrun gsimplecal neofetch
# python3-psutil unclutter viewnior xdotool scrot
# fonts-dejavu fonts-terminus nitrogen picom # (nitrogen for wallpaper, picom for compositing)

#Step 2: Create a Ratpoison Session File for LightDM

LightDM uses .desktop files located in /usr/share/xsessions/ to identify available sessions. Create one for Ratpoison:
sudo nano /usr/share/xsessions/ratpoison.desktop

Add the following content:
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Ratpoison
Comment=Minimalist Tiling Window Manager
Exec=ratpoison
TryExec=ratpoison
Icon=
Type=XSession

Save and close the file (e.g., Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter in nano).

#Step 3: Configure LightDM for Ratpoison Autologin

To ensure LightDM launches Ratpoison for the autologin user, you need to update its configuration. Debian best practices suggest using configuration snippets in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/. If you already have an autologin configuration file there (e.g., 50-autologin.conf), modify it. Otherwise, you can edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf directly or create a new snippet.

1. Edit or Create LightDM Configuration: For example, to create/edit a dedicated snippet:
   sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/60-autologin-ratpoison.conf
   Ensure the configuration specifies linaro and sets autologin-session to ratpoison. The autologin-session value should match the filename of the .desktop file created in Step 2 (without the .desktop extension).
   [Seat:*]
autologin-user=linaro
autologin-user-timeout=0
autologin-session=ratpoison
   If you are editing an existing file that previously specified autologin-session=xfce (or similar), change it to ratpoison. Adding this line explicitly makes the autologin deterministic.
2. Note on Session Selection: While LightDM can sometimes remember the last session selected at the greeter, for an autologin setup, explicitly defining autologin-session is the most reliable method.

#Step 4: Configure Ratpoison (~/.ratpoisonrc)

Create and configure the ~/.ratpoisonrc file in the home directory of the autologin user (i.e., /home/linaro/.ratpoisonrc). This file controls Ratpoison’s behavior, keybindings, and startup applications.
# Ensure you are the user ‘linaro’ or adjust path accordingly
nano /home/linaro/.ratpoisonrc

Here’s a comprehensive example configuration:
# ~/.ratpoisonrc for linaro

set winname title set winliststyle column set wingravity n set winfmt "%n: %t (%c)" set waitcursor 1 set transgravity center set padding 0 0 0 24 set inputwidth 600 set historysize 1000 set gravity center set font "Intel One Mono:size=13" set border 0 set bgcolor silver set barpadding 4 4 set bargravity c set barborder 0 definekey top M-Tab next definekey top M-ISO_Left_Tab prev definekey top M-KP_8 ratrelwarp 0 -15 definekey top M-KP_2 ratrelwarp 0 15 definekey top M-KP_4 ratrelwarp -15 0 definekey top M-KP_6 ratrelwarp 15 0 definekey top M-KP_1 ratclick 1 definekey top M-KP_5 ratclick 2 definekey top M-KP_3 ratclick 3 exec rpws init 9 exec rpbar exec xsetroot -bitmap /home/linaro/Desktop/02-media/pics/wallpaper1.xbm -bg "#073642" -fg "#345345" exec xrdb -merge /home/linaro/.Xresources exec xfce4-power-manager exec unclutter --timeout 2 --jitter 5 exec nm-applet exec brightnessctl s 7 exec /usr/bin/rpws restore /home/linaro/Desktop/01-document/dotfiles/rpws_layouts.dmp startup_message on escape Super_L banish unmanage rpbar addhook titlechanged exec rpbarsend addhook switchwin exec rpbarsend addhook switchgroup exec rpbarsend addhook switchframe exec rpbarsend addhook newwindow exec rpbarsend addhook deletewindow exec rpbarsend bind w exec thorium-browser bind v exec paste_clipboard_from_file.sh bind Up focusup bind u undo bind Tab focus bind t exec pcmanfm-qt --daemon-mode bind space exec xboomx bind Right focusright bind Return exec x-terminal-emulator bind r resize bind q delete bind k kill bind Print exec xfce4-screenshooter bind Page_Up exec rpws prev bind Page_Down exec rpws next bind minus vsplit bind Left focusleft bind KP_Separator exec xdotool key quotedbl key quotedbl key quotedbl bind KP_9 exec rpws 9 bind KP_8 exec rpws 8 bind KP_7 exec rpws 7 bind KP_6 exec rpws 6 bind KP_5 exec rpws 5 bind KP_4 exec rpws 4 bind KP_3 exec rpws 3 bind KP_2 exec rpws 2 bind KP_1 exec rpws 1 bind KP_0 exec xdotool key apostrophe key apostrophe key apostrophe bind i exec viewnior bind g exec gsimplecal bind F8 exec flatpak run io.github.zaps166.QMPlay2 bind F7 exec flatpak run com.github.ryonakano.reco bind F6 exec flatpak run com.strlen.TreeSheets bind F5 exec flatpak run com.github.tenderowl.frog bind F4 exec flatpak run org.telegram.desktop bind F1 exec thermal.sh bind f only bind Escape exec /usr/bin/rpws dump /home/linaro/Desktop/01-document/dotfiles/rpws_layouts.dmp bind equal hsplit bind e exec xnedit bind Down focusdown bind c exec write_clipboard_to_file.sh bind BackSpace next bind h exec x-terminal-emulator -e bpytop bind apostrophe colon exec x-terminal-emulator -e bind 9 exec rpws 9 bind 8 exec rpws 8 bind 7 exec rpws 7 bind 6 exec rpws 6 bind 5 exec rpws 5 bind 4 exec rpws 4 bind 3 exec rpws 3 bind 2 exec rpws 2 bind 1 exec rpws 1 bind 0 remove bind s-w exec x-terminal-emulator -e nm-connection-editor bind s-Up exchangeup bind s-u redo bind s-Tab nextscreen bind s-t exec sudo pcmanfm-qt bind s-space exec x-terminal-emulator --hold -e python3 /home/linaro/.local/bin/dratmenu.py bind s-Right exchangeright bind s-Return exec sudo x-terminal-emulator bind s-q abort bind s-Print exec scrot -s -e 'xclip -selection clipboard -t image/png -i $f && rm $f' bind s-Page_Up exec rpws movenext bind s-Page_Down exec rpws moveprev bind s-minus exec amixer set Master 5%- bind s-Left exchangeleft bind s-KP_9 exec rpws move9 bind s-KP_8 exec rpws move8 bind s-KP_7 exec rpws move7 bind s-KP_6 exec rpws move6 bind s-KP_5 exec rpws move5 bind s-KP_4 exec rpws move4 bind s-KP_3 exec rpws move3 bind s-KP_2 exec rpws move2 bind s-KP_1 exec rpws move1 bind s-g exec galculator bind s-F1 exec reverse-thermal.sh bind s-Escape exec /usr/bin/rpws restore /home/linaro/Desktop/01-document/dotfiles/rpws_layouts.dmp bind s-equal exec amixer set Master 5%+ bind s-e exec xnc bind s-Down exchangedown bind s-BackSpace prev bind s-b exec vorta bind b exec sudo timeshift --create --comments "Before making changes" bind s-apostrophe colon exec x-terminal-emulator -e sudo bind s-a title bind s-9 exec rpws move9 bind s-8 exec rpws move8 bind s-7 exec rpws move7 bind s-6 exec rpws move6 bind s-5 exec rpws move5 bind s-4 exec rpws move4 bind s-3 exec rpws move3 bind s-2 exec rpws move2 bind s-1 exec rpws move1 bind s-0 exec amixer set Master toggle

#~/.rpbar.ini

#Configure dratmenu.py (/home/linaro/.local/bin/dratmenu.py)

#!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ dratmenu.py: A dmenu-based window switcher for the Ratpoison Window Manager. This script fetches the list of current windows from Ratpoison, presents them in dmenu for selection, and then tells Ratpoison to switch to the chosen window. It is updated for Python 3 and aims for robustness. """ import subprocess import sys import shlex # For safer command construction if needed, though not strictly required here # --- Configuration --- # Separator string used internally to parse Ratpoison output. # IMPORTANT: This exact string MUST NOT appear in any window number, class, or title. # Using a complex, unlikely sequence to minimize collision risk. SEP = "~!@#DRATMENU_SEP#@!~" # Separator used *within dmenu* to separate the hidden window number from the visible text. # A tab character is often a good choice as it's unlikely to be the *first* character # in the formatted display string and easy to split on. DMENU_SEP = '\t' # dmenu appearance settings (adjust as needed) # Font examples: # FONT = "-*-terminus-*-r-*-*-14-*-*-*-*-*-*-*" # FONT = "-*-jetbrains mono-*-r-*-*-14-*-*-*-*-*-*-*" FONT = 'Intel One Mono:size=13' # Default Terminus NORMAL_BG = '#002b36' # Solarized Dark base03 SELECTED_BG = '#859900' # Solarized Dark green NUM_LINES = '20' # Number of lines dmenu shows vertically # --- Helper Function --- def run_subprocess(command_list, input_data=None): """ Runs a subprocess, handling text encoding/decoding and errors. Args: command_list (list): The command and its arguments. input_data (str, optional): String data to pass to the command's stdin. Defaults to None. Returns: subprocess.CompletedProcess: The result object from subprocess.run. Raises: FileNotFoundError: If the command is not found. subprocess.CalledProcessError: If the command returns a non-zero exit code. Exception: For other unexpected errors during execution. """ try: result = subprocess.run( command_list, input=input_data, capture_output=True, # Capture stdout and stderr text=True, # Work with text (auto encodes input, decodes output) check=True, # Raise CalledProcessError on non-zero exit codes encoding='utf-8' # Explicitly use UTF-8 ) return result except FileNotFoundError: print(f"Error: Command '{command_list[0]}' not found. Is it installed and in your PATH?", file=sys.stderr) raise # Re-raise the exception to be caught by the main logic except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e: # check=True raises this, stderr is part of the exception object print(f"Error running command: {' '.join(e.cmd)}", file=sys.stderr) print(f"Return code: {e.returncode}", file=sys.stderr) if e.stderr: print(f"Stderr: {e.stderr.strip()}", file=sys.stderr) # Don't raise here if we want to handle specific return codes (like dmenu cancel) later # For now, let the main logic handle specific cases if needed, otherwise re-raise raise except Exception as e: print(f"An unexpected error occurred running {' '.join(command_list)}: {e}", file=sys.stderr) raise # --- Main Logic --- def main(): # 1. Get window list from Ratpoison # Format: %n<SEP>%c<SEP>%t (number, class, title) rp_list_cmd = ['ratpoison', '-c', f"windows %n{SEP}%c{SEP}%t"] try: rp_result = run_subprocess(rp_list_cmd) except (FileNotFoundError, subprocess.CalledProcessError, Exception): sys.exit(1) # Error message already printed by run_subprocess # Process the output from Ratpoison stdout_str = rp_result.stdout.strip() if not stdout_str: print("No ratpoison windows found.", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(0) lines = stdout_str.split('\n') windows_data = [] # Store tuples of (number, class, title) for i, ln in enumerate(lines): parts = ln.split(SEP) if len(parts) == 3: windows_data.append(parts) else: print(f"Warning: Skipping malformed line {i+1} from ratpoison (separator issue?): {ln}", file=sys.stderr) if not windows_data: print("No valid window data parsed from ratpoison.", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(1) # 2. Format window list for dmenu # Format for dmenu input: "<number><DMENU_SEP><formatted_display_string>" # The <number> part is hidden by dmenu but used for selection later. dmenu_input_lines = [] for num, current, title in windows_data: # Format the part visible in dmenu display_str = f"{num.rjust(3)} {current.ljust(10)[:10]} {title}" # Prepend the raw number and the dmenu separator dmenu_input_lines.append(f"{num}{DMENU_SEP}{display_str}") dmenu_input_text = '\n'.join(dmenu_input_lines) # 3. Pipe the list to dmenu and get the selection dmenu_cmd = ['dmenu', '-i', # Case-insensitive '-sb', SELECTED_BG, # Selected background '-nb', NORMAL_BG, # Normal background '-fn', FONT, # Font '-l', NUM_LINES] # Lines to display try: # We expect dmenu might return 1 if the user cancels (e.g., Esc) # So, we temporarily disable check=True and handle return codes manually dmenu_result = subprocess.run( dmenu_cmd, input=dmenu_input_text, capture_output=True, text=True, encoding='utf-8' # check=False # Default, handle return code below ) if dmenu_result.returncode == 1: # User cancelled dmenu (e.g., pressed Esc) print("dmenu cancelled by user.", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(0) elif dmenu_result.returncode != 0: # Other dmenu error print(f"Error running dmenu.", file=sys.stderr) print(f"Return code: {dmenu_result.returncode}", file=sys.stderr) if dmenu_result.stderr: print(f"Stderr: {dmenu_result.stderr.strip()}", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(1) selection = dmenu_result.stdout.strip() except FileNotFoundError: print(f"Error: Command 'dmenu' not found. Is it installed and in your PATH?", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(1) except Exception as e: print(f"An unexpected error occurred running dmenu: {e}", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(1) # 4. Extract the *actual* window number from the selection if not selection: # Should not happen if return code was 0, but check anyway print("dmenu returned success but selection is empty.", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(1) try: # Split the selected line ONLY at the first dmenu separator # The first part is the raw window number we embedded sel_number = selection.split(DMENU_SEP, 1)[0] # Basic validation that it looks like a number if not sel_number.isdigit(): raise ValueError("Extracted selection number is not a digit.") except (IndexError, ValueError) as e: print(f"Error: Could not parse window number from dmenu selection.", file=sys.stderr) print(f"Selected line: '{selection}'", file=sys.stderr) print(f"Reason: {e}", file=sys.stderr) sys.exit(1) # 5. Tell Ratpoison to select the chosen window rp_select_cmd = ['ratpoison', '-c', f'select {sel_number}'] try: run_subprocess(rp_select_cmd) except (FileNotFoundError, subprocess.CalledProcessError, Exception): # Error message already printed by run_subprocess sys.exit(1) # Success! sys.exit(0) if __name__ == "__main__": main()

#Configure ratpoison.py (/home/linaro/.local/bin/ratpoison.py)

#.Xresources

#Setting Up rpws for Desktop Switching

To configure desktop switching with rpws, you will need to add the following line to your ~/.ratpoisonrc file:

Where N is the number of desktops you wish to create (at least 2). The -k flag is optional and is only necessary if you want to use predefined keybindings for switching desktops and managing windows.

When rpws is initialized, it will create N desktops, and by default, it assigns the following keybindings:

• Alt+F(N) - Switch to desktop N (e.g., Alt+F1 switches to the first desktop).
• Ctrl+Alt+Right - Go to the next desktop.
• Ctrl+Alt+Left - Go to the previous desktop.
• Ctrl+Alt+Windows+F(N) - Move the current window to desktop N.
• Ctrl+Alt+> - Move the window to the next desktop.
• Ctrl+Alt+< - Move the window to the previous desktop.

However, you may find these keybindings inconvenient or difficult to use. In that case, you can customize them to suit your preferences.

#Customizing rpws Hotkeys

To customize the keybindings, add the following lines to your ~/.ratpoisonrc file:

#Keybinding Legend:

• C stands for Ctrl
• S stands for the Windows key
• M stands for Alt

For example, C-S-M-q represents pressing Ctrl + Windows + Alt + q in sequence.

#Step 5: Configure User-Specific X Settings (~/.xsessionrc)

The ~/.xsessionrc file (in /home/linaro/) is executed when your X session starts via LightDM. It’s useful for setting environment variables or running commands like xrandr before Ratpoison loads. This file must be executable.
nano /home/linaro/.xsessionrc

Add your configurations, for example:

#!/bin/sh # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status. # set -e # Optional: Uncomment to log script execution for debugging LOG_FILE=~/xsessionrc_debug.log echo "$(date): .xsessionrc started" >> "$LOG_FILE" # Define custom mode for DP-1 (1152x864 @ 60Hz) # Ensure standard spaces are used in the modeline string. # Modeline: "1152x864_60.00" 81.75 1152 1216 1336 1520 864 867 871 897 -hsync +vsync xrandr --newmode "1152x864_60.00" 81.75 1152 1216 1336 1520 864 867 871 897 -hsync +vsync # 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" # Define custom mode for HDMI-1 (2560x1080 @ 60Hz) # Modeline: "2560x1080_60.00" 230.00 2560 2720 2992 3424 1080 1083 1093 1120 -hsync +vsync xrandr --newmode "2560x1080_60.00" 230.00 2560 2720 2992 3424 1080 1083 1093 1120 -hsync +vsync # 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" # Add the new modes to the respective outputs xrandr --addmode DP-1 "1152x864_60.00" # 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" xrandr --addmode HDMI-1 "2560x1080_60.00" # 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" # Apply the modes and set the layout. # NOTE: The command below sets DP-1 as primary. # Your comment "# makes HDMI-1 primary" conflicts with this. # Adjust --primary flag if HDMI-1 should be the primary display. xrandr \ --output DP-1 --primary --mode "1152x864_60.00" --below HDMI-1 \ --output HDMI-1 --mode "2560x1080_60.00" # 2>&1 | tee -a "$LOG_FILE" # Example: Start a key remapper or other background utility # xmodmap /home/ linaro/.Xmodmap # Example: Set an environment variable # export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt5ct echo "$(date): .xsessionrc finished successfully" >> "$LOG_FILE"

Make it executable:
chmod +x /home/linaro/.xsessionrc

#Step 6: (Optional but Recommended) Remove XFCE4

If you no longer need XFCE4 and want to free up disk space, you can remove its packages. Be cautious and review the packages to be removed before confirming.
# Identify XFCE4 meta-packages and components
sudo apt purge xfce4 xfce4-goodies libxfce4ui-utils xfce4-panel xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfconf xfdesktop4 xfwm4 thunar mousepad parole ristretto
# This list might need adjustment based on your specific XFCE4 installation.
# Always review the list of packages apt proposes to remove.
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt clean

#Step 7: Verify the Setup

Reboot your system or restart LightDM to apply changes:
sudo systemctl restart lightdm

Your system should automatically log in linaro directly into a Ratpoison session.
Troubleshooting:

• LightDM logs: /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log and seat-specific logs (e.g., /var/log/lightdm/seat0-greeter.log).
• Xorg logs: ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log (for user sessions) or /var/log/Xorg.0.log.
• Session errors: Check ~/.xsession-errors (in /home/linaro/) for issues from ~/.xsessionrc or session startup.

#Alternative: Manual Start with startx (If Not Using LightDM)

If you choose not to use LightDM or wish to start Ratpoison manually from a TTY (console login):

1. Ensure xinit is installed: sudo apt install xinit.
2. Create or edit ~/.xinitrc (in /home/linaro/.xinitrc):
   nano /home/linaro/.xinitrc
   Add:

1. Make it executable: chmod +x /home/linaro/.xinitrc
2. Log in to a TTY as linaro and run startx.

This approach bypasses LightDM. The primary focus of this guide is the LightDM autologin method.