nixfiles/docs/keybindings.md

Keybindings reference

Every keyboard shortcut configured across this desktop, and where it is defined. Everything here is managed declaratively through Nix — edit the listed file and rebuild, never the generated dotfiles.

Area	Defined in
Sway (compositor)	sway.nix config.keybindings + config.modes, plus the home-manager Sway module's built-in defaults
tmux	shell.nix programs.tmux
zsh line editor	shell.nix programs.zsh.historySubstringSearch
Neovim	editor.nix programs.nixvim
foot (terminal)	foot package defaults — only colours are themed (in sway.nix)

Conventions

• Super is the Mod4 / logo (Windows/Command) key; Alt is Mod1.
• Letter keys are keysyms (the character produced), not physical positions. The keyboard is Dvorak (us/dvorak), so e.g. "Super+s" is whatever key types s in Dvorak.
• Shortcuts apply to every Sway host (MBP, T400, Mac Pro); brightness keys are laptop-only, as noted.

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Sway

Applications & session

Shortcut	Action
Super+Return	Open a terminal (foot)
Super+Space	App launcher (sway-launcher-desktop in a floating foot)
Super+d	App launcher (same as above; module default)
Super+e	File manager (nemo)
Super+c	Clipboard history picker (clipman → fuzzel)
Super+l	Lock screen (swaylock)
Super+Shift+q	Close the focused window
Super+Shift+c	Reload the Sway config
Super+Shift+e	Exit Sway (asks for confirmation)

Focus

Shortcut	Action
Super+←/↓/↑/→	Move focus by direction
Super+h/j/k	Move focus left / down / up (vim-style)
Super+a	Focus the parent container
Super+Alt+Space	Toggle focus between tiling and floating

Note: vim focus-right would be Super+l, but that is bound to lock here; use Super+→.

Moving windows

Shortcut	Action
Super+Shift+←/↓/↑/→	Move the window by direction
Super+Shift+h/j/k/l	Move the window left / down / up / right
Super+Shift+Space	Toggle the window floating

Mouse (with Super held): left-drag moves a window, right-drag resizes it.

Layout

Shortcut	Action
Super+b	Split horizontally
Super+v	Split vertically
Super+s	Stacking layout
Super+w	Tabbed layout
Super+f	Toggle fullscreen
Super+y	Layout submenu: s stacking · w tabbed · e toggle split · Return/Esc exit

The layout submenu's e (toggle split) is the home for that action since Super+e now opens the file manager.

Workspaces

Shortcut	Action
Super+1…0	Switch to workspace 1…10
Super+Shift+1…0	Move the window to workspace 1…10
Super+z	Previous workspace
Super+x	Next workspace

Scratchpad

Shortcut	Action
Super+Shift+-	Move the window to the scratchpad
Super+-	Show / cycle the scratchpad

Modes (submenus)

Shortcut	Action
Super+r	Resize mode: arrow keys resize; Return/Esc exit
Super+y	Layout mode (see Layout above)
Super+Shift+x	Power menu: l lock · e log out · s sleep · r reboot · Shift+s shutdown · Return/Esc exit

Screenshots

Shortcut	Action
Print	Select a region → swappy (annotate/save)
Shift+Print	Focused window → swappy

Audio & media

Shortcut	Action
XF86AudioRaiseVolume / XF86AudioLowerVolume	Volume ±5% (wpctl)
XF86AudioMute	Toggle output mute
XF86AudioMicMute	Toggle microphone mute
XF86AudioPlay	Play/pause (playerctl)
XF86AudioNext / XF86AudioPrev	Next / previous track

Brightness — laptops only

Shortcut	Action
XF86MonBrightnessUp / XF86MonBrightnessDown	Backlight ±5% (brightnessctl)

Present only on portable hosts (T400, MBP); desktops have no internal backlight.

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tmux

Prefix is Ctrl+b (default). Copy mode uses vi keys.

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+b then v	Split into left/right panes
Ctrl+b then s	Split into top/bottom panes
Ctrl+h/j/k/l	Move between panes — and into/out of vim splits — seamlessly (vim-tmux-navigator, no prefix)
Alt+←/→/↑/↓	Switch pane by direction (no prefix needed)
Ctrl+b then [	Enter copy mode (then vi motions; Space/Enter to select/copy)
Ctrl+b then z	Zoom / unzoom the focused pane
Ctrl+b then c	New window
Ctrl+b then n / p	Next / previous window
Ctrl+b then d	Detach
Ctrl+b then Ctrl+s / Ctrl+r	Save / restore the session (resurrect; continuum also auto-saves and restores on start)
Mouse	Enabled — click to focus, drag borders, scroll, select

The stock split keys % and " are unbound; use v / s above. Ctrl+b then s is therefore a split, not the session tree.

Sessions persist across reboots (resurrect + continuum). Terminals auto-start tmux; NO_TMUX=1 <terminal> opens a bare shell instead.

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foot (terminal)

Only colours are themed; these are foot's default key bindings.

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+c / Ctrl+Shift+v	Copy / paste (clipboard)
Shift+Insert	Paste primary selection
Ctrl+Shift+r	Search scrollback
Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- / Ctrl+0	Font larger / smaller / reset
Ctrl+Shift+u	URL mode (jump to/open links)
Ctrl+Shift+n	Spawn a new terminal
Shift+PageUp / Shift+PageDown	Scroll back / forward

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Neovim

Leader is Space. Ctrl+h/j/k/l is shared with tmux (see above): it moves across vim splits and tmux panes seamlessly. Everything else is stock vim, plus:

Shortcut	Action
,``,	Toggle the file tree (nvim-tree) — comma pressed twice
Ctrl+h/j/k/l	Move between vim splits / tmux panes (vim-tmux-navigator)
<leader>ff	Find files (telescope)
<leader>fg	Live grep (telescope)
<leader>fb	Switch buffer (telescope)
<leader>xx	Diagnostics list (trouble)
gc / gcc	Toggle comment (selection / line)
gd	Go to definition (LSP)
gr	List references (LSP)
K	Hover documentation (LSP)
<leader>rn	Rename symbol (LSP; <leader> is Space)
<leader>ca	Code action (LSP)

Completion menu (nvim-cmp)

Active only while the completion popup is open (it appears as you type, e.g. file paths):

Shortcut	Action
Tab / Shift+Tab	Select next / previous item
Ctrl+n / Ctrl+p	Select next / previous item
Ctrl+Space	Open the completion menu
Enter	Confirm the highlighted item (no auto-select; otherwise a newline)
Ctrl+e	Dismiss the menu

LSP covers Nix, Lua, Python and Terraform (the work box adds C# and Helm). Files are formatted on save (conform-nvim). :Git opens fugitive; gitsigns shows gutter signs. which-key pops up after <leader> to show the rest.

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zsh

Shortcut	Action
↑ / ↓	History substring search — type a fragment first, then the arrows cycle matching past commands

Bound for both CSI and SS3 cursor sequences, so it works in foot, iTerm2 and the Linux TTY alike.