Solved i3; how to change TERMINAL?

userxbw · Feb 20, 2020

I got no real idea of what I am doing... now that's broad statement.. lol
I am trying to get xfce-terminal to be default terminal in i3 . but it has a list of presidents , xfce-terminal being below Eterm and others. I tried chaing this. loged out of i3 and back again and i3 keeps opening eterm.
.profile

Code:

# $FreeBSD: releng/12.1/share/skel/dot.profile 337497 2018-08-08 19:24:20Z asomers $
#
# .profile - Bourne Shell startup script for login shells
#
# see also sh(1), environ(7).
#

# These are normally set through /etc/login.conf.  You may override them here
# if wanted.
# PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:$HOME/bin; export PATH
# BLOCKSIZE=K;    export BLOCKSIZE

# Setting TERM is normally done through /etc/ttys.  Do only override
# if you're sure that you'll never log in via telnet or xterm or a
# serial line.
# TERM=xterm;     export TERM

TERMINAL=xfce-terminal; export TERMINAL
EDITOR=nano;       export EDITOR
PAGER=less;      export PAGER

# set ENV to a file invoked each time sh is started for interactive use.
ENV=$HOME/.shrc; export ENV

# Query terminal size; useful for serial lines.
if [ -x /usr/bin/resizewin ] ; then /usr/bin/resizewin -z ; fi

# Display a random cookie on each login.
if [ -x /usr/bin/fortune ] ; then /usr/bin/fortune freebsd-tips ; fi

i3 config

Code:

# start a terminal
#bindsym $super+Return exec i3-sensible-terminal
bindsym $super+Return exec xfce4-terminal

I got it set explicitly but I rather it be the default so I can get it to go to one window only, and set a different term to open it at wherever I am.

Minbari · Feb 20, 2020

First set your Mod key (Mod1=Alt or Mod4=Super):
e.g. set $mod Mod4
then you can set your terminal.
e.g. bindsym $mod+Return exec urxvtc

LE: After the changes you need to restart i3wm: Mod+Shift+c=reload the configuration file and Mod+Shift+r restart i3.

userxbw · Feb 21, 2020

Minbari said:
First set your Mod key (Mod1=Alt or Mod4=Super):
e.g. set $mod Mod4
then you can set your terminal.
e.g. bindsym $mod+Return exec urxvtc

LE: After the changes you need to restart i3wm: Mod+Shift+c=reload the configuration file and Mod+Shift+r restart i3.

what I am trying to do is reset the default i3 terminal according to its list of terminals by using the var TERMINAL and declaring it as the one I want i3 to open using its i3-sensible-terminal
not the other way where I can make that one open up whatever I put to it.

Code:

# start a terminal
bindsym $super+Return exec i3-sensible-terminal

i3-sensible-terminal - launches $TERMINAL with fallbacks
It tries to start one of the following (in that order):

$TERMINAL (this is a non-standard variable)

i3-sensible-terminal(1)

NOTE:
in Linux it is not doing this strage behavior. using Eterm before xfce4-terminal using the bindsym $super+Return exec i3-sensible-terminal to open its default terminal .. it already opens xfce4-terminal and I got Eterm set to be open by a dmenu and set to open in workspace 1 whereas i3-sensible-terminal opens in whatever workspace(desktop) I am currently in.

T-Daemon · Feb 22, 2020

Your TERMINAL variable in .profile is invalid, it says xfce-terminal instead of xfce4-terminal.

userxbw said:
.profile
....
TERMINAL=xfce-terminal; export TERMINAL

userxbw · Feb 22, 2020

T-Daemon said:
Your TERMINAL variable in .profile is invalid, it says xfce-terminal instead of xfce4-terminal.

thanks for that catch.. just happens some crud got under the 4 key.. that mauybe the reason behind that one, includiing not proof reading it. which by definistion is to be done by someone else that did not write the words. so thanks for the proof read. let me go give that a try.

back...
that actually worked... good job... thanks again....