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Input Device Configuration somewm-only

Overview​

SomeWM provides awful.input for runtime input device configuration - a feature not available in AwesomeWM.

Pointer Settings​

local awful = require("awful")

-- Enable tap-to-click on touchpads
awful.input.tap_to_click = 1

-- Natural (inverted) scrolling
awful.input.natural_scrolling = 1

-- Pointer speed (-1.0 to 1.0)
awful.input.pointer_speed = 0.3

Keyboard Settings​

-- Keyboard layout
awful.input.xkb_layout = "us"
awful.input.xkb_variant = ""
awful.input.xkb_options = "ctrl:nocaps"

-- Repeat settings
awful.input.keyboard_repeat_rate = 25    -- keys per second
awful.input.keyboard_repeat_delay = 600  -- ms before repeat starts

All Properties​

See awful.input Reference for the complete property list.

Cursor Theming​

Setting the Cursor Theme​

Cursor themes can be configured via environment variables before launching SomeWM:

export XCURSOR_THEME="Adwaita"  # Theme name (from /usr/share/icons/)
export XCURSOR_SIZE="24"        # Size in pixels
somewm

You can also set these in your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc) or in a wrapper script.

Runtime Cursor Theme Changes somewm-only​

You can change the cursor theme and size at runtime without restarting:

-- In rc.lua or via somewm-client eval
root.cursor_theme("Adwaita")  -- Change theme
root.cursor_theme()           -- Returns current theme name

root.cursor_size(32)          -- Change size in pixels
root.cursor_size()            -- Returns current size

Via CLI:

somewm-client eval 'root.cursor_theme("Adwaita")'
somewm-client eval 'root.cursor_size(48)'
somewm-client eval 'return root.cursor_theme(), root.cursor_size()'
Fallback Behavior

If a cursor theme cannot be loaded (e.g., theme not installed), wlroots provides built-in fallback cursors. These are basic black-and-white cursors that ensure your mouse always works, even on minimal systems.

Cursor APIs​

SomeWM supports AwesomeWM's cursor APIs:

-- Set the root/desktop cursor
root.cursor("left_ptr")

-- Set cursor for a wibox (changes when mouse hovers over it)
mywibox.cursor = "hand1"

Theme Variables​

Customize cursors for specific operations in your theme:

-- In theme.lua
theme.cursor_mouse_move = "fleur"      -- During window move
theme.cursor_mouse_resize = "cross"    -- During window resize
theme.enable_spawn_cursor = true       -- Show "watch" during app startup

See Theme Variables: Cursors for all options.

Common Cursor Names​

Standard X cursor names include: left_ptr, right_ptr, hand1, hand2, watch, xterm, crosshair, fleur, sb_h_double_arrow, sb_v_double_arrow, top_left_corner, top_right_corner, bottom_left_corner, bottom_right_corner.

AwesomeWM Reference​

For complete API documentation, see the AwesomeWM docs:

Next Steps​