--- name: "notion" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "notion" version: "1:4.0.5-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/notion" --- # notion(1) an X11 window manager ## NAME Notion - an X11 window manager ## SYNOPSIS **notion** *\[options\]* ## DESCRIPTION Notion is a tiling tabbed window manager designed with keyboard users in mind. ## OPTIONS - **-display host:display.screen** X display to manage - **-conffile configfile** Configuration file to use instead of default - **-searchdir dir** Directory to search for configuration files and other scripts - **-oneroot** On X servers with multiple (traditional non-Xinerama) screens, manage only default screen (root window), not all, as given by the -display option or in the DISPLAY environment variable. - **-session session\_name** Set session name. This option affects where workspace and other save files are put (~/.notion/session\_name if option set). - **-help** Show help on command line options - **-version** Show version - **-about** Show about text (version, author, license) ## BASIC CONCEPTS This section is an overview of the types objects that appear on an X display managed by Notion and their relationships in a standard setup. This information is necessary to understand the operations and availability of the different key bindings explained below. For a more detailed explanation, needed for writing custom bindings configuration files, see the additional documentation available from the Notion Web page. The top-level objects that matter in the case at hand are **screens**. They correspond to physical screens. Screens contain **workspaces** (which are a kind of **group**), and **client windows** put into full screen mode. These objects are **multiplexed** in the sense that only one can be displayed at a time. Workspaces themselves may contain **tilings** and detached/floating **frames**. A workspace containing no tilings and only detached/floating windows is also called a **floating workspace**. Tilings themselves contain **frames** tiled to fill the screen, and possibly a statusbar or dock. Akin to screens, frames multiplex other objects, but in this case mostly client window **groups**. Most of the time, frames are the only trace of Notion you see on the screen. Frames may have border decorations, and they have a **tab** for each multiplexed object. **Queries** are boxes that appear at the bottoms of frames or screens to ask you for textual input to execute an action that depends on it. Most queries support tab-completion. ## BINDINGS These are the default key and pointer bindings. Below, **Mod4** refers to the modifier used by Notion. **Mod4** is the default, but this can be configured by setting **META** in the configuration. The particular key that is interpreted as **Mod4** depends on your system. On Xorg-based systems it is usually bound to the **windows** key. The *[xmodmap(1x)](/xmodmap/1x.md)* tool can be used to get/set which key codes correspond to which modifiers, and the *[xev(1x)](/xev/1x.md)* tool can be used to see what codes are generated by particular keys. The string in square brackets after a binding group heading below indicates the module that whose configuration file defines these bindings. ### Globally available bindings - **Mod4+1** Switch to object 0 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+2** Switch to object 1 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+3** Switch to object 2 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+4** Switch to object 3 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+5** Switch to object 4 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+6** Switch to object 5 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+7** Switch to object 6 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+8** Switch to object 7 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+9** Switch to object 8 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+0** Switch to object 9 (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+grave** Switch to next object (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+Shift+asciitilde** Switch to previous object (workspace, full screen client window) within current screen. - **Mod4+O O** Open first region demanding attention or previously active one. - **Mod4+Shift+1, Mod4+F1** Go to screen 0 on multihead setup. - **Mod4+Shift+2, Mod4+F2** Go to screen 1 on multihead setup. - **Mod4+Shift+3, Mod4+F3** Go to screen 2 on multihead setup. - **Mod4+Shift+4** Go to screen 3 on multihead setup. - **Mod4+Shift+Escape** Go to previous screen on multihead setup. - **Mod4+Escape** Go to next screen on multihead setup. - **Mod4+F9** Create a new workspace of chosen default type. - **F12, Mod4+F12, Button3 press** Display the main menu. - **Button2 press** Display the window list menu. - **Mod4+Tab** Forward-circulate focus. - **Mod4+Shift+Tab** Backward-circulate focus. - **Mod4+Shift+R** Raise focused object, if possible. ### Bindings operating on all frames and screens - **Mod4+C** Close current object. - **Mod4+Shift+D** Detach (float) or reattach an object to its previous location. ### Bindings operating on all frames - **Mod4+H** Maximize the frame horizontally. - **Mod4+V** Maximize the frame vertically. - **Button3 press** Display context menu. - **Mod4+R** Begin move/resize mode. - **Button1 click at tab, Button2 click at tab** Switch the frame to display the object indicated by the tab. - **Button1 drag at border, Mod4+Button3 drag** Resize the frame. - **Mod4+Button1 drag** Move the frame. - **Button1 drag at tab, Button2 drag at tab** Move objects between frames by dragging and dropping the tab. - **Mod4+Caps\_Lock, Mod4+Button4 click** Switch to next object within the frame. - **Mod4+Shift+Caps\_Lock, Mod4+Button5 click** Switch to previous object within the frame. ### Bindings operating on top-level (non-transient) frames and screens - **Mod4+T** Toggle tag of current object. - **Mod4+Shift+T** Clear all tags. - **Mod4+L** Lock screen - **Mod4+Return, F2** Run a terminal emulator. - **Mod4+J** Query for command line to execute. - **Mod4+Shift+J** Query for Lua code to execute. - **Mod4+F4** Query for host to connect to with SSH. - **Mod4+F5** Query for file to edit. - **Mod4+F6** Query for file to view. - **Mod4+F7** Query for keybinding. - **Mod4+Shift+F9** Query for workspace to go to or create a new one. - **Mod4+G** Query for a client window to go to. - **Mod4+M** Display context menu. - **Mod4+Shift+M** Query for context menu. - **Mod4+slash** Show Notion 'live docs'. - **Mod4+Shift+slash** Query for manual page to be displayed. ### Bindings operating on top-level (non-transient) frames - **Mod4+N** Attach tagged objects to this frame. - **Mod4+Shift+N** Query for a client window to attach ('nick'). - **Mod4+A** Switch to tab 0 in this frame. - **Mod4+S** Switch to tab 1 in this frame. - **Mod4+D** Switch to tab 2 in this frame. - **Mod4+F** Switch to tab 3 in this frame. - **Mod4+comma** Move current tab to the right within the frame. - **Mod4+period** Move current tab to the left within the frame. - **Mod4+H, Mod4+V** Maximize the frame horizontally/vertically. ### Bindings for floating/detached frames - **Button1 double click at tab** Toggle shade mode - **Button1 press at tab, Button1 press at border, Mod4+Button1 click** Raise the frame. - **Mod4+Button3 click** Lower the frame. - **Button1 drag at tab** Move the frame. - **Mod4+Shift+B** Tile frame, if no tiling exists on the workspace ### Bindings for tilings and tiled frames \[mod\_tiling\] - **Mod4+I** Split current into columns. - **Mod4+Shift+I** Split current into rows. - **Mod4+X** Destroy current frame. - **Mod4+W** Go to frame below current frame. - **Mod4+Shift+W, Mod4+Shift+Button4 click, Mod4+Shift+Button5 click** Go to frame above current frame. ### Bindings for client windows - **Mod4+Shift+L** Nudge the client window. This might help with some programs' resizing problems. - **Mod4+Shift+C** Kill client owning the client window. - **Mod4+Shift+Q** Send next key press to the client window. Some programs may not allow this by default. - **Mod4+Q** Toggle client window group full-screen mode ### Move/resize mode bindings - **Escape** Cancel the resize mode. - **Return** End the resize mode. - **Left, Right, Up, Down, F, B, P, N** Grow in specified direction. - **Shift+Left, Shift+Right, Shift+Up, Shift+Down, Shift+F, Shift+B, Shift+P, Shift+N** Shrink in specified direction. - **Mod4+Left, Mod4+Right, Mod4+Up, Mod4+Down, Mod4+F, Mod4+B, Mod4+P, Mod4+N** Move in specified direction. ### Bindings for message boxes and queries \[mod\_query\] - **Escape, Control+G, Control+C** Close the query/message box, not executing bound actions. - **Control+U, Control+V, Page\_Up, Page\_Down** Scroll the message or completions up/down. ### Bindings for editing in queries \[mod\_query\] These bindings are similar to those of the *[joe(1)](/joe/1.md)* text editor. Cut, copy and paste works in a more conventional manner, though, but the keys are equivalent. - **Control+F, Control+B, Right, Left** Move one character forward/backward. - **Control+E, Control+A, End, Home** Go to end/beginning. - **Control+X, Control+Z** Skip one word forward/backward. - **Control+D, Delete** Delete next character. - **BackSpace, Control+H** Delete previous character. - **Control+W, Control+O** Delete one word forward/backward. - **Control+J** Delete to end of line. - **Control+Y** Delete the whole line. - **Control+T** Transpose characters. - **Control+P, Control+N, Up, Down, Control+Up, Control+Down** Select next/previous (matching) history entry. - **Button2 click, Control+K C** Paste from the clipboard. - **Control+K B** Set mark/begin selection. - **Control+K Y** Cut selection. - **Control+K K** Copy selection. - **Control+K G** Clear mark/cancel selection. - **Tab, Shift+Tab, Control+Tab** Try to complete the entered text or cycle through completions. - **Control+R, Control+S** Complete from history - **Control+M, Return, KP\_Enter** Close the query and execute bound action. ### Bindings for menus \[mod\_menu\] - **Escape, Control+G, Control+C, Left** Close the menu. - **Return, KP\_Enter, Control+M, Right** Activate current menu entry. - **Control+N, Control+P, Up, Down** Select next/previous menu entry. - **BackSpace** Clear the menu's typeahead find buffer. ## FILES AND DIRECTORIES - **/etc/notion/cfg\_notion.lua** System default main configuration files - **/etc/notion/cfg\_\*.lua** Other configuration files. - **/etc/notion/look\_\*.lua** Colour scheme configuration files - **~/.notion/** User configuration files - **~/.notion/cfg\_notion.lua** User default main configuration file (overrides system default) ## SEE ALSO The Notion home page, *https://notionwm.net/* The document "Configuring and extending Notion with Lua" found on the Notion home page. */usr/share/doc/notion/* *[X(7x)](/X/7x.md)*, *[notionflux(1)](/notionflux/1.md)*, *[joe(1)](/joe/1.md)* ## AUTHOR Notion was written by the Notion team, based on Ion which was written by Tuomo Valkonen \.