---
name: "papersway"
section: "1p"
platform: "linux"
package: "papersway"
version: "2.001-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/papersway"
---

# papersway(1p)

PaperWM-like scrollable tiling window management for Sway/i3wm

## NAME

papersway - PaperWM-like scrollable tiling window management for Sway/i3wm

## VERSION

version 2.001

## SYNOPSIS

**papersway** \[**--i3status**\] \[**--cols=***N*\] \[**--debug**\]

## DESCRIPTION

This is an implementation of PaperWM-like scrollable tiling window management for Sway/i3wm.  If you like Sway/i3wm's commitments to stability, avoiding scope creep etc. but dislike the window management model, papersway is an alternative.

## OPTIONS

- **--i3status**

  Start a background instance of **i3status**, filter and print its output.

- **--cols=***N*

  Set the number of columns on a new workspace.  The default, and minimum, is 2.

- **--debug**

  Enable some debug printing and don't hide Sway's workspace buttons.

## USAGE

Here we discuss how to integrate papersway into your existing Sway/i3wm configuration file, usually found at *~/.config/sway/config* or *~/.config/i3/config*, as appropriate.

### Activation

The recommended way to activate papersway is by using it as your bar command:

```
    bar {
        status_command papersway --i3status
        # [ .. further bar options .. ]
    }
```

This ensures that you can see a visual representation of your paper workspaces, which will be useful while getting the hang of papersway.

### Binding keys

Here are some sample bindings to get you started.

```
    set $mod Mod4
    bindsym $mod+Left exec papersway-msg focus left
    bindsym $mod+Down focus down
    bindsym $mod+Up focus up
    bindsym $mod+Right exec papersway-msg focus right
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Left exec papersway-msg move left
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move exec papersway-msg move right
    bindsym $mod+f exec papersway-msg width toggle
    bindsym $mod+o exec papersway-msg other-column
    bindsym $mod+a exec papersway-msg fresh-workspace
    bindsym $mod+n exec papersway-msg fresh-workspace send
    bindsym $mod+t exec papersway-msg fresh-workspace take
    bindsym $mod+b exec papersway-msg bury-workspace
    bindsym $mod+e exec papersway-msg absorb-expel left
    bindsym $mod+r exec papersway-msg absorb-expel right
    bindsym $mod+minus exec papersway-msg cols decr
    bindsym $mod+equal exec papersway-msg cols incr
    bindsym $mod+u exec papersway-msg workspace prev
    bindsym $mod+i exec papersway-msg workspace next
    bindsym $mod+Shift+u exec papersway-msg move-to-workspace prev
    bindsym $mod+Shift+i exec papersway-msg move-to-workspace next
    bindsym $mod+c [con_mark=caffeinated] inhibit_idle none; \
        inhibit_idle open, mark caffeinated
    bindsym $mod+Shift+c [con_mark=caffeinated] inhibit_idle none, \
        mark --toggle caffeinated
    for_window [con_mark=caffeinated] inhibit_idle open
```

Delete any bindings you have for the *split*, *splith*, *splitv*, *splitt*, *layout*, *focus parent* and *focus child* commands, to avoid confusion (on the parts of both yourself and of papersway).

### Other configuration

- •

  Set *focus\_wrapping* to *no*.

- •

  Leave *workspace\_layout* with its default value, *default*.

## SEE ALSO

\<https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM\>, [**i3status**(1)](/i3status/1.md), [**sway**(5)](/sway/5.md)

## AUTHOR

Sean Whitton \<spwhitton@spwhitton.name\>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is Copyright (c) 2019-2025 by Sean Whitton \<spwhitton@spwhitton.name\>.

This is free software, licensed under:

```
  The GNU General Public License, Version 3, June 2007
```