3 ms·

J3blocks is a Janet scripting system for i3bar and swaybar

62 points by amano-kenji 3y ago

amano-kenji 3y ago
For years, I used i3pystatus, but I was frustrated by the fact that it's not flexible or extensible. I considered using i3blocks, but I didn't like the limitations of its INI-style configuration. I wanted the flexibility of a proper scripting language. Thus, I created https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks which comes with a few built-in modules. j3blocks requires you to write a janet script. You can shoot your foot with scripting, but it is very flexible. You can easily write your own j3blocks modules after you learn j3blocks. https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks-extra https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks-extra has extra modules. j3blocks-extra has pipewire-node and pipewire-default-node. These modules allow you to monitor and control pipewire nodes on i3bar or swaybar. The whole system is very flexible, but it took a month to polish it to the point where development is largely finished. It is now in maintenance mode.
- clircle 3y ago
  blast from the past for me. I used i3blocks.... 10 years ago?
  - amano-kenji 3y ago
    Do you use i3bar or swaybar? Then, j3blocks is for you.
tionis 3y ago
There's also https://barista.run/ https://barista.run/ which allows you to build a very efficient custom i3bar using a go library.
tionis 3y ago
@amano-kenji, I think that's a great use case for Janet. Didn't expect to see the project here so soon :-)
Arelius 3y ago
So, I even use waybar (with a minimal config) and Janet looks nice. But I just can't figure out what J3blocks is, or what I'd use it for...
hyperhopper 3y ago
People should also check out xmobar for a status bar you can script in a good language
- amano-kenji 3y ago
  I write softwares in janet and haskell. xmobar is written in haskell. I used xmobar with xmonad before. xmobar doesn't come with built-in status icons. Haskell is cumbersome in small scale, but it is precise for anything non-trivial. I write compiled programs that need to be precise in haskell. I write scripts in janet. Haskell isn't great for scripting due to its rigid but precise type system. For scripting, lisp languages feel better. At this point, I'd want to see a window manager that can be scripted in janet or scheme, but sway is okay.
delboni 3y ago
Nice! I've been using babashka for doing i3blocks scripts with Clojure and is being great so far as well :) https://github.com/rafaeldelboni/dotfiles/tree/master/tag-linux/config/i3blocks/scripts https://github.com/rafaeldelboni/dotfiles/tree/master/tag-li...
- amano-kenji 3y ago
  With j3blocks, you script the entire status command. You can also run your babashka commands through `cmd` j3blocks module.

62 points by amano-kenji 3y ago

For years, I used i3pystatus, but I was frustrated by the fact that it's not flexible or extensible. I considered using i3blocks, but I didn't like the limitations of its INI-style configuration. I wanted the flexibility of a proper scripting language. Thus, I created https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks which comes with a few built-in modules. j3blocks requires you to write a janet script. You can shoot your foot with scripting, but it is very flexible. You can easily write your own j3blocks modules after you learn j3blocks. https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks-extra https://codeberg.org/amano.kenji/j3blocks-extra has extra modules. j3blocks-extra has pipewire-node and pipewire-default-node. These modules allow you to monitor and control pipewire nodes on i3bar or swaybar. The whole system is very flexible, but it took a month to polish it to the point where development is largely finished. It is now in maintenance mode.

clircle 3y ago
blast from the past for me. I used i3blocks.... 10 years ago?
- amano-kenji 3y ago
  Do you use i3bar or swaybar? Then, j3blocks is for you.

tionis 3y ago

There's also https://barista.run/ https://barista.run/ which allows you to build a very efficient custom i3bar using a go library.

tionis 3y ago

@amano-kenji, I think that's a great use case for Janet. Didn't expect to see the project here so soon :-)

Arelius 3y ago

So, I even use waybar (with a minimal config) and Janet looks nice. But I just can't figure out what J3blocks is, or what I'd use it for...

hyperhopper 3y ago

People should also check out xmobar for a status bar you can script in a good language

amano-kenji 3y ago
I write softwares in janet and haskell. xmobar is written in haskell. I used xmobar with xmonad before. xmobar doesn't come with built-in status icons. Haskell is cumbersome in small scale, but it is precise for anything non-trivial. I write compiled programs that need to be precise in haskell. I write scripts in janet. Haskell isn't great for scripting due to its rigid but precise type system. For scripting, lisp languages feel better. At this point, I'd want to see a window manager that can be scripted in janet or scheme, but sway is okay.

delboni 3y ago

Nice! I've been using babashka for doing i3blocks scripts with Clojure and is being great so far as well :) https://github.com/rafaeldelboni/dotfiles/tree/master/tag-linux/config/i3blocks/scripts https://github.com/rafaeldelboni/dotfiles/tree/master/tag-li...

amano-kenji 3y ago
With j3blocks, you script the entire status command. You can also run your babashka commands through `cmd` j3blocks module.