Arrange workspace on multiple monitors (Hyprland)

monitors.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e

declare -i last_called=0
declare -i throttle_by=4

@throttle() {
  local -i now=$(date +%s)
  if (($now - $last_called > $throttle_by))
  then
    # delay execution
    sleep $throttle_by
    # execute
    "$@"
  fi
  last_called=$(date +%s)
}

function arrange_workspaces() {
    # Maintain 10 workspaces across multiple monitors
    # This script assumes that the monitors are in horizontal layout and already
    # correctly setup
    monitors_json=$(hyprctl monitors -j)
    workspaces_json=$(hyprctl workspaces -j)

    monitors=($(echo $monitors_json | jq -r '. | sort_by(.x) | .[].name'))
    workspace_count=$(echo $workspaces_json | jq -r '. | length')
    active_workspaces=($(echo $monitors_json | jq -r '. | sort_by(.x) | .[].activeWorkspace.id'))

    echo "Detected ${#monitors[@]} monitors with $workspace_count workspaces and $(IFS=,; echo ${active_workspaces[*]}) active"

    # create or fix workspaces
    # this requires support for persistent workspaces
    # see https://github.com/hyprwm/Hyprland/pull/3346
    for ((i = 1; i <= 10; i++)); do
        workspace=$(echo $workspaces_json | jq -r ".[] | select(.id == $i)")
        if [ -z "$workspace" ]; then
            echo "Workspaces $i does not exist, creating it"
            hyprctl dispatch workspace $i > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch workspaceopt persistent > /dev/null
        else
            persistent=$(echo $workspace | jq -r ".persistent")
            if [ "$persistent" = false ]; then
                echo "Workspaces $i is not persistent, persisting it"
                hyprctl dispatch workspace $i > /dev/null
                hyprctl dispatch workspaceopt persistent > /dev/null
            fi
        fi
    done

    # assign and move workspaces
    if [[ "${#monitors[@]}" == 1 ]]; then
        for ((i = 10; i >= 1; i--)); do
            echo "Moving workspace $i to ${monitors[0]}"
            hyprctl keyword workspace "$i, monitor:${monitors[0]}" > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch moveworkspacetomonitor $i ${monitors[0]} > /dev/null
        done
    elif [[ "${#monitors[@]}" == 2 ]]; then
        for ((i = 10; i >= 6; i--)); do
            echo "Moving workspace $i to ${monitors[1]}"
            hyprctl keyword workspace "$i, monitor:${monitors[1]}" > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch moveworkspacetomonitor $i ${monitors[1]} > /dev/null
        done
        hyprctl dispatch workspace 6 > /dev/null
        for ((i = 5; i >= 1; i--)); do
            echo "Moving workspace $i to ${monitors[0]}"
            hyprctl keyword workspace "$i, monitor:${monitors[0]}" > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch moveworkspacetomonitor $i ${monitors[0]} > /dev/null
        done
    elif [[ "${#monitors[@]}" == 3 ]]; then
        for ((i = 10; i >= 8; i--)); do
            echo "Moving workspace $i to ${monitors[2]}"
            hyprctl keyword workspace "$i, monitor:${monitors[2]}" > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch moveworkspacetomonitor $i ${monitors[2]} > /dev/null
        done
        for ((i = 7; i >= 4; i--)); do
            echo "Moving workspace $i to ${monitors[1]}"
            hyprctl keyword workspace "$i, monitor:${monitors[1]}" > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch moveworkspacetomonitor $i ${monitors[1]} > /dev/null
        done
        for ((i = 3; i >= 1; i--)); do
            echo "Moving workspace $i to ${monitors[0]}"
            hyprctl keyword workspace "$i, monitor:${monitors[0]}" > /dev/null
            hyprctl dispatch moveworkspacetomonitor $i ${monitors[0]} > /dev/null
        done
    else  # more than 3 monitors...
        echo "Too many monitors"
    fi
    for id in "${active_workspaces[@]}"; do
        echo "Activating workspace $id"
        hyprctl dispatch workspace $id > /dev/null
    done
}

function configure_monitors() {
    # rely an kanshi for profile detection and output configuration
    # see https://todo.sr.ht/~emersion/kanshi/54#event-235509
    echo "Configuring monitors..."
    kanshi > /dev/null 2>&1 &
    sleep 1
    killall kanshi

    # arrange workspaces to match the new configuration
    echo "Configuring workspaces..."
    arrange_workspaces
}

function handle {
    if [[ ${1:0:12} == "monitoradded" ]]; then
        echo "Event detected: monitor added"
        @throttle configure_monitors
    elif [[ ${1:0:14} == "monitorremoved" ]]; then
        echo "Event detected: monitor removed"
        @throttle configure_monitors
    fi
}

cli_help() {
  cli_name=${0##*/}
  echo "
$cli_name
Hyprland monitors control
Usage: $cli_name [command]
Commands:
  configure_monitors    Configure monitors using kanshi
  arrange_workspaces    Arrange workspaces on monitors
  listen    Listen for hypr monitor events and arrange workspaces automatically
  *         Help
"
  exit 1
}


case "$1" in
    configure_monitors)
        configure_monitors
        ;;
    arrange_workspaces)
        arrange_workspaces
        ;;
    listen)
        echo "Listening to monitor events..."
        socat - UNIX-CONNECT:/tmp/hypr/$(echo $HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE)/.socket2.sock | while read line; do handle $line; done
        ;;
    *)
        cli_help
        ;;
esac

Wow. Thanks for sharing this!

Is there a way to automatically trigger this script on plugging in an external monitor?

Yes, I have a script that listens to Hyprland's events monitoradded and monitorremoved, throttles that a bit (for when I plug multiple monitors at the same time with the dock) and executes:

1. Configuring the monitors using kanshi
2. Run this script to arrange the workspaces

Works pretty well, I'll share my config in my dotfiles soon ™️

@Diaoul Hey this is great! Could you write a short tutorial with you config for noobs (not me :P) to set this up? Cheers!

Hello @Diaoul,

Good day to you,

Could you share your kanshi.service file and ~/.config/kanshi/config

Thanks for your help,
Boyang Yan

Updated my gist to a newer version that uses a fork with persistent workspaces (PR)

Notable changes:

• CLI format with different functions
  • configure_monitors uses kanshi to apply monitor configuration on resolution and scaling
  • arrange_workspace arranges workspaces on monitors (like previous version)
  • listen will apply changes on monitor change detected on hyprland socket
• Replace usage of deprecated wsbind by a workspace rule
• Try to re-activate the previously active workspace
• Create workspaces and flag them as persistent

@yanboyang713 this is just regular kanshi stuff here: my monitor setup. Nothing really special to share.

Associated Hyprland config

exec-once = ~/.config/hypr/scripts/monitors.sh listen
exec= ~/.config/hypr/scripts/monitors.sh configure_monitors

Thanks @Diaoul

Thanks for share

First of all, thank you so much for this script it's really helped! Second of all, I have noticed a odd b

2023-11-21.16-29-18.mp4

ug where if i press super 6 to go to the 6th workspace but my mouse is on the first monitor itll bring the 6th workspace to the first monitors screen. it will also do the same if im on the second monitor and go to say the 4th tab. I have also noticed that it snaps my cursor on the 4th workspace to the second monitor rather than the 6th (super 6) in my case
here is a video recording

and here is my config

// Workspaces
    "hyprland/workspaces" : {
        "on-click": "activate",
        "active-only": false,

        "all-outputs": false,
        "format": "{}",
        "format-icons": {
			"urgent": "",
			"active": "",
			"default": ""
        },
        "persistent_workspaces": {
    
        "1": ["DP-1"], 
        "2": ["DP-1"],
        "3": ["DP-1"],
        "4": ["DP-1"],
        "5": ["DP-1"],
        "6": ["DP-2"],
        "7": ["DP-2"],
        "8": ["DP-2"],
        "9": ["DP-2"],
        "10": ["DP-2"]
          
    }       
    ```
    and here are my shortcuts 
    ```
    bind = $mainMod, 1, workspace, 1
bind = $mainMod, 2, workspace, 2
bind = $mainMod, 3, workspace, 3
bind = $mainMod, 4, workspace, 4
bind = $mainMod, 5, workspace, 5
bind = $mainMod, 6, workspace, 6
bind = $mainMod, 7, workspace, 7
bind = $mainMod, 8, workspace, 8
bind = $mainMod, 9, workspace, 9
bind = $mainMod, 0, workspace, 10

bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 1, movetoworkspace, 1
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 2, movetoworkspace, 2
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 3, movetoworkspace, 3
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 4, movetoworkspace, 4
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 5, movetoworkspace, 5
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 6, movetoworkspace, 6
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 7, movetoworkspace, 7
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 8, movetoworkspace, 8
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 9, movetoworkspace, 9
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, 0, movetoworkspace, 10

again thank you so much for this script @Diaoul