Script and instruction on a flexible i3 window manager workspace name changer.

i3wm-change-workspace-name.md

i3 WM workspace name changer

This script enables dynamic workspace name changing in the i3 window manager. The script is based on this script by Jeroen Janssens .

Usage

Press you desired key combination ($mod+n) and enter the new workspace name. If you run it on workspace 1 and enter "irc" at the prompt the workspace will be named 1:irc. Using the numbered workspace configuration in i3 it will be accessible using your normal key binding (such as $mod+1) even though it has been renamed.

The script

Save this bash script as i3-rename-workspace somewhere within your system path. Don't forget to make it executable.

#!/bin/bash
WS=$(i3-msg -t 'get_workspaces' | sed -e 's/{"num/\n{"num/g' | grep \"focused\":true | sed -e 's/,"/\n/g' | grep name | cut -d\" -f 3)
WS_TEXT=$(echo $WS | cut -d \: -f 2)
WS_NR=$(echo $WS | cut -d \: -f 1)
NEW=$(zenity --text="Enter new name:" --entry --title="Rename workspace $WS" --entry-text="$WS_TEXT")
i3-msg "rename workspace \"$WS\" to \"$WS_NR:$NEW\"" 

i3 Configuration

Make the following changes to ~/.i3/config

Add the key binding

bindsym $mod+n exec i3-rename-workspace

Make sure your workspace switching key bindings are using the numbered directive

bindsym $mod+1 workspace number 1
bindsym $mod+1 workspace number 2
...

bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace number 1
bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace number 2
...

Doesn't seem to work? Also tried the other script that this one is based on, same output.

ERROR: Old workspace "1
2
9" not found
[{"success":false,"error":"Old workspace \"1\n2\n9\" not found"}]

Step1 execute command:

Step2 change name and click OK:

Step3 receive error message:

Here is an updated, simpler version that works:

#!/bin/bash
WS_NAME=$(i3-msg -t get_workspaces | jq -r '.[] | select(.focused==true).name')
WS_NAME_NEW=$(zenity --text="Enter new name:" --entry --title="Rename workspace $WS_NAME" --entry-text="$WS_NAME")
i3-msg "rename workspace \"$WS_NAME\" to \"$WS_NAME_NEW\"" 

made rofi version with workspace numbers yay

WS_NAME=$(i3-msg -t get_workspaces | jq -r '.[] | select(.focused==true).name')
WS_NUM=$(wmctrl -d | grep "*" | cut -d \: -f 4 | grep -o [0-9])
WS_NAME_NEW=$(echo "" | rofi -dmenu -p "")
i3-msg "rename workspace \"$WS_NAME\" to \"$WS_NUM: $WS_NAME_NEW\""

thanks for the idea, thanks for the updated fix zenVentzi it work