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First Run and Desktop
NoBrain displays progress while preparing Linux, SSH, packages, the X server, and DWM. A successful startup ends at:
Desktop ready
On a fresh install, preparation is slower because the rootfs must be extracted. Later launches reuse the private Linux filesystem.
The top bar contains nine workspaces (1 through 9), the current layout,
and the active window title. Windows use click-to-focus: moving the pointer
over another window does not silently change the close target.
Common keyboard shortcuts use Alt as the DWM modifier:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Alt+p |
Open the NoBrain menu |
Ctrl+Alt+t |
Open a terminal |
Alt+1 … Alt+9
|
Switch workspace |
Alt+j / Alt+k
|
Focus next / previous window |
Alt+Enter |
Move focused window to/from master |
Alt+x |
Enter or leave keyboard resize mode |
Alt+g |
Tiled layout |
Alt+f |
Floating layout |
Alt+m |
Monocle layout |
Alt+Shift+Space |
Toggle focused window floating |
Alt+Escape or Alt+Shift+c
|
Close focused window |
Alt+b |
Toggle the DWM bar |
In keyboard resize mode, the title bar displays RESIZE. On Build 150,
Right/Left makes the focused tiled window wider/narrower, while
Down/Up makes it taller/shorter. Press Enter or Escape to leave resize
mode. Because the adjustment follows the focused window's size, the divider
can move opposite to the pressed arrow when the window is on the right or
bottom; a future build is planned to make divider movement follow the arrow
direction directly.
The menu provides pinned applications, all executable commands, screen scaling, pin management, and the controlled Shutdown action.
Use Shutdown before intentionally ending a session when possible. It gives Chromium time to flush its persistent profile and stops the Linux desktop services cleanly.
Screen Scaling accepts values from 50 to 100 percent. The new value is applied after Shutdown and reopening NoBrain.
The bottom navigation and optional extra-key rows provide touch access to common actions and keyboard modifiers. The extra-key rows include Escape, Shift, Control, Super, Alt, Page Up/Down, Home/End, and arrow keys.
The bottom navbar is ordered ◄ ▲ ✕ ▼ ►:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
◄ |
Move to the previous workspace, stopping at workspace 1 |
▲ |
Show or hide the Android soft keyboard; opening it reserves desktop space so tiled windows remain visible |
✕ |
Close the currently focused X11 window, equivalent to the DWM close shortcut |
▼ |
Open the NoBrain Menu; press it again while the menu is open to close the menu |
► |
Move to the next workspace, stopping at workspace 9 |
The close button follows the focused DWM window. Check the active border/title
and save important work before pressing ✕.
When a real alphabetic hardware keyboard is detected, NoBrain can hide the touch navigation space. A Bluetooth mouse by itself should not be classified as a hardware keyboard.
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