@@ 0,0 1,99 @@
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+title = "Dunst desktop notifications: vertical layout"
+
+[taxonomies]
+tags = ["desktop", "linux", "sway"]
+categories = ["desktop"]
+
+[extra]
+image = "screenshot.png"
+image_alt = "Screenshot of dunst notification"
++++
+
+Desktop notifications mechanism allows background asynchronous processed to interrupt your
+work flow and take your attention away to some event that just has happened.
+<!-- more -->
+
+You would want notifications is some environments where you are expected to be available
+to interruptions and handle some external events in timely fashion.
+
+I don't use notifications in my personal computing environments.
+On the other hand in professional setting handling random events thrown at me
+is part of my job description.
+
+# Background
+
+I like building things from first principles. My Linux desktop is built with
+[Void Linux](https://voidlinux.org/).
+It allows me to build my own desktop experience and tailor it to particular use case.
+
+My desktop is based on [sway](https://swaywm.org/). Sway is a Wayland compositor and does not
+offer desktop notifications functionality alone. It needs additional software
+to implement that functionality.
+
+# Dunst
+
+From [Dunst home page](https://dunst-project.org/):
+
+> Dunst is a lightweight replacement for the notification daemons provided by most desktop environments.
+
+After installation it can be configured globally with `/etc/dunst/dunstrc` or
+you can use per-user configuration `~/.config/dunst/dunstrc`.
+
+It produces minimalistic notification pop-ups that are rectangular
+with solid color fill and optional border.
+The text can be formatted using [Pango markup](https://docs.gtk.org/Pango/pango_markup.html).
+
+It runs as a UNIX daemon, listening on a socket. It comes with `notify-send` command that is
+standardised and can be used to produce notifications from scripts. Major browsers and
+most desktop software should just work with it correctly.
+
+There is also more specialized command that unlocks some dunst specific notification features
+called `dunstify`.
+
+If you run one of them for the first time an ad-hock dunst daemon will be spawned by them for you.
+
+I have set up dunst as per-user runit service.
+
+Dunst has many advanced features, see:
+
+* [ArchLinux Wiki article](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dunst)
+
+# Customization
+
+In default configuration sway show a bar at the top of the screen.
+It shows buttons to navigate active desktops and some real-time system information.
+
+By default dunst will produce a rectangular box in the right-top corner of the screen.
+It will overlay on top of desktop content, including full-screen applications (e.g. video).
+
+I have decided that I would like it to only obscure the bar part of the screen, so I can continue
+working uninterrupted and wrap up my work to a consistent state before changing focus.
+
+To achieve this I have tweaked the following default settings:
+
+* `width = 960` - makes the notification rectangle about half of the screen in width,
+* `height = 23` - makes it exactly the height of the sway bar,
+* `offset = 0x-23` - move the notifications to cover the bar,
+* `notification_limit = 1` - only show one notification rectangle; otherwise multiple notifications would cover my work; you can still click through all of the notifications,
+* `progress_bar = false` - progress bars won't be visible in such small space; we will configure message format to include numerical value for progress,
+* `separator_height = 0` and `frame_width = 0` - don't show frames,
+* `padding = 4` and `font = Monospace 10` and `vertical_alignment = top` - vertically align the text,
+* `alignment = right` - horizontally align the text to right side of the screen,
+* `format = "%b %p<b>%s</b> <i>%a</i>"` - show message body, progress bar value, subject and application name,
+* `ignore_newline = true` - collect multi-line messages in one line,
+* `icon_position = right` - show icon on the right,
+* `min_icon_size = 16` and `max_icon_size = 16` - reduce icon size to fit.
+
+Additionally I set up dunst daemon to show notification on startup with `--startup_notification ture` flag
+so that I know it is working.
+
+Also I have tweaked timeout options:
+
+* for `urgency_normal` I set `timeout = 0` - this will make the notifications to queue up until dismissed,
+* for `urgency_low` I set `timeout = 4` - only show dunst startup message briefly.
+
+I have also configured sway to allow me to interact with notification using keyboard shortcuts:
+
+* `bindsym $mod+period exec dunstctl history-pop` - _penguing + dot_ will pop up notification from history,
+* `bindsym $mod+BackSpace exec dunstctl close` - _panguin + backspace_ will dismiss last notification.
