Now that you have mangowm installed, let's get your environment set up.

Initial Setup [#initial-setup]

1. **Create Configuration Directory**

   mangowm looks for configuration files in `~/.config/mango/`.

   ```bash
   mkdir -p ~/.config/mango
   ```

2. **Copy Default Config**

   A default configuration file is provided at `/etc/mango/config.conf`. Copy it to your local directory to start customizing.

   ```bash
   cp /etc/mango/config.conf ~/.config/mango/config.conf
   ```

3. **Launch mangowm**

   You can now start the compositor from your TTY.

   ```bash
   mango
   ```

   Optional: To specify a custom config file path:

   ```bash
   mango -c /path/to/your/config.conf
   ```

Essential Keybindings [#essential-keybindings]

mangowm uses the following keybinds by default:

| Key Combination      | Action                             |
| :------------------- | :--------------------------------- |
| `Alt` + `Return`     | Open Terminal (defaults to `foot`) |
| `Alt` + `Space`      | Open Launcher (defaults to `rofi`) |
| `Alt` + `Q`          | Close (Kill) the active window     |
| `Super` + `M`        | Quit mangowm                       |
| `Super` + `F`        | Toggle Fullscreen                  |
| `Alt` + `Arrow Keys` | Move focus (Left, Right, Up, Down) |
| `Ctrl` + `1-9`       | Switch to Tag 1-9                  |
| `Alt` + `1-9`        | Move window to Tag 1-9             |

> **Warning:** Some default bindings rely on specific tools like `foot` (terminal) and `rofi` (launcher). Ensure you have them installed or update your `config.conf` to use your preferred alternatives.

Recommended Tools [#recommended-tools]

To get a fully functional desktop experience, we recommend installing the following components:

| Category                    | Recommended Tools                                                  |
| :-------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Application Launcher        | rofi, bemenu, wmenu, fuzzel                                        |
| Terminal Emulator           | foot, wezterm, alacritty, kitty, ghostty                           |
| Status Bar                  | waybar, eww, quickshell, ags                                       |
| Desktop Shell               | Noctalia, DankMaterialShell                                        |
| Wallpaper Setup             | awww(swww), swaybg                                                 |
| Notification Daemon         | swaync, dunst, mako                                                |
| Desktop Portal              | xdg-desktop-portal, xdg-desktop-portal-wlr, xdg-desktop-portal-gtk |
| Clipboard                   | wl-clipboard, wl-clip-persist, cliphist                            |
| Gamma Control / Night Light | wlsunset, gammastep                                                |
| Miscellaneous               | xfce-polkit, wlogout                                               |

Example Configuration [#example-configuration]

Check out the [example configuration](https://github.com/DreamMaoMao/mango-config) by the creator of mangowm, including complete setups for mangowm, Waybar, Rofi, and more.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/DreamMaoMao/mango-config.git ~/.config/mango
```

Next Steps [#next-steps]

Now that you are up and running, dive deeper into customizing mangowm:

* [Configure Monitors](/docs/configuration/monitors) — Set up resolution, scaling, and multi-monitor layouts.
* [Window Rules](/docs/window-management/rules#window-rules) — Define how specific applications should behave.
* [Appearance](/docs/visuals/theming) — Customize colors, borders, gaps, and effects.