The xmonad.hs file is very minimal when used with PlainConfig. It typically contains only the following:

 module Main where
 import XMonad
 import XMonad.Config.PlainConfig (plainConfig)
 main = plainConfig

The plainConfig function parses ~/.xmonad/xmonad.conf, the format of which is described below.

Key bindings are specified as a pair of an arbitrary EZConfig and one of the following:

   Name                     Haskell equivalent                                          Default binding(s)

• spawn <cmd>           spawn "<cmd>"                                               none

• kill                  kill                                                        M-S-c

• nextLayout            sendMessage NextLayout                                      M-<Space>

• refresh               refresh                                                     M-S-<Space>

• focusDown             windows W.focusDown                                         M-<Tab>, M-j

• focusUp               windows W.focusUp                                           M-k

• focusMaster           windows W.focusMaster                                       M-m

• swapDown              windows W.swapDown                                          M-S-j

• swapUp                windows W.swapUp                                            M-S-k

• swapMaster            windows W.swapMaster                                        M-<Return>

• shrink                sendMessage Shrink                                          M-h

• expand                sendMessage Expand                                          M-l

• sink                  withFocused $ windows . W.sink                              M-t

• incMaster             sendMessage (IncMasterN 1)                                  M-,

• decMaster             sendMessage (IncMasterN (-1))                               M-.

• quit                  io $ exitWith ExitSuccess                                   M-S-q

• restart               broadcastMessageReleaseResources >> restart "xmonad" True   M-q

An example ~/.xmonad/xmonad.conf file follows:

modMask       = 3

numlockMask   = 2

borderWidth   = 1

normalBorderColor    	=   #dddddd

focusedBorderColor      =   #00ff00

terminal=urxvt

workspaces=["1: IRC","2: Web", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9"]

focusFollowsMouse=True

layouts=["Tall","Full","Wide"]

key=("M-x t", "spawn xmessage Test")

manageHook=(ClassName "MPlayer"       , "float"  )

manageHook=(ClassName "Gimp"          , "float"  )

manageHook=(Resource  "desktop_window", "ignore" )

manageHook=(Resource  "kdesktop"      , "ignore" )

manageHook=(Resource  "gnome-panel"   , "ignore" )