Hey! I have been curious on using a wm however I do not have that much skill with programming other than html,css and a little bit of python. When it comes to Linux I am comfortable using the terminal for every day tasks. Like updating, editing files using ssh etc. So whats a good wm to start out with that is noob friendly and has a default setup so that I can start working on daily tasks right away?
Solved Where should I start with a Tiling Window Manager?
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The way I see it is that tiling window managers serve a particular sort of workflow, which means they are very efficient if they fit. For example, if a user is using a lot of terminals on screen, the tiling window manager does that exceedingly well by using up all the screen space and not overlapping the panes so that the user can jump from one terminal to another in a flash using just the keyboard.
In post #1, the tasks mentioned: "updating, editing files using ssh etc." is almost perfectly suited to a tiling window manager. I guess that's why you are looking for one.
In my experience and reading, the most popular tiling window manager in linux is i3. The configuration is a text file which is user-friendly, it's well documented and it's relatively slim insofar as the software goes. In debian it has an installed size of just about 11KB. That compares very favourably with an efficient floating window manager like icewm which has an installed size of about 3MB.
In my own case, after using i3, I moved to dwm. The size of the i3 executable, if memory serves me correctly, was around 1MB, whereas the size of the dwm executable is 67KB on this system I'm writing on. Note however, that the size of both the executables depends very much on how they are configured and/or compiled.
If you have experience in coding as you mention, you should not have any trouble with configuring any tiling window manager. It's usually a matter of reading the documentation and climbing the learning curve that one does in the case of any unfamiliar software.
Here are some threads on linux.org about tiling window managers: https://www.linux.org/threads/tiling-vs-floating.56417, and, https://www.linux.org/threads/tilin...gle-vertical-with-tabbed-group-section.53780/
Some reasonable ideas are discussed here, amongst some less than interesting comments:
Note that on the sidebar in the last link there are links to numerous other discussions. There's likely no end to discussions on the subject.
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At work I use tiling, Xfce with i3wm to be specific, together with work-spaces it allows to me to easily switch what I am working on without having to close any programs. At home I recently switched from Gnome to a tiling window manager as well, being Hyprland. At home I don't do anything near the amount of multi-tasking as I do at work and I am not constantly in terminals. However I still find it being efficient as I don't have to resize windows, I know the key-binds for the programs I use a lot and how to move around my windows if needed.
The most popular tiling window manager in the Wayland space currently is Hyprland, but there's also Sway which aims at being a drop-in replaced for i3wm.
I do still really like Gnome a lot, who knows if I will switch back at one point. Right now just want to see how I find Hyprland on the long run. What I actually like about Gnome that it's a midway to a tiling window manager, having the advantages of a DE and having a similar workflow to that of a tiling window manager being workspace centered without having to manually configure everything like you do with a tiling window manager. There's even key-binds to move around windows but you can also just use your mouse. If you want more tiling window manage like experience you can even install extensions for that that.
Hi there.
I've been using a Tiling Window Manager now for a little over 5 years. I've been using the Awesome Window Manager now probably for 5 years straight almost. Recently I tried qtile and then recently hyprland but I am back with Awesome now.
What I loke about it, I love that having 3 monitors gives you the same number of tag groups per monitor. Meaning, if you have 8 virtual desktops setup, you have 8 per monitor. Usually with Tiling Window Managers, you get 8 groups but they're all shared with all 3 monitors. Meaning, if you opened FireFox on Group 1 on Screen 1 and went to Screen 3 and clicked on that first that group 1, Firefox would jump to that screen.
What Awesome Window Manager does, if you have Firefox open on screen 1 group 1 and wanted to open say, a file manager on screen 2 group 1, you could. Firefox will stay glued to that monitor unless you personally move it.
So, I have 12 groups (I call them Virtual Desktops) per monitor. That means, I have a total of 36 different Virtual Desktops on my system. Insane, right? Who uses that many? I really have never filled up every Desktop. But I know I 've used a LOT more than 8 or 10 (the max qtile allows).
They call this a Dynamic Tiling Window Manager. I don't know of Tiling Window Managers in that regard but Awesome is pretty cool!
I'm not sure what the other ones are called. Never really researched them as much as Awesome.
But yeah, if you're looking for a Tiling Window Manager with individual monitor independence, then Awesome WM is your Tiling Window Manager.
I've been using a Tiling Window Manager now for a little over 5 years. I've been using the Awesome Window Manager now probably for 5 years straight almost. Recently I tried qtile and then recently hyprland but I am back with Awesome now.
What I loke about it, I love that having 3 monitors gives you the same number of tag groups per monitor. Meaning, if you have 8 virtual desktops setup, you have 8 per monitor. Usually with Tiling Window Managers, you get 8 groups but they're all shared with all 3 monitors. Meaning, if you opened FireFox on Group 1 on Screen 1 and went to Screen 3 and clicked on that first that group 1, Firefox would jump to that screen.
What Awesome Window Manager does, if you have Firefox open on screen 1 group 1 and wanted to open say, a file manager on screen 2 group 1, you could. Firefox will stay glued to that monitor unless you personally move it.
So, I have 12 groups (I call them Virtual Desktops) per monitor. That means, I have a total of 36 different Virtual Desktops on my system. Insane, right? Who uses that many? I really have never filled up every Desktop. But I know I 've used a LOT more than 8 or 10 (the max qtile allows).
They call this a Dynamic Tiling Window Manager. I don't know of Tiling Window Managers in that regard but Awesome is pretty cool!
I'm not sure what the other ones are called. Never really researched them as much as Awesome.
But yeah, if you're looking for a Tiling Window Manager with individual monitor independence, then Awesome WM is your Tiling Window Manager.
