Tiling wm aren’t for everyone so why are they all so excited for this?
There seems to be an expectation in the Linux community that everybody who sticks with Linux long-term will eventually “graduate” to a tiling wm someday. Even though I’ve used Linux for 20 years and still prefer KDE.
In theory I really like tiling window managers. I generally want to have 1-4 windows open in full screen per workspace/monitor and prefer to use just my keyboard as much as possible.
In practice, I haven’t found one that works well with dialog, fixed sized, or modal windows well enough to not get annoying, while most traditional window managers/desktop environments have good enough keyboard shortcuts and window snapping.
I just don’t want to have to memorize keyboard shortcuts or have my screen covered in terminals just to do basic tasks. I like the convenience of a desktop environment, but I don’t want the BS that comes with Windows.
while most traditional window managers/desktop environments have good enough keyboard shortcuts and window snapping.
The secret that the tiling wm people don’t want you to know: with a little effort of configuring settings and setting up/learning some keyboard shortcuts, KDE can behave an awful lot like a tiling wm when you want it to … while also still behaving like a normal DE when you want it to.
And then there’s me where I seem to have a workspace for every topic or task, and I use GNOME scratchpads to quickly have single view apps pop in and out independant of my workspace (and so scratchpad brings the app to me, instead of dragging me to the app).
Ive used tiling windows before and it doesn’t really help me much. I can configure workspaces with full or split windows myself and not touch them instead swapping around using workspace shortcuts.
That’s kinda why I’m waiting for COSMIC to mature more. Based on what I’m doing I sometimes prefer floating, sometimes floating. So a DE where both modes are supported equally and can be mixed and matched would be perfect for my preferences.
… I haven’t found one that works well with dialog, fixed sized, or modal windows well enough to not get annoying,
This so, so much. I:ve been on Sway (and i3 before) for a long time and this is such a pain in the ass.
Most gui programs that do more than a simple window just don’t work well with them, dialogs filling up half your screen because of tiling, programs with detachable panels that turn into windows cannot be attached again because the main window doesn’t detect it (puddletag is an example I’ve came across recently).
I know I can setup some rules to make the windows float or have the correct behavior, but it’s just too much to fix every single broken dialog I encounter.
I feel like tiling window managers mostly are a throwback to an era where gui applications were generally just single windows that did one thing, but even then most people were just using them to tile a bunch of xterms. Nowadays I’d rather use a single full screen emulator that either has native split support, or tmux.
KDE just keeps getting better.
I’ve recently played around with Niri with DMS. it’s fun and looks cool, but eventually it’s back to KDE when I need to some work done.
Yeah, I started with KDE 2.2.2, and outside of the KDE 4 era, I always find myself coming back to it. I used GNOME 2 during that time, so I understand the appeal of MATE and Cinnamon.
I tend to prefer traditional desktops with overlapping windows. I’ve tried various tiling wms and hated all of them. I don’t want my screen covered in terminals or to have to learn keyboard shortcuts just to do basic tasks, and I often feel like I’m the only longtime Linux user who feels this way.
There seems to be an expectation in the Linux community that everybody who sticks with Linux long-term will eventually “graduate” to a tiling wm someday. Even though I’ve used Linux for 20 years and still prefer KDE.
In theory I really like tiling window managers. I generally want to have 1-4 windows open in full screen per workspace/monitor and prefer to use just my keyboard as much as possible.
In practice, I haven’t found one that works well with dialog, fixed sized, or modal windows well enough to not get annoying, while most traditional window managers/desktop environments have good enough keyboard shortcuts and window snapping.
I just don’t want to have to memorize keyboard shortcuts or have my screen covered in terminals just to do basic tasks. I like the convenience of a desktop environment, but I don’t want the BS that comes with Windows.
The secret that the tiling wm people don’t want you to know: with a little effort of configuring settings and setting up/learning some keyboard shortcuts, KDE can behave an awful lot like a tiling wm when you want it to … while also still behaving like a normal DE when you want it to.
Can you have an arbitrary program window open in half the screen like in tiling?
And then there’s me where I seem to have a workspace for every topic or task, and I use GNOME scratchpads to quickly have single view apps pop in and out independant of my workspace (and so scratchpad brings the app to me, instead of dragging me to the app).
Ive used tiling windows before and it doesn’t really help me much. I can configure workspaces with full or split windows myself and not touch them instead swapping around using workspace shortcuts.
That’s kinda why I’m waiting for COSMIC to mature more. Based on what I’m doing I sometimes prefer floating, sometimes floating. So a DE where both modes are supported equally and can be mixed and matched would be perfect for my preferences.
This so, so much. I:ve been on Sway (and i3 before) for a long time and this is such a pain in the ass.
Most gui programs that do more than a simple window just don’t work well with them, dialogs filling up half your screen because of tiling, programs with detachable panels that turn into windows cannot be attached again because the main window doesn’t detect it (puddletag is an example I’ve came across recently).
I know I can setup some rules to make the windows float or have the correct behavior, but it’s just too much to fix every single broken dialog I encounter.
I feel like tiling window managers mostly are a throwback to an era where gui applications were generally just single windows that did one thing, but even then most people were just using them to tile a bunch of xterms. Nowadays I’d rather use a single full screen emulator that either has native split support, or tmux.
currently trying to use sway and I am finding out just how much I miss being able to alt tab through windows on a monitor
Tabbed mode basically replaces alt+tab … you could even rebind Mod+Arrow to Alt+Tab if you really wanted (if you didn’t set your Mod key to Alt).
KDE just keeps getting better. I’ve recently played around with Niri with DMS. it’s fun and looks cool, but eventually it’s back to KDE when I need to some work done.
Yeah, I started with KDE 2.2.2, and outside of the KDE 4 era, I always find myself coming back to it. I used GNOME 2 during that time, so I understand the appeal of MATE and Cinnamon.
I tend to prefer traditional desktops with overlapping windows. I’ve tried various tiling wms and hated all of them. I don’t want my screen covered in terminals or to have to learn keyboard shortcuts just to do basic tasks, and I often feel like I’m the only longtime Linux user who feels this way.
Same I still us gnome, though I did use budgie for a while.