Tiling WM Users: What do you do with your computer?

[cookieofdoom]

So I've seen a bit of talk about tiling Window Managers. Most of the screenshots I've seen have people dealing chiefly with text (consoles, text editors, text editors in consoles...). Do any graphic designers use a tiled WM? If so, which WM do you use?

I love Compiz to be honest, and don't have many reasons to switch to a tiled WM. I do mainly graphic work, which I find it perfect for (virtual displays, window previews, scale plugin, etc). I also love watching people's jaws drop when they see Compiz in action. Anyway, just wondering if maybe tiling window managers are better for text work specifically. I suppose I could have just tried awesomewm or something, but I'm lazy like that. Plus this way others know the answer, too.:)

If you vote or if you don't, please post your thoughts.

[LaRoza]

Tiling window managers are usually screenshoted of terminals or text editors for the simple fact there is nothing to see.

Tiling WM's are meant to be used, not looked at.

I use my computer primarily (by time): web browsing (Opera), word processing (OO Writer and Abiword), programming (vim, gedit, thunar) some music (VLC).



I love Compiz to be honest, and don't have many reasons to switch to a tiled WM. I do mainly graphic work, which I find it perfect for (virtual displays, window previews, scale plugin, etc). I also love watching people's jaws drop when they see Compiz in action. Anyway, just wondering if maybe tiling window managers are better for text work specifically. I suppose I could have just tried awesomewm or something, but I'm lazy like that. Plus this way others know the answer, too.:)


Then don't ;) I see no reason to use Compiz.

[paul101]

i use it, because it is uber cool

[cookieofdoom]

Then don't ;) I see no reason to use Compiz.I most likely won't, although I will almost certainly end up trying it. I wasn't trying to knock it, by the way. I just was listing my reasons for using what I use... mainly to encourage others to do the same with their window manager.

[chucky chuckaluck]

if it weren't for wallpapers and other eye candy, i wouldn't use anything else. having apps stuck behind other apps is retarded.

[LaRoza]

Here is what I spent most of my time looking at:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6190/200810182041561680x1050pu8.th.png (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=200810182041561680x1050pu8.png)

Here's a break from the normal tiling WM screenshot (default look of GIMP):

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5112/200810182042271680x1050ut4.th.png (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=200810182042271680x1050ut4.png)

[LaRoza]

if it weren't for wallpapers and other eye candy, i wouldn't use anything else. having apps stuck behind other apps is retarded.

You can have wall papers in tiling WM's, it is just that the WM doesn't handle that usually.

[cookieofdoom]

You can have wall papers in tiling WM's, it is just that the WM doesn't handle that usually.

and I don't imagine you see much of them? Do you use a tiling window manager on lower resolution displays (like XGA), too?

[paul101]

why would i use my computer differently, just because i'm using a tiling w/m?

[cookieofdoom]

why would i use my computer differently, just because i'm using a tiling w/m?

That's not quite what I meant. I would assume you use your computer a certain way and chose to use a tiling w/m because it makes it easier to use your computer in that way/for your tasks.

[paul101]

see previous post :razz:

[chucky chuckaluck]

why would i use my computer differently, just because i'm using a tiling w/m?

oh, you'd be stunned by what a difference a whole other way of working can make. we humans are an adaptive lot and that which we adapt to can make all the difference in the world.

[paul101]

oh, you'd be stunned by what a difference a whole other way of working can make. we humans are an adaptive lot and that which we adapt to can make all the difference in the world.

well, i use the pc for my school work (open office), browsing internet (opera), and music


i dont have to use the computer any differently, apart from using the mouse much less

[LaRoza]

and I don't imagine you see much of them? Do you use a tiling window manager on lower resolution displays (like XGA), too?

As you can see, the background of the GIMP shot is an annoying orange. This is due to an X setting of Ubuntu, not xmonad and is easily changed. on GNOME, KDE and Windows, I set the background to be plain black. The fact I leave this as the default shows I do not see the background much.

Tiling WM's are better than GNOME and KDE on lower resolutions, because you make the most of your screen.


That's not quite what I meant. I would assume you use your computer a certain way and chose to use a tiling w/m because it makes it easier to use your computer in that way/for your tasks.

For most tasks, tiling is better than the GNOME/KDE/Windows/OS X way. For a few tasks, largely applicationd dependant, it can be a hinderance. Applications which make extensive use of panels for icons and notifications areas, etc are the worst. However, the entire purpose of the icons and notification area is to over come weaknesses of the WM that tiling WM's do not have. It doesn't matter than an app is full screen (VLC) because if it isn't visual, it isn't on my viewing tag, and if it is, it is full screen where I can best see it.

Also, as you can see, when the GIMP was run, it doesn't tile.

[Alasdair]

I mostly use my computer for coding/internet stuff as well writing reports and assignments for university (using LaTeX/emacs). I also use the terminal quite a lot, so for me tiling is really useful. However I sometimes need to use the gimp and it can be a bit of a pain at times...

As for using tiling wm's on low-resolution displays, I use XMonad on my eeepc with a 7in screen and it works very well.

[chucky chuckaluck]

well, i use the pc for my school work (open office), browsing internet (opera), and music

i dont have to use the computer any differently, apart from using the mouse much less

i've used openbox more than any other wm. both openbox and tiling wm's are great, but in my view, they're different. your choice could be based on everyting from a whim to a need. thank whoever we have choice.

[cardinals_fan]

I checked all five categories. Here's what I do most of the time (in no order):

* Browse the web, post to the forums, and everything else using a browser
* Write essays for school using vim (HTML), or occasionally Abiword (for formulas)
* Chat with friends using Pidgin
* Play chess, mahjongg, n_v14, and gridwars
* Use notecase to prepare debate cases
* Edit my photos with Picasa & the GIMP, and view + organize them with gThumb
* Listen to music with consonance
* Write scripts in Perl, Ruby, and Zsh

[bionnaki]

I am not sure how they work.

how do you open new applications? where do they end up?

do you switch to different desktops? I see on some of the tiling wm's a bar across the top that says "1 web" "2 music" etc. if so, how do you switch back and forth?

is this recommended for someone with a small screen (15")?

long time openbox user - looking to try something new. how much efficient/faster is a tiling window manager over openbox/fluxbox/pekwm?

[-grubby]

I ..

Regularly browse the web, mostly posting in forums.
Regularly IM friends using Gajim and Pidgin, and use IRC in Konversation
Often write Python code using Geany
Listen to music with banshee and mplayer.
On occassion I write something for school.
Very rarely edit graphics.

[Sorivenul]

I use my machine mostly for writing (documentation and personal work), coding, some graphics work, and web browsing. Tiling makes my life like a dream, though for others it can be more of a nightmare. It is certainly not for everyone.

[mentallaxative]

Hi there,

I use dwm, which supports both tiling and floating style window management. I browse the internet with Vimperator (actually, I am test-driving Conkeror now), and I learn programming in Vim and/or Geany. I also use Emesene and occasionally have to write something up in Abiword.

Despite dwm being able to tile windows, I rarely have more than one application visible on the screen at once--the past influence of using Ratpoison. I am using a laptop so I like to maximise the amount of room I have to work in. I simply switch between tags containing different apps instead of moving between windows within a single tag. I find this is more efficient than cluttering the screen with bite-sized versions of everything. I have four tags; I usually have an internet browser, Emesene, Vim/Geany, and a terminal or Pcmanfm.

I manipulate windows entirely through the keyboard. I try not to use the touchpad at all, as I find it cumbersome.

On my desktop computer, with a much larger monitor, larger ram, and higher resolution, I exercise far less discipline and go click-happy with moving windows in Xfce.

(My blog also has some recent screenshots of dwm.)

[cookieofdoom]

I'm trying wmii right now. It's pretty cool. Really fast, and I can definitely see the appeal to people who code (or at least use vim) a lot. It's spectacularly ugly. It seems to pick the default gtk theme for some reason. I mean, I realize it's not supposed to be pretty, it's just one of the first things I noticed.

I may actually use this at times, when I need to manage a lot of windows (like when I do web coding). It seems really useful, and as I said above... really fast. I wonder if compiz has any tiling features... *wanders off*

By the way, mentallaxative: I totally understand the bit about avoiding the touchpad. I'd do it myself if my laptop didn't have a trackpoint

[zmjjmz]

I use xmonad on my sidux box because it's really stable.
I don't use said box much anyways, so it's nice not to have something that takes up a lot of RAM just managing my windows. (That said, I use Vimperator with AB+ and NoScript, so I do use quite a bit of RAM).
Also, it's a 9 year old Thinkpad and for some reason the savage driver doesn't work very well (I clearly don't have 2D acceleration) and I'm too lazy to work on that so I just leave it be and use a tiling WM for optimal speed.

[Yes]

@cookieofdoom - use .gtkrc-2.0 to set your theme/icon/font. This is what mine looks like -


gtk-icon-theme-name = "Eikon"
gtk-theme-name = "ClearlooksLondon"
gtk-font-name = "DejaVu Sans 9"

[urukrama]

It's spectacularly ugly. It seems to pick the default gtk theme for some reason. I mean, I realize it's not supposed to be pretty, it's just one of the first things I noticed.

That is because wmii is a window manager, an only manages the windows. The Gtk theme is handled by something else.

You can specify your chosen Gtk theme in the ~/.gtkrc-2.0 file. Have a look at the Openbox guide linked to in my signature for more help. It has a section on setting the Gtk theme in Openbox which is applicable for all window managers.

EDIT: Yes was quicker.

[cookieofdoom]

Thanks guys. This place is so helpful, it's kinda funny. I'm gonna use it on and off for the next few days, probably.