I’m currently writing this on the MATE desktop. I started with linux on the gnome 2 desktop, so it only makes sense. A long time ago I used Xmonad (a tiling window manager) but tiling has less appeal for me now. If I need/want a lightweight solution, I use CWM (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cwm_(window_manager), which was originally developed on OpenBSD, but is usually available across different Linux distros and BSD’s.
I’ve tried pretty much every DE/WM under the sun at this point, and would be interested to know what you use and why
dwm, initially because it’s lightweight, and now mainly because I’m used to it. Tiling is essential to me at this point
Do you use the default keybindings? I found that they often interfered with the common keybindings of programs I use.
I think I’ve changed most of them. Switching tags is
Mod4 + 1-9, which I believe is the default. I have a few patches applied as wellI used to think tiling was essential to me to, but as I started using laptops exclusively smaller monitors meant I stopped seeing the point of it.
I also only use laptops (mostly for low power consumption) and I still consider it important (so that I don’t have to use the trackpad). Do you use a floating window manager, then, or is there some other type (aside from a combination of the two)?
I use either MATE or XFCE. If I want something minimal I use CWM (which started on OpenBSD, but is everywhere now). CWM is really bare bones and configurable. It’s worth checking out. I usually use thinkpads, so the trackpoint in the center of the keyboard means I don’t need to move my hands away from the keyboard to use the mouse.
The reason I don’t use tiling anymore is because at a certain point I just didn’t find it helpful. I used to use xmonad exclusively, and I did like it. But with a smallish screen, tiling just didn’t seem helpful. The workflow with my keybindings was nice, but I can recreate that across different WM’s.
Another reason is lack of time. I used to spend a decent amount of time configuring things to be just so. I don’t have that free time anymore, so when I get a new (used) laptop or do a reinstall, I start with something like MATE or XFCE, so I can just start working. Tiling is great, but each WM has it’s paradigm and way of doing things. Traditional desktop environments are based around a concept I grew up with am accustomed to.
Makes sense to stick to what you’re used to – I haven’t tried any other WM since I became a Working Adult™. Tiling just seems to be the easiest option for moving and resizing windows without a mouse, but I’m sure it’s possible to do it with a floating WM with the right keybindings
Yeah I’ve been using linux since about 2007(?) and what I noticed in all the online discussions about gnome v kde or whatever, is that everything comes down to personal preference.
FWIW, with CWM there are default key bindings that maximize horizontally and vertically, which can create a tiling effect. You can resize/move programs just with keys. It also has the concept of groups (instead of virtual desktops). So you enter a key combination, and whatever you added to that group is minimized/raised.