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i3 4.18

i3wm.org

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Re: i3 4.18

#81

Post by Random_ernest »

cpascal wrote: post #37

I've been considering trying out a tiling window manager. I'm curious what people feel they gain using a tiling window manager versus something like Windows/Gnome's screen splitting features. Is it being able to arrange more windows on the screen than just side-by-side windows? Is it keyboard shortcut efficiencies? Is it just cool?

To me it's two things. Firstly, I don't really like using the mouse. Secondly, the minimalistic design helps me focus and organise things better.

Once you got used to it, you notice other things like the speed and configurability.

But tbh I do think it only makes sense if you do a lot in the terminal, and need to switch often between applications.

Re: i3 4.18

#82

Post by skywhopper »

webmobdev wrote: post #30

I guess tiling window managers should be considered more of a specialized niche tool, and in that it is commendable that i3 does such a good job of it. I do really admire it for being so light-weight on resources compared to a lot of the other more popular WMs. I say a niche tool because I've never really understood why someone would prefer a Window Manager that places a lot of constraints than one that lets you cont…

Why do you feel the need to write such a comment? Not every piece of software is for you. If it's not something you're interested in, there's no need to write up a post about how you Just Don't Get It.

If you are asking a question, do that, but there's no need to trash the idea of a tiling WM just because it doesn't suit your personal needs.

Re: i3 4.18

#83

Post by asterisk_ »

pedrovhb wrote: post #80

I've always liked i3 a lot but it was a real pain to get some stuff working (like connecting a new monitor, or having to deal with wifi and bluetooth, or using two different keyboard layouts). Everything had to be configured, and while that's great for understanding how things work together, it's pretty painful when you're just trying to get stuff done. All the pain went away when I found Regolith [0], which I heavil…

I personally didn't encounter any problems whatsoever installing a clean i3, but for anyone searching a batteries-included version of the window manager I've heard a lot of good things about i3-Manjaro (cf. 30-minute review on Youtube [0]).

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vG9ORRUkUQ

Re: i3 4.18

#84

Post by nickjj »

If you're on Windows and are upset that nothing like i3 exists, you can get a useful but watered down i3-like experience by:

1. Using Windows 10's snapped windows along with various Windows key + arrow key hotkeys[0] for managing windows.

2. Using DexPot[1] for hotkey controlled virtual workspaces (same ALT + N hotkeys as i3)

3. Using Keypirinha[2] for fuzzy finding programs to launch (similar'ish to dmenu for launching apps at least)

Combine that with WSL + tmux + terminal Vim and it's not bad for day to day development. I've been using the above for over a year for full time development and while I miss my i3 set up on my native Linux laptop, it's manageable.

[0]: https://support.microsoft.com/en-nz/help/12445/windows-keybo...

[1]: https://dexpot.de/?lang=en

[2]: https://keypirinha.com/

Re: i3 4.18

#85

Post by webmobdev »

nickjj wrote: post #79
webmobdev wrote: post #30

I guess tiling window managers should be considered more of a specialized niche tool, and in that it is commendable that i3 does such a good job of it. I do really admire it for being so light-weight on resources compared to a lot of the other more popular WMs. I say a niche tool because I've never really understood why someone would prefer a Window Manager that places a lot of constraints than one that lets you cont…

> Even Microsoft switched from a tiling WM from Windows 2.0 on wards and has stuck to it (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiling_window_manager ). MS recently added snap abilities with Windows 10 that lets you split / orient 2 windows and control them with hotkeys. This isn't quite a tiled window manager but it is going out of their way to introduce a lighter form of dealing with a tiled interface. They also re…

True. The original point still stands though - both Apple and Microsoft have found that the majority prefer stacking windows as it is easier to learn and use.

Re: i3 4.18

#86

Post by bovine3dom »

simlevesque wrote: post #38
tigrezno wrote: post #29

Still no gaps support on main branch. Devs don't care about what their users want/need. Happy bspwm user here.

I wonder why that is, but I never understood the appeal of gaps. It's wasted space. I wonder if people who like gaps like bezel on their screen too.

I have nice peaceful desktop backgrounds (e.g. pictures of mountains) that change every boot and I like looking at them. The gaps allow me to do that a bit and create some kind of persistence between the empty desktop and a desktop with a window on it. I do have two large monitors (one of which has almost no bezel and is lovely). On laptops I don't use gaps.

For me it's a bit like having a picture on a desk. It uses up space I could have used for working but I like it.

Re: i3 4.18

#87

Post by Symmetry »

Naac wrote: post #77

For anyone here who loves i3, but has always had trouble getting full integration to work on their laptop ( sleep, screen brightness, etc. ), check out the Regolith project[0] It's a curation of several tools combined with i3 that gives a pretty fantastic gnome/i3 experience. Similar to spacemacs and emacs. [0] https://regolith-linux.org/

I tried that for a while and I did find the integration very well done. I ended up going back to my automatic-tiling Gnome/Xmonad ways (thanks Gekkio!) but that was all about window manager preferences themselves rather than any fault in the Regolith project.

Re: i3 4.18

#88

Post by ubercow13 »

jolmg wrote: post #23
tmm wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because why should I have to click to get focus? Less of an issue on a tiling window manager, but sometimes I really want to be able to type in a window without bringing it to the foreground. Also, selecting text should copy and middle click should paste. No one can convince me these things are bad or unnecessary.

> Because why should I have to click to get focus? The click not only focuses but is also passed on to whatever you clicked on, so it's like it was already focused. > Less of an issue on a tiling window manager, but sometimes I really want to be able to type in a window without bringing it to the foreground. I don't understand that. You have to somehow indicate to the system what it is you want to type on. > Also, se…

>You have to somehow indicate to the system what it is you want to type on

You do it by moving the mouse. It makes the mouse more useful because you can now focus things with one less click.

On the other hand, in what circumstance would you want to move your hand to the mouse, move it intentionally over another window without clicking, and _not_ focus it? What would be the point in moving the cursor?

Re: i3 4.18

#89

Post by bombela »

Naac wrote: post #77

For anyone here who loves i3, but has always had trouble getting full integration to work on their laptop ( sleep, screen brightness, etc. ), check out the Regolith project[0] It's a curation of several tools combined with i3 that gives a pretty fantastic gnome/i3 experience. Similar to spacemacs and emacs. [0] https://regolith-linux.org/

I have been using the mate desktop daemons to handle all of this. Works quite well. See my comment with more details there: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22302834

Re: i3 4.18

#90

Post by tyrust »

flyingcircus3 wrote: post #62
mherrmann wrote: post #21

I've been using i3 for a few months and can never see myself going back to working without it now. I must say that I think it makes most sense when you have multiple monitors though.

Is there a way to force certain workspaces to always be on certain monitors?

Yes https://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html#workspace_screen
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