Anyone interested in Tilers (Tiling Window Managers)?

[soapbox]

Personally, I think that thing thing that prevents many people from using tilers has more to do with “fear of the unknown” than anything else.

I can say, It took me more than 20 years of using Linux before I became a fan of tilers. The major reasons which prevented/ hindered my moves were in my head, mostly. I saw:

  1. Tilers as belonging to the domain of ‘the linux master race’ :alien:
  2. A GUI style that was to my eyes, “user hostile”; especially with its de-emphasis on the mouse (I like mice…. :lipsrsealed: )
  3. Tiling Window Managers seem to offer a reliance/ emphasis on terminal/ command line use. :bawling:
  4. Almost all tilers, offer initial ‘blank screen’ setups. :eek: The installation is done, you login, and voilá the screen is ’empty’.
  5. Very little is ‘preset’ by the tiling desktop. Tilers emphasize a ‘roll your own’ style. :eek: What do you mean you don’t do this for me??!?!
  6. And probably most importantly, I saw I’d have to figure out how I actually wanted to use my desktop and then I had to, in large part, build it. The Microsoft /Apple paradigm of having laptops look & work mostly like Windows or Mac was in my comfort zone ~ thus I was perfectly happy with xfce. BTW, I do still like xfce, although I rarely use it these days. :bagoverhead:

After quite a bit of experimentation… here is what I think now (I know you were waiting with baited breath for this).  The above list, to my mind, provides some of the major strengths of tilers. I discovered, I like doing all those things; I find them entertaining and technically challenging. :number1:

As a person who is nearer to 70 than 60, by a lot, I enjoy sharing what I have learned in my transition tilers. None of this is about right or wrong, easy or difficult.  It is ‘rather’ about the adventure and discovery.

Enjoy the adventure.

[/soapbox]
Remember, like with all of my work, I am able to provide the following assurance(s):
  • It is almost certainly going to work until it breaks; although I have to admit it may never work and that would be sad.
  • When/if it does break, you may keep all of the pieces.
  • If you find my materials helpful, both you & I will be happy, at least for a little while.
  • My advice is worth every penny you paid for it!