Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

Tiling Window Managers

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April 4, 2016

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

Table of Contents

What will we learn today?

I What is a window manager?I What makes it tiling?I Why is tiling cool?I How does it work?I How do I put it on my system?I Which one should I use?

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Functionality of Window Managers

Well, it manages windows

You already have one

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

Functionality of Window Managers

Stacking Window Managers

Each window is freely draggable and resizable

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

Functionality of Window Managers

When do we call it tiling?

I Windows are arranged for youI They always take up the entire screenI You always see all of them

How is that better?

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How to tile windows

Tiling approaches

List vs. Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

List based tiling

I Windows are internally represented as ordered listI Arrangement is based on their positions in the listI Numerous ways to do this

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How to tile windows

Stack

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How to tile windows

nStack

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How to tile windows

hStack

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Max / Full / Monocle

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Spiral

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Dwindle

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How to tile windows

hGrid

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How to tile windows

vGrid

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How to tile windows

List based tiling

I Easy to change layoutI Rather unflexible

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree based tiling

I Windows are internally represented as leaves of a treeI Think of nested containersI Each internal node can have its own layout

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How to tile windows

Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree

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Overview Window Managers Tiling Algorithms Getting Started Demos Meta

How to tile windows

Tree based tiling

I A lot more flexibleI More complicated to modify layout

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The Tiling Window Manager Getting Started Kit

Restrictions

A Tiling Window Manager is not a full-blown Desktop EnvironmentI No status bar, no workspace overview...I You will need additional software for this

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The Tiling Window Manager Getting Started Kit

What you already have

I File managerI Terminal emulatorI Text editorI Document viewer, Image viewer, Media playerI Login manager

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The Tiling Window Manager Getting Started Kit

What you need

I Launcher: dmenu, KupferI Status bar: lemonbar, dzen, Tint2I System tray: stalonetrayI Notification service: dunst, statnot, twmnI Lock screen: i3lock, slockI Something to set your wallpaper: feh, nitrogen

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The Tiling Window Manager Getting Started Kit

But wait . . .

Some Window Managers already include some of these features.

feature-rich vs. minimal

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The Tiling Window Manager Getting Started Kit

Installation and Setup

Use your favorite package manager

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Which Window Manager to use?

What distinguishes Window Managers?

I Tiling algorithm: list vs. treeI Features: feature-rich vs. minimalI Multihead: What happens when I connect a second monitor?I Workspaces: Created dynamically or statically? Tags?I Configuration: What language?I Other: scriptability, restoring layout

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Which Window Manager to use?

Window Manager Demo

I bspwmI dwmI xmonadI i3I awesomeI herbstluftwm

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Which Window Manager to use?

bspwm

I Tiling algorithm: Binary treeI Features: so minimal it doesn’t even handle keyboard shortcuts by itselfI Multihead: Each monitor has a separate set of workspacesI Workspaces: Created staticallyI Configuration: in Bash, easy to useI Other: scriptable through bspc, pretty

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Which Window Manager to use?

dwm

I Tiling algorithm: ListI Features: minimalI Multihead: Each tag is used on each monitorI Workspaces: Fixed amount of tags, windows can be assigned multiple tagsI Configuration: in C, need to recompileI Other: abundance of patches to suit any need; takes some time and skill to

set up right

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Which Window Manager to use?

xmonad

I Tiling algorithm: ListI Features: minimal, but ready-to-use extensions availableI Multihead: Workspaces independent of monitorsI Workspaces: created dynamicallyI Configuration: in Haskell, which can be confusing but is very powerful

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Which Window Manager to use?

i3

I Tiling algorithm: Tree with additional ’tab’ and ’stack’ optionsI Features: feature-richI Multihead: Workspaces belong to monitors but are still independentI Workspaces: Created dynamicallyI Configuration: in custom syntax which is easy enough and well documentedI Other: scriptable through i3-msg, can save and restore layouts

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Which Window Manager to use?

awesome

I Tiling algorithm: ListI Features: extremely feature-richI Multihead: Each tag is used on each monitorI Workspaces: Fixed amount of tags, windows can be assigned multiple tagsI Configuration: in Lua, programming experience is handy

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Which Window Manager to use?

herbstluftwm

I Tiling algorithm: Tree-based frames which contain list-based layoutsI Features: minimalI Multihead: Workspaces independent of monitorsI Workspaces: Created staticallyI Configuration: in Bash, easy to useI Other: scriptable through herbstclient

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About this presentation

What now?

I Q&A roundin a few seconds

I Join the next “Stammtisch”:18:00 Thu, April 7 - learning spaces above the Green Floor, ETH CHN

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About this presentation

Course material

I These slidesI Configuration files I’ve used for the demoI Can all be found online:

http://thealternative.ch/index.php?view=knowhow

I License: CC BY-SA 3.0I Theme by Christian Horea, CC BY

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