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Use Linux long enough, and you’ll discover one of the many reasons why the open source operating system has become so beloved around the world. Like. With Linux, you can either go with the defaults that shipped with your distribution, or you can install more options to give you a wider variety.
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While the sheer amount of choice can be a bit overwhelming for some, even those who feel intimidated at first eventually begin to understand that so many options really are out there among the multitude of operating systems out there. Why help differentiate Linux. This goes for almost every user-facing software, from web browsers, email clients, file managers, image editors, and even desktop interfaces.
That’s right, if you don’t like GNOME, go to KDE, Cinnamon, MATE, Pantheon, Budgie, XFCE, Enlightenment, Fluxbox, or any number of desktop environments or window managers.
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But there is one type of window manager that gets left out of the mix, especially when it comes to user-friendly interfaces. That window manager is of a tiling nature. For those who have never experienced tiling window managers, they may be confusing at first due to their reliance on keyboard shortcuts (instead of the mouse). This alone deters a lot of new users from adopting a tiling window manager.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what exactly a tiling window manager is. Let me explain it to you in simple words.
I’ll start my description of Tiling Window Manager by asking a question: Have you ever used window snapping on your desktop? Window snapping is when you are able to move an application to the right or left edge of the screen, and the desktop interface automatically “snaps” the window such that it takes up half of your display. Snap another window to the other edge of the display, and it will automatically occupy the other half of the screen. If you want a full-screen app, drag the window to the top of your display, and it will automatically cover the entire display.
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Snapping windows is a very handy feature that makes it easy to focus all your efforts on two windows at once. I use snapping a lot when working between two Firefox tabs without having to click between tabs.
And tiling is the same driving force behind window managers, but they take the idea to new extremes. Instead of simply snapping windows to the left, right, or full-screen, a tiling window manager uses your screen real estate in a very efficient way.
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Imagine you have opened an app and that app initially takes up the entire screen. With Tiling Window Manager, you can have a second app open, and it will automatically open in such a way that it shares the screen with the first open app.
Now, you open a third app. what happens? One of the previously opened apps will shift to the right or left side of the display to allow the new app to take up 50% of that side. Open another app, and split the top half of the right side of the display with whatever app is taking up that space
This type of layout is incredibly simple with the Tiling Window Manager. Image: Jack Wallen
With each window you open in Tiling Window Manager, it will automatically fit into the ever-growing puzzle of your desktop. Of course, this has its caveat, the more apps you have open, the smaller they can become.
I’ve opened several applications that continue to reduce the size of previously opened windows. Image: Jack Wallen
The reason so many hardcore users prefer tiled window management is because they automatically create management space on the desktop, which can help boost productivity. And because windows never overlap on a tiling window manager, you can be certain that every inch of display will be used to best facilitate your workflow.
Disadvantages of Tiling Window Managers
Tiling window managers are great for the right user type because they get the most out of screen real estate and keep your fingers on the keyboard. While the first feature is pretty appealing to most users, it’s the second feature that can be a bit off-putting. Some tiling window managers avoid mouse for keyboard navigation.
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For example, the i3 tiling window manager uses the following keyboard shortcuts to navigate the desktop;
- (Alt)+(Enter) – Open a new terminal
- (Alt)+(J) – Focus left
- (Alt)+(K) – Focus right
- (Alt)+(L) – Focus up
- (Alt)+(;) – focus right
- (Alt)+(A) – focus on parent
- (Alt)+(Space) – Toggle focus mode
Now, this isn’t to say that the i3 window manager doesn’t allow you to use a mouse. you can. And you can configure the key bindings to better fit your needs (since i3 is a highly customizable window manager). But for those who have trouble with change, a window manager like i3 is going to be a tough sell.
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The truth of the matter is tiling window managers focus on keyboard over mouse. This is by design to keep you as productive as possible.
Most popular tiling window manager available for Linux
As of now, the best tiling window managers you should consider are the following:
- i3: Highly configurable and widely respected.
- bspwm:lightweight but poorly documented.
- dominated: supports Wayland X Server.
- Xmonad: It “just works” and is very stable.
- great wm: It allows you to rearrange windows via mouse but requires some skill to use.
Honorable mention should also go to System76’s pop!_os distribution as it allows users to enable/disable tiling on the fly. If you only want to use a tiling window manager for certain workflows (which I do), then Pop!_OS is your best solution.
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If you want to not only make the most of your screen real estate, but also work on a computer desktop as efficiently as possible, Tiling Window Manager may be exactly what you need.
