Tiling window manager users: how exactly do you use yours?

Do you have advanced keybindings for bringing up frequently used programs?

Are there less common layouts you use frequently?

Do you use any advanced or fancy features?

  • Hexarei@programming.dev
    ·
    edit-2
    10 months ago

    That's pretty much what I do as well. It was an absolute game-changer for me when I discovered tiling WMs some ~7 years ago, because it meant super consistent keyboard shortcuts for getting to exactly what I wanted to interact with. I know where individual apps/tasks go, so I put them there. And then when I need to switch to them, it's as straightforward as Super+[workspace].

    Also helps a ton that i3wm's workspaces only take up a single monitor at a time, which makes it excellent for jumping between monitors.

    None of this is set in stone, but I usually follow a relatively consistent pattern:

    Center Monitor

    • 1: Primary/"serious tasks" web browser
    • 4: Any remote or virtualized desktop I might have open at the time
    • 6: Image/video editors. Also sometimes just misc usage.
    • 8: Development web browser next to neovim
    • 9: Steam/games
    • 10: Misc. Often a DBMS or file manager
    • 11: Misc. Often where I put any secondary tasks or second projects I need to reference
    • 12: Misc. Often where I'll stick any long-running tasks that I just need to check on every now and again.

    Left monitor

    • 2: Music/comms/task list

    Right monitor

    • 3: Always only a terminal.
    • 5: Text editor to use as a
    • 7: Secondary/"wasting time" web browser