I decided to dive heads first into window managers and need your input for your guidance. I’m absolutely not a Linux-pro. I basically never use the terminal, just started using Github, and only used Gnome (+ KDE for 1/8th the time) for now.
I already informed myself in the last months a bit in what mess I will jump into, but that didn’t prepare me at all… Or at least not as much as I would have liked.
I find it a bit hard to get content for this topic. For Gnome or KDE for example exist trillions of videos and guides, and all TWM-content is only from and for hardcore enthusiasts who are already neck deep into that topic for decades.
One thing I already noticed is that everything is very technical. Everything is in a text file and accessed via terminal. I like that, but it’s just different.
Also, there’s no way to just learn one thing, no. You have to work yourself into many tools all at once, which is super frightening, but interesting.
First off all, I need your choice of packages to make it a fully functional desktop.
Right now, I use Niri, for now in a VM, which comes with a few basic things out of the box, like portals, and additional stuff, like some packages from Sway.
But basically everything else, like bars, decoration, and more, is not preinstalled.
When you use it the first time, it’s very barebones and no eye candy by default.
I would like to hear what “essential” stuff, and what “Because I like it”-stuff you suggest.
Maybe differentiate it with “I personally use it” and “You and everyone else should use that, it should be a default.”
Personally, I would like to have:
^(£ = nice to have; ¥ = basic functionality)
- ¥ A bar, like
waybar - £
KDE-Connect: does that work on TWMs? Is there a good implementation? Can I use GSConnect elsewhere too? - ¥ A good global search tool like KRunner or the one from Gnome
- ¥ Clipboard manager
- £ Wallpaper switcher
- £ Eye candy in general, e.g. dotfiles (those are the settings for each element, like the bar, right?)
- More things will be added later :)
Also, do you have any tips for a total noob in that topic?
Any things you regretted when you started and now wish others to avoid?
General usage tips for someone who only used full fletched DEs until now?
And, most importantly, do you have any resources where I can read/ watch more into for the future?
Sure, the readme.md on the projects’ page is the best information for that specifically, especially technical stuff, but I don’t know where to get more general information, like discussions, comparisons, and more. The only example I can think of is [email protected] for inspiration, but not much more.
Do you have any blogs or threads you can recommend?
Thanks in advance for your help!
I plan to post a “My Linux week”-report very soon, since there has been a lot happening in the last days. I literally just “discovered” Github for example 🫠
TWMs can give you an extremely customized setup and potentially increase the speed of your workflow once you get into the groove of using them.
A couple suggestions:
Get familiar with the command line if you aren’t already. Know how to adjust volume settings, connect to local wifi, etc. All from command line tools. You can of course use GUI tools that do the same, but knowing how to launch essential necessities from the CLI comes in handy if something in your configs break.
Create keyboard shortcuts for your most commonly used applications. The workflows of TWMs are usually similar to Vim in that mouse use is discouraged. On that note:
Consider purchasing an Ortholinear Keyboard if you can afford one. This was a gamechanger for me. As I no longer had to reach across an 80 key keyboard to reach for certain keys. Every key instead is solely a matter of moving my fingertips instead. A good beginner one is the Preonic, or the Planck.
Install and learn to use the Vimium browser extension. I’ll not try and convert you to using Vim, but Vimium allows easy browsing of the web without use of the mouse (or excessively tabbing through a web page’s links). This comes in handy when using a TWM. Obviously this works incredibly well with Vim/Neovim as well, but again, that’s for you to decide.
Install an application launcher. I personally like dmenu, but rofi, wofi, etc. all work just as well as the others for the most part. They especially become useful when you start scripting custom features for them. Eventually you’ll want to run an application neither from a terminal nor a keyboard shortcut. An application launcher is a must when working with a TWM.
I recommend using a window swallower for applications where you have a “useless terminal output” window. I have used devour and gulp on X11. I have yet to find one that works on Wayland (if anyone knows of any, please let me know). This is particularly nice when viewing videos using mpv.
Obviously this is all my humble opinion, but I have a love of Tiling Window Managers and this is what has worked for me. Lastly, I do apologize for no recommendations on bars, I simply don’t use one, and instead rely on a constantly running btop for system monitoring. So can’t speak to that subject.
Thank you a lot for that helpful and elaborate answer!
Try Manjaro Sway. It is preconfigured and has many superior features built-in. The wallpaper contains the keybinds. When you learn to use that preconfigured Sway, you can try to build your own setup in a virtual machine and when you’re satisfied, take the dotfiles into a usb stick or make the vm guest as your real Linux install.
In the spirit of the last guy’s response but letting you tackle one thing at a time, I recommend sxhkd to manage your keyboard shortcuts. It’s more intuitive than using the config of whatever twm you’re using, and it’s portable to basically any DE/distro combination. Something like i3 or even vim/vifm/vimium will have a base set of shortcuts you can borrow to see what you might need, then unused keys or combos can be used for launching programs like a boss.