this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2023
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WM/DE recommendation request: able to have i3-like control, but friendly enough for an ex-windows user (beehaw.org)
submitted 2 years ago by deo@beehaw.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I've been using i3wm for long enough that i now can't go back to a user interface that requires me to use a mouse to get stuff done. However, I'm setting up an old laptop that will be used by both me and my SO for mainly media purposes, but also as my general-use computer for basic tasks. He has been using windows since forever, and has no interest in learning all my keyboard combos.

I'm looking for a WM that supports tiling and keyboard control to do all the things, while still having the mouse-centric control options he's used to: something akin to a "start" button where he can get to the applications, a "close" button on the windows themselves, and the ability to rearrange windows with the mouse.

I'm also not interested in having to logout/login just to use a different WM, as i imagine us going back and forth on who is in control of the computer relatively frequently. I know PopOS has tiling support, but my muscle memory is strong, and I found it cumbersome to redefine all the bindings in a GUI to get it more "i3-like", so having keyboard bindings in a config file would be a huge plus for me.

This magical WM may not exist. I may just have to deal with needing a mouse to use this laptop or having two WMs installed. But I figured it was worth asking y'all for recommendations. Thanks!

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[–] LinuxSBC@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago

GNOME with Pop!_Shell, Forge, or Material Shell works well, as does KDE with Polonium.

[–] muhyb@programming.dev 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Not out of the box but you can use i3 shortcuts on Openbox, and it is Windows-friendly, to some point.

You can also set KDE with i3 shortcuts, even better you can use i3 instead of KWin but that won't have window buttons I guess.

I think KDE with i3 shortcuts would be safer option. Though if you configure enough, anything is possible. :)

[–] deo@beehaw.org 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

As long as i can make my keybinding changes in a text file that i can throw in my dotfiles repo, i'm ok with a bit of tinkering. i like configuring stuff, but only once lol. Openbox sounds like it ticks a lot of my boxes.

If I do go with a DE+alternative WM instead, i'm leaning towards xfce rather than kde, since (as i understand it) xfce is a bit more lightweight. The laptop is getting old, and the hardware wasn't anything to write home about even when it was new, so any extra performance i can squeeze out of the thing is a plus.

[–] muhyb@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

Well, Openbox conf file is basically an xml file. It is not as straightforward as i3's conf file but does the job. Also do not expect auto-tiling from Openbox but it can do manual tiling with shortcuts.

Previously I forgot to say, if you want a more DE feeling from Openbox, there is LXDE and it's even lighter than XFCE.

[–] Rescuer6394@feddit.nl 2 points 2 years ago

kde with bismuth: https://github.com/Bismuth-Forge/bismuth

you can set it up to behave like i3, while being on kde.

[–] knobbysideup@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Cinnamon actually lets you do some neat tiling with the keyboard. For example full height left key followed by full width top key will put a window in the top left corner. Same for any position. Run the sequence again to revert. I just discovered double clicks on borders will maximize vertical or horizontal as well.

[–] deo@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

Hmm. So far, i've only been considering tiling-is-the-default solutions, but maybe you're on to something. If I can get my fancy keyboard combos to do tiling stuff just how i like it, there's no reason why that has to be the default mode of operation...

[–] skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

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[–] tun@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

I have i3wm, polybar, jgmenu with XFCE.

It works with kb and also mouse.

[–] it_a_me@literature.cafe -2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I'd consider dual-booting(windows+linux or linux+linux) or just installing a desktop environment. You can login to your wm and they can login to a full de