dwm and spectrwm

[scottro]

I've been using a tiling window manager on my single monitor desktop at home for a couple of years now. At home, with a CentOS 6.6 desktop, I use dwm. At work, though it took me longer than it should have to get them both working, I alternate between dwm and spectrwm. I really only make good use of the tiling function on one of the 4 monitors, the lower left. While I have a few things open on all the others, I use it as I would in openbox or fluxbox (or other floating window managers) several floating windows, which, as I do in openbox and fluxbox, I have mapped to keystrokes to move, expand, and contract.

I suspect that dwm uses a bit less as far as resources. This is on FreeBSD-10.1-RC4, at present and to use my custom dwm configuration which includes a move and resize patch, I have to make my own patch of dwm.c--since I make minor changes frequently, I keep a copy of the patch in my home directory, and after updating ports, check that it still works and then save it under the files subdirectory of the dwm port's directory. For those unfamiliar with it, one makes changes to dwm by editing a config.h file (it's simple--even for someone like me who knows almost nothing about C save include stdio.h which I pronounce to myself as studio h.), then doing make deinstall, make DWM_CONFIG=<path to my custom config.h> install clean.

In contrast, spectrwm uses a text file that you keep in your home directory--you can then reload it by using (by default) Mod1 q.

So, anyway, I still have no real reason (for my uses) to prefer one over the other. I tend to use dwm more, it's a bit less picky about a few things--for example, spectrwm will give nagging messages if you don't have a few default programs installed.

[sacerdos_daemonis]

I found spectrwm easy to configure, at least the basics, but dwm was way beyond me. Configure using C? The file might as well be in Russian. I have been using i3 for a while. I find it easy to configure and has a few more features than spectrwm. Xmonad is a very nice tiling WM, but the Haskell configuration file is a nightmare for those of us who do not know how to programme.

[scottro]

I don't remember what I didn't like about i3m. (It might have simply been that it offered me no advantages.)

As for dwm, the best guide I've seen is on the Debian forums. It makes, IMHO, the configuration very easy. It also, again, IMHO has some pretty sane defaults if you wanted to start with the basics. I have a small page on it at http://srobb.net/dwm.html which has a link to the Debian forum guide. I would say--if you did feel you might like to try it a bit--take a look at the Debian guide to working with the config.h file, before deciding against it.

[sacerdos_daemonis]

I don't remember what I didn't like about i3m. (It might have simply been that it offered me no advantages.)

One advantage I found is that once one understands the configuration file, it is easy to add auto-start applications and make cosmetic changes. Like changing container colours and founts. Although I have yet to figure out how to make changes to the status bar. Or more accurately, when I make changes to the configuration file, i3bar ignores them.

I would say--if you did feel you might like to try it a bit--take a look at the Debian guide to working with the config.h file, before deciding against it.

I have actually been tempted recently to look at it again. I might after I get around to (attempting) upgrading.

[roddierod]

I've been using i3 for 2 or 3 years now - I don't even bother to install any other WMs now. Unlike when I ran Openbox, I would install fluxbox and pekwm and just around in them.

The thing I like about i3 compared to all the other tiling managers is it allows you to create you own container layouts - on the fly. Unlike awesome for example where you can only toggle through a preset number of layouts.

I've just install i3 on an OpenBSD laptop I have and i3bar/i3status defaults work much better than on FreeBSD....hell I can't even get color in the FreeBSD version most of the time!

As soon as I get rid of my Nvidia card and get something to support multiple monitors in OpenBSD, I think I'll be switching my main workstation to OpenBSD.

[scottro]

Hey Rod. I remember in the days before tint2, you made a toolbar for me for flux or openbox.

In my case, I used the Nvidia nvidia-settings to tell it I was using xinerama, then dwm configured it automatically. With spectrwm, I had to define regions--quite simple to do though.

Sigh, I get distracted from work playing with window managers. One of my co-workers, at least, is now thinking about getting into tiling window managers.

[sacerdos_daemonis]

One of my co-workers, at least, is now thinking about getting into tiling window managers.

Use transparent terminals with a Matrix backdrop and you would probably convert many of your co-workers, beause it looks so cool and technicalishy.

[scottro]

Heh, with my bad eyes, that doesn't work for me anymore. Rod, just gave i3m a quick try--actually not my cup of tea, but my needs are very simple. I could probably knock it into shape without too much trouble, but its main advantage--that of allowing you to configure various layouts--is pretty much lost on me with my pedestrian one master and a few terminals stacked on the side, on to take focus if needed.

[roddierod]

Originally Posted by scottro

Hey Rod. I remember in the days before tint2, you made a toolbar for me for flux or openbox.

The pypanel patch...still have that laying around somewhere.

Originally Posted by scottro

Rod, just gave i3m a quick try--actually not my cup of tea, but my needs are very simple. I could probably knock it into shape without too much trouble, but its main advantage--that of allowing you to configure various layouts--is pretty much lost on me with my pedestrian one master and a few terminals stacked on the side, on to take focus if needed.

No worries! I just like to point out i3 to people since it actually stopped my window manager wandering. My day job still involves programming on windows and I really wish I could have something like i3 there.

[scottro]

RIght--I might still have mention of it and you on my openbox page. Yup, I do.

http://srobb.net/fluxopen.html

Do a search for bsdnexus on the page and it's right around there. (Or just search for Rod)