FOSSPicks
Kröhnkite
In popular Linux culture, tiling window managers are the domain of the ¸ber geeks. This is because they look austere, without any kind of window control or decoration, and often lack the pleasantries of a settings application or launch panel (the tiling window managers, not the uber geeks). Tiling window managers are also unforgiving, requiring manual configuration and serious time investment to fully purge users of evil mouse clicks before promptly filling empty brain matter with keyboard shortcuts.
Things are changing, however, and their minimalism and utility is beginning to invade the traditional desktop space where many of their best features are starting to coexist with the more traditional desktop environment. This is definitely a good thing because tiling window managers are quick, efficient, and often make best use of whatever screen real estate is available, and a lot of this innovation is happening on KDE Plasma. This is because it has a window scripting engine that can be harnessed to reconfigure window positions without replacing the window manager. This means you get to pick which parts of KDE to keep and which parts of a tiling window manager you want to use.
Plasma has always had relatively good tiling solutions, with the previously covered kwin-tiling script proving popular. This humble script takes over positioning duties and optionally removes window decoration, letting you switch between common layouts and window orders with tiling-friendly shortcuts. But there's now a new breed of tiling solutions for Plasma that build on the success of kwin-tiling, and Kröhnkite is one. Kröhnkite supports Plasma's activities, virtual desktops, and multiple screens, which is something kwin-tiling struggles with. It also takes its inspiration from dwm, the dynamic window manager, with monocle, spread, stair, and standard tiling layouts. It works well but still relies on manually editing configuration files for the best experience, which leaves room for another perhaps easier-to-use option for Plasma.
Project Website
https://github.com/esjeon/krohnkite/
Window arranger
Bismuth
Bismuth is another tiling window manager for KDE Plasma (see Kröhnkite above). It does the same thing but with a little added refinement. In particular, it offers a convenient configuration pane as part of KDE's standard system settings application, and feels much more planned and better integrated. It's probably how Plasma would add tiling natively, especially as configuration panels are relatively rare in the world of tiling window managers. The setting page appears under the Window Management menu and lets you conveniently disable and enable tiling as well as customize tiling behavior. In particular, you can have separate layouts for different activities and virtual desktops, enable or disable specific tiling modes, choose where new panes will appear, set rules for specific window types (such as Yakuake always appearing on top without tiling), and change the appearance of the panels as they appear. It's powerful and easy to use.
In many ways, this is a genuine iteration of the kwin-tiling script which offers many of the same options without making them accessible through a GUI. You're also not as burdened by keyboard shortcuts because there aren't so many, and the ones that are used are standard across several different tiling managers. If you panic and need to disable tiling quickly, there's even a panel icon you can simply click, and after a simple installation process, Bismuth quickly feels like a default part of KDE. This needs to be tempered slightly with Plasma itself, which will often only apply changes to new windows, and it can be difficult to get back to a coherent display after breaking a couple of windows out of the tiling environment or disabling Bismuth. But this is because it straddles both tiling and the desktop, and regardless of these blips, it succeeds impressively well.
Project Website
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.