A Sampling of KWin Tiling Scripts
KDE Tiling Solutions
If you want to reap the benefits of tiling desktops on KDE Plasma, check out these KWin script extensions.
A tiling desktop arranges open windows in a grid. Linux abounds with them, including awesome, i3, XMonad, and dwm. Tiling desktops have always been popular among developers, but the average user has been slower to adopt them, probably because tiling is usually controlled from a keyboard rather than with a mouse. In addition, solutions such as virtual workspaces and Plasma Activities often are easier to use. Recently, however, tiling desktops have undergone a revival, partly due to the introduction of tiling in the last few Windows releases, and, more recently, thanks to Pop!_OS’s user-friendly desktop implementation.
But what if you want to use KDE Plasma? Then one of the various script extensions available for KWin, the Plasma window manager, may be just what you need. If some of the scripts described here are not as fully featured as a tiling desktop environment, many are more than enough for most users. What follows is not a complete list, just a representative one. For example, I don't include a family of scripts (among them Quick Tile 2 and Better Quick Tiles), which was designed to add features to KWin’s built-in Quick Tiles, because most of its features are now available routinely in other tiling scripts.
The Benefits of Tiling
Tiling is used primarily to reduce the clutter of open windows on the desktop. On a tiling desktop, each open window is always visible. There is no need for users to search through stacks of windows or to use a utility to minimize all open windows and show only the desktop. In addition, a window can be removed from the grid to float on top of others. If the size of the windows becomes too small, then a virtual workspace can be started to display the overflow. Loosely speaking, tiling can be compared to tabs on a web browser, with the exception that tiling is often harder to learn thanks to the use of keyboard controls.
KWin
Much like any window manager, KWin controls the look, size, and behavior of windows on the desktop, as well as other aspects of the desktop environment. As a look at Plasma’s System Settings shows, KWin is probably the most customizable window manager available.
Scripts are only a small portion of KWin’s features, and they are managed from System Settings | Workspace | KWin Scripts (Figure 1). Many scripts can be configured from System Settings |Shortcuts |KWin (Figure 2). KWin scripts can affect any part of the Plasma desktop, but, currently, the majority of scripts shipped in a KDE release are various tiling solutions. These solutions come and go quickly, and many disappear or are renamed between releases. Still others have to be installed separately. What follows is a sampling of solutions you might want to try. Each can be applied or unapplied at a click of a button, making exploring the different options efficient, although each solution tends to have its own keyboard shortcuts.
Tile Gaps
Spaces between windows on a grid often improve readability – so much so that i3-gaps was once forked from the i3 tiling manager to provide it. Technically, Tile Gaps is not a tiling manager by itself, but it achieves much the same effect. You may need to log out and in again for Tile Gaps to work. Some scripts provide gaps without Tile Gaps.
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
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.