I switched to a tiling window manager on Linux and can’t believe I wasted years dragging windows around
https://tech.yahoo.com/computing/articles/switched-tiling-window-manager-linux-140119404.html
Publish Date: 2026-06-05 10:01:00
Source Domain: tech.yahoo.com
Regardless of the operating system you’re on, you’ll notice that they all open applications inside these boxes we call windows. These windows pop up in unpredictable positions on the desktop, and they’re not always the same size either. This is one of those things you just accept without ever questioning it. At least, I never did. But there’s a better system for these windows. One which helps you stay focused on your work and operate your computer faster. Welcome to the wonderful world of tiling window managers.
What’s a window manager
This hidden program decides how you interact with the computer
There’s a program running behind the scenes on every desktop OS that spawns new windows on the screen, decides where they’re placed, how big they are, how they are stacked, which windows get the input focus. This program is the window manager (WM).
Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
On most operating systems, including most Linux distros, the window manager is part of the overall desktop environment. Such window managers spawn what’s called “floating” windows. It’s common, and you’ve seen it on macOS or Windows, where new windows just show up as bound boxes somewhere on the desktop. You can then drag those windows around. Place them in split layouts by hand. Or resize them. They can overlap too.
Tiling window managers are special
They do all the work for you
Tiling window managers are the opposite of floating window managers. These tiling window managers automatically split the screen and place the window in a slot for you. You can’t drag these windows around, or pull them from a corner to resize them. It may sound a little confusing at first, if you’ve never seen one before. Allow me to present a little demonstration.
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We start on a blank desktop. Then I open a new browser window. It takes up the entire desktop. So far so good. Note what happens when I now launch my terminal app. The screen is auto-split in half and both windows take up exactly 50% of the…
