Linux Lite Forums

General => On Topic => Topic started by: Rosika on February 01, 2023, 10:44:08 AM

Title: i3 tiling window manager
Post by: Rosika on February 01, 2023, 10:44:08 AM

Hi all,  :)

I´d very much like to know your opinion about i3 tiling window manager.

What I want to do is install it on Linux Lite 6.2 as it may provide certain benefits (amongst others lower RAM usage, I guess).
At least from time to time starting the system with i3 tiling WM might be a good idea for me.  ;)

I´m not looking for installation help. There´s a very good article by Dave McKay on
https://www.howtogeek.com/769284/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux/ .

My question is more of a general kind:

On https://www.linuxliteos.com/manual/software.html#deskenv it says:

Quote

If you desire to install another desktop environment, we cannot provide specific instructions on how to do this. There are far too many variables involved and much can go wrong.

Well, I know installing another DE on a system which already makes use of its own DE may be risky at times.

But what about i3 tiling WM?
I mean: is it to be seen as a "desktop environment"? My understanding is: it´s a window manager (not a DE per se).

So what it boils down to is: Is it safe to install i3 tiling WM alongside the already installed "heavily modified version of the XFCE desktop environment"?

Many thanks in advance and many greetings

Rosika  :wave

Title: Re: i3 tiling window manager
Post by: trinidad on February 02, 2023, 04:06:44 PM

You will probably have trouble with some notification windows and some Lite specific application windows. I definitely prefer openbox to i3wm but if you really want that i3wm desktop run Debian, Devuan, BunsenLabs, or Arch, Bunsen being the easiest.

TC

Title: Re: i3 tiling window manager
Post by: Rosika on February 03, 2023, 09:34:32 AM

Hi trinidad and thanks a lot for your reply,  :)

Quote

I definitely prefer openbox to i3wm

O.K., does that mean openbox can be used - like i3wm - instead of a fully-fledged desktop environment?
I was of the opinion that openbox was part of a DE, like in Lubuntu...

Well, I´ll definitively look into it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Many greetings
Rosika  :wave

Title: Re: i3 tiling window manager
Post by: trinidad on February 03, 2023, 11:28:28 AM

BunsenLabs will give you the most pre-configured options, while both Devuan and Bunsen will give you the smallest disk footprint and the most efficient RAM usage.

TC

Title: Re: i3 tiling window manager
Post by: Rosika on February 04, 2023, 08:55:39 AM

Hi trinidad,  :)

thanks a lot for your suggestions.

I might consider Devuan or Bunsen in the future.
Right now I´d like to stay on my fresh install of LL.

Still I might give i3wm or openbox a try here.

Thanks a lot for your help and many greetings
Rosika  :wave