So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

scrawler · 2009-01-13 04:58:09

I like icewm with a double-height taskbar, 10 workspaces, and a theme that includes"roll up window" buttons (not all of them do) Nothing stacks windows like ice.

alienjeff · 2009-07-12 16:48:30

I've dumped DEs in favor of simply running JWM with an array of personally configured "program launch" hot keys. These hot keys, F1-F12, start my most often used programs and thus relieves me the need for wasting screen real estate for a panel, as well as reduces reliance on my mouse.

As a relative Linux newcomer, JWM's configuration file (XML) was FAR more intuitive than those of other WMs.

Sara · 2009-07-13 00:35:57

I like choosing my own programs, the customizability and simplicity. I discovered that I needed relatively few programs to get my work done, so my system is really lightweight, minus the junk a DE would have added. It boots faster (11 seconds to console, about 16 to X, compared with taking 30 seconds to X when I used gnome, admittedly in Ubuntu), and the interface is far more aesthetically pleasing (especially since I have no one to blame for how it looks other than myself ). I'm a dwm user, and, not wishing to recommend anything less than the best, recommend you take a look at dwm at suckless.org.

I see you've chosen openbox, which isn't a bad choice... but, remembering that I was an openbox user once upon a time, am sure you'll take a look at dwm someday .

Last edited by Sara (2009-07-13 00:37:57)

Themaister · 2009-07-13 00:42:13

Openbox is simply awesome Runs great on my netbook:D

Shapeshifter · 2009-07-13 01:18:15

compiz standalone
+ bmpanel
+ bashrun
+ lots of hotkeys
+ couple of self made scripts
= win!

Last edited by Shapeshifter (2009-07-13 01:18:44)

Renan Birck · 2009-07-13 06:00:57

I use Openbox, w/:

GKrellm for system monitoring
lxpanel for panel
batterymon for battery management
GNote for notetaking (I know it depends on GNOME-libraries, but I don't know any other option)
Firefox/Thunderbird for WWW/Mail
XChat for IRC
emesene for MSN
Deluge for torrenting
mpd + sonata for audio
HAL + Thunar for filemanagement/automouting (run 'thunar --daemon').
mplayer for video
Terminal for most text-related stuff and monitoring (htop, nload, powertop, yacpi)
wicd for WLAN management
Mitter for twitter client
Geany as an IDE of sorts
OO.o for document-creation
feh for image viewing
...

It works well, is user-friendly and fast.

iphitus · 2009-07-13 09:44:33

So... as you can see, everyone uses something different. Same response as every other time this thread has been posted.

Only way to find out what you like is to try them out. They're harmless, they won't break your system, and it doesn't really take long to mess about with them.

playdafunkimuzic · 2009-07-13 17:07:52

Shapeshifter wrote:

compiz standalone
+ bmpanel
+ bashrun
+ lots of hotkeys
+ couple of self made scripts
= win!

how is compiz standalone? is it buggy, or good enough for regular use? i've been using openbox for quite some time now but on my laptop i really miss the expose function.

wankel · 2009-07-13 18:52:33

playdafunkimuzic wrote:

Shapeshifter wrote:
compiz standalone
+ bmpanel
+ bashrun
+ lots of hotkeys
+ couple of self made scripts
= win!
how is compiz standalone? is it buggy, or good enough for regular use? i've been using openbox for quite some time now but on my laptop i really miss the expose function.

Im also using compiz as a standalone window manager. It works out really nice, quite stable. Use it with stiler and you can turn it into a tiling window manger as well

Shapeshifter · 2009-07-14 00:21:39

playdafunkimuzic wrote:

Shapeshifter wrote:
compiz standalone
+ bmpanel
+ bashrun
+ lots of hotkeys
+ couple of self made scripts
= win!
how is compiz standalone? is it buggy, or good enough for regular use? i've been using openbox for quite some time now but on my laptop i really miss the expose function.

I haven't encountered a single bug with compiz for months and I'm using compiz as a standalone WM for more than a year now on one intel (gma945) and one nvidia (8800gts) box. And if there is a problem the regulars in #compiz on freenode are knowledgable and friendly.

Sara · 2009-07-14 03:01:11

iphitus wrote:

So... as you can see, everyone uses something different. Same response as every other time this thread has been posted.
Only way to find out what you like is to try them out. They're harmless, they won't break your system, and it doesn't really take long to mess about with them.

That's true; I tried nearly every tiling WM before I chose dwm. Funny, I didn't think of such a common-sense answer.

sand_man · 2009-07-14 03:39:14

wankel wrote:

playdafunkimuzic wrote:
Shapeshifter wrote:
compiz standalone
+ bmpanel
+ bashrun
+ lots of hotkeys
+ couple of self made scripts
= win!
how is compiz standalone? is it buggy, or good enough for regular use? i've been using openbox for quite some time now but on my laptop i really miss the expose function.
Im also using compiz as a standalone window manager. It works out really nice, quite stable. Use it with stiler and you can turn it into a tiling window manger as well

Me too. It's like openbox (simple) but prettier

Arch Linux

#26 2009-01-13 04:58:09

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#27 2009-07-12 16:48:30

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#28 2009-07-13 00:35:57

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#29 2009-07-13 00:42:13

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#30 2009-07-13 01:18:15

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#31 2009-07-13 06:00:57

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#32 2009-07-13 09:44:33

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#33 2009-07-13 17:07:52

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#34 2009-07-13 18:52:33

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#35 2009-07-14 00:21:39

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#36 2009-07-14 03:01:11

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

#37 2009-07-14 03:39:14

Re: So what's it like just using a standalone WM?

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