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#1 2012-06-09 11:01:23

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

[done] Alternative to compiz (unusual "tiling compiz" setup)

Compiz isn't doing so well...hasn't been for a while... and I wonder what I'm going to do when it will get too hard to keep working on my machine... guess my way of working with compiz is rather far away from the standard... is there another window manager around that can be set up to work (almost) like what I'm used to?

Most important feature for me include but are not limited to:
- The grid plugin. I mostly use compiz as a tiling window manager, without window decorations. The easy & fast "num pad / 3 available sizes toggle, 9 center points" is ideal for me.
- Desktop Plane / Expo on a mouse button: I use this to drag windows around. Also to drag them to the desktop I want them on. Also to get a quick overview of what's happening on the other desktops... like keeping an eye on resync while I watch a video fullscreen.
- Fish Eye / Magnifier / mousewheel on top screen edge: If have this set up to work with screen edge instead of keyboard keys, because usually when I need it I don't have my keyboard with me. I tend to walk around with my mouse a lot and that's when I want quick & easy access to the magnifier / fish eye.
- Setting rules for windows. Mostly for window decorations: I only want those on "temporary / floating / popup" sort of windows... the rest is tiled neatly anyway.
- Scale plugin on a mouse button. So I can easily switch between windows that are on different desktops. Also as I don't have window decoration for most programs, I use it to close programs.
- widget layer: I like conky. And I like a panel (when I don't have my keyboard with me). Just don't want to see it always.

So... if you use a (sort of) similar setup / "workflow" but another window manager - let me know which one please, thanks! wink

Last edited by whoops (2012-06-11 13:26:22)

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#2 2012-06-09 11:12:22

Unia
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
Registered: 2010-03-30
Posts: 2,486
Website

Re: [done] Alternative to compiz (unusual "tiling compiz" setup)

The grid and window rules could easily be replaced by a manual tiler, such as Subtle. There's a thread on it here on the boards.

The widget layer can still be Conky with this WM and als you can add so called "sublets" to the bar. You should look into it, it would suit your needs I guess wink


If you can't sit by a cozy fire with your code in hand enjoying its simplicity and clarity, it needs more work. --Carlos Torres

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#3 2012-06-10 11:35:39

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: [done] Alternative to compiz (unusual "tiling compiz" setup)

Hmm... having a "standalone program" do the tiling and window rules should loosen the restrictions on how the rest of the DE needs to look, thanks!
edit: Argh, now that I took a closer look, subtle seems to be sort of restrictive when it comes to other components I need.. maybe I'll better look trough less "WMy" tiling programs first.

Still haven't found a new DE Base hough... I don't think gnome or kde will let me carry around my mouse + use a fisheye magnifier? Also they seem to make problems with most WM's... Or is there a "standalone application" for that, too?

At the Moment, my biggest problem is setting a DE up so I can do basic window managing without a keyboard. So many possibilities, everything I tried so far was missing something essential hmm (or maybe in some cases it was just too hard to find and I skipped to the next piece of software too early... argh. I have no Idea how to manage to figure that out in a lifetime xD)

Last edited by whoops (2012-06-10 12:02:30)

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#4 2012-06-10 14:17:43

ANOKNUSA
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Registered: 2010-10-22
Posts: 2,141

Re: [done] Alternative to compiz (unusual "tiling compiz" setup)

What do you mean by "DE Base?"  Both KDE and GNOME have their own versions of those features.  You also haven't mentionted exactly what it is you're doing with whatever it is you're using.  Many window managers (and the two major DEs) have similar features, but under what circumstances are you carrying around a mouse with no keyboard?  How are you tiling these windows with no keyboard? What can you do with no keyboard?

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#5 2012-06-10 15:54:57

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: [done] Alternative to compiz (unusual "tiling compiz" setup)

DE Base... like: compiz + xfce4session + a little bit of lxde = does everything I want. Has been great for years... just it's starting to look like it won't be working much longer. Compiz is hardest to replace I guess, the rest that's missin whould be easy once I found something that has the freatures described above. 

Hard to describe that fish-eye-thing better than in the first post... hmm....  if I have some sort of fish eye where I can bind the mouse wheel at screen edges to zoom in + zoom out... then I can... more easily do anything I can do without a keyboard from afar? Read, click buttons, change desktop, drag files into windows... with a quick mousewheel stroke that zooms into "fisheye mode" it's a lot easier than with a normal magnifier to do things from afar, especially with a smooth / pseydo-steppless zoom. Haven't looked at gnome + kde for too long, but what I saw available there looked like just a normal magnifier which has to be started and then it's always open with a square "window".

Also there I saw no way to specify which windows are supposed to have decorations and which ones not.

( And I don't have to tile windows without a keyboard, because I only very rarely need new ones - everything stays open and I can easily switch around with scale or expo plugin.)

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#6 2012-06-11 13:30:04

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: [done] Alternative to compiz (unusual "tiling compiz" setup)

I think I started this the wrong way... trying to find the combination of software starting with DE's / programs that support most things I need just doesn't work, it's a mess! Going to have to trash my notes and start over when I have more time... next time I'll start with the "fish eye" (which seems to be the rarest function I need) and then build on that I guess...

( Don't die on me just now, compiz, need more time to find a replacement! xD )

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