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I fear that I go into conflicting requirements here, but I still want to ask. I have been using KDE for a while now and I do like its software (Konsole, Okular, Dolphin). I like KWin with its features a lot:

  • Splitting windows on the left/right side, even with multiple monitors.
  • Splitting windows into the quadrants of each screen.
  • Compositing. Windows should wobble.
  • Pinning windows to the very top.
  • Options for each program and window that can be persisted.

However, on my 24" screen with its 1920 × 1200 pixels, I feel that three colums would be a better use of the space.  Especially since I am considering to buy 2560 × 1200.  See this:

I know that three columns would be easily achieved with a tiling windows manager like Awesome WM. But I have two friends that use Awesome WM and I would like it avoid for the following reasons:

  • KDE System Settings is something that I use often, and I want my system to work, not work on the command line to get my printer working.
  • You will have to tinker to get a battery widget into a systray area.
  • Solely tiling is not what I want either; free floating windows are preferred for Firefox, Thunderbird and other things.
  • Since I use a lot of the KDE applications, using Plasma and KWin seems to make sense.

Is there some way to get some more advanced actions like not only snapping windows into corners, but also into three columns with KWin?

Performance, or anything being lightweight, is no concern at all. KDE runs just fine, at that is as large as it gets.

G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica'
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Martin Ueding
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  • Aside note: «Awesome WM» have a floating windows *(Mod4+Ctrl+Space to toggle)*, and even one default layout with a floating windows. – Hi-Angel Jan 02 '15 at 23:25

2 Answers2

18

Go to

  • Systemsettings
  • Workspace Appearance and Behavior
  • Window Behavior
  • KWin Scripts
  • Get New Script
  • Tiling
  • Install
  • Enable the checkbox of the installed plugin
  • Apply

Have fun!

You should read the "documentation" to know how to handle free-floating, different layouts, etc.

Elias Probst
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  • So this is the KWin script that they said is possible when they kicked out the old tiling code? – Martin Ueding Nov 10 '13 at 22:33
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    Exactly. Oh and BTW: you can use any WM with KDE, so you can still use all of KDE as you're used to it (printer configuration etc.), but just replace the WM component: `kcmshell4 componentchooser` → Window Manager). – Elias Probst Nov 10 '13 at 22:36
  • If I replace the WM, can I still have the Plasma Bar/Dock/Kicker/Systray in the bottom? – Martin Ueding Nov 10 '13 at 22:41
  • @queueoverflow: should work fine as long as the WM correctly supports the NetWM/EWMH spec. – ninjalj Nov 11 '13 at 10:00
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    Replacing KWin with Awesome works pretty well, actually. The only caveat is that the overlays from the control bar get tiled, but that is not a big issue. – Martin Ueding Nov 27 '13 at 14:46
  • What kind of overlays do you mean? Care to provide a screenshot? – Elias Probst Nov 27 '13 at 15:49
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    @EliasProbst: I have written something on my website about [KDE and Awesome WM](http://martin-ueding.de/en/computer_stuff/kde_awesome_wm/index.html#floating-kde-panel-drawers), where I address that floating/tiling issue. – Martin Ueding Jun 21 '14 at 14:46
  • Nice side effect of `Tiling` script: it immediately start to tiling all the open windows and crashed _firefox_. All the windows of _firefox_ now present a minimal height and, after I've unchecked the script and applied, I had to resize them by hand. – Hastur Mar 25 '15 at 13:00
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I used XMonad with KDE services and perhaps a GTK service or two... Both variants (KDE with XMonad, or Xmonad with KDE services) are possible. But I'd upvote the earlier 'scripted' version since I'm not sure to which extent you get to keep the features you described being pleasant about KDE (and I agree).

Rob Jens
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