As the first post is always the hardest, I want to keep this one simple. I really like open-source software, especially Linux. There are only a few things that make me happier than tinkering with my system or home lab. So, I want to share my experiences, tutorials on things I have done that I think are cool, and, of course, my thoughts. I switched to Linux full time almost 14 years ago, so there’s a lot to talk about. I hope this blog helps and brings joy to some people. And if not, well, I’ll do it anyway.
Diving into the world of Linux customization
I am using Linux as an operating system (my daily driver) for many years and it has become an integral part of my daily computing experience. I started my journey with the incredibly user-friendly Linux Mint, and honestly, for a long time I used it pretty much as it came out of the box – it was a fantastic transition from Windows! I enjoyed playing with wallpapers and taskbar positions, and was already thrilled by how easily I could personalize the system. Coming from Windows, though, I didn’t even know what possibilities were out there. Windows dictates so much about how everything looks and behaves – you don’t realize you can even change it. It took me a while to understand that you aren’t stuck with one specific program for your taskbar, file manager, or notification system. You can even swap out the program that displays your wallpaper! That realization opened up a whole new world of customization. And that’s where things get interesting – because all these individual components come together to form what’s called a Desktop Environment. Think of a Desktop Environment (like Cinnamon in Linux Mint, or GNOME, KDE Plasma) as the complete package: it includes everything you see – the panels, the menus, the file manager, the settings, and more. It’s a cohesive, all-in-one experience.
A Window Manager, on the other hand, is just responsible for drawing and managing windows. It doesn’t include all the extra bells and whistles. They’re often lighter weight and offer much more control over how windows are arranged and behave. I eventually took the plunge and started using HerbstluftWM. It’s a tiling window manager, meaning it arranges windows to fill the screen without overlapping – a very different experience from the more traditional, free-floating windows you might be used to. It’s known for its flexibility and focus on keyboard-driven workflows, requiring a bit more configuration upfront, but offering a highly efficient and customizable environment. My exploration led me to Arco Linux and, eventually, to my first Window Manager: HerbstluftWM. And that’s where things really got interesting!
And speaking of interesting, a key aspect of tiling window managers like HerbstluftWM is the way it handles window arrangement. Unlike some tiling window managers, HerbstluftWM is primarily a manual tiler. It doesn’t automatically tile windows for you, but instead presents a minimal layout – typically side-by-side – and allows you to take control. This is where the keyboard-driven workflow comes in; nearly every action, from moving windows to resizing them and switching between layouts, is accomplished using keybindings. While it doesn’t offer fully automatic tiling, you can define rules and layouts to streamline your workflow and quickly achieve the arrangement you desire.
This balance between control and efficiency is what makes it so appealing, and something I’m excited to explore and share more about in future posts.