Most Linux users who have been using a kernel-based operating system for some time know perfectly well what a desktop is. The newest ones don't even think about it: they use what comes installed as they probably did shortly before in Windows, but there is a component that is in all graphical interfaces that not many know about. I'm talking about window manager, and today we are going to try to explain what they are. That which is the best for Linux...
And Linux is a whole universe to explore. If there are so many options for everything, it is because not all of us think and feel the same, and there are different window managers for different users. We are also going to try to explain the difference between window manager and window manager. As? Well, a window manager like the one used by KDE (KWin, which in the following graph is seen as a "display server") is not the same as the one used by the i3 version of Manjaro.
What is a window manager?
A window manager is, by definition, the software that is responsible for displaying the different programs that run on a graphical interface. And with that we could end the explanation, but no. We also have to talk a little over desks.
The window manager is part of the desktop, which is all the software of an operating system. In addition to software that is responsible for displaying the windows, on a desktop we have software that is responsible for wireless connections, managing sound or performance profiles.
Yes, but if this is so, why are so many people interested in learning more about window managers? The answer is simple: because there are "pseudo-desktops" in Linux that only use a window manager to show everything we need to see.
pseudo-desks…
Let me explain what I just said because I don't know if what it's doing is making things more complicated. As we have explained, a window manager is the software that is responsible for displaying the windows of an interface, and this is the KWin of KDE in the example we have given. Then there are others that allow us work without a desk in use and everything we do we will do within windows.
The "desktop" of these window managers is It limits itself to displaying, at most, a wallpaper and some widgets like Conky, but you cannot interact with it to, for example, drag items to/from the desktop.
These types of window managers, which I have called "pseudo-desktops", behave in part like a desktop if we understand as such all the software necessary to interact with the operating system. The regular non-desktop window manager manages windows, but usually includes software such as an application launcher or a terminal that usually does not have any type of panel. The truth is that these window managers are independent, but installing one of them the rest of the software is usually installed as well so that the experience is simply possible.
Better with an example
Before talking about window managers and letting everyone decide which one is the best, I don't get involved in the fact that they criticize me later, let's give an example: i3wm.
i3wm or just i3 is a package that can be installed on many distributions and comes in the official repositories. If only i3wm and a few packages are installed so that it can display something, it is likely that after logging out and entering i3wm we will not even see a wallpaper, or we may see a residual image of our home screen as wallpaper. session.
i3wm usually launches applications with dmenu, which is a very simple menu with which we search for applications and all types of software installed in the operating system. If we press the combination GOAL + Intro, a terminal will automatically open. If we had a window open, the screen will be divided in two, on one side the terminal and on the other the application that we already had open. Apps are usually full screen, perhaps with a little space (gap) between their edge and the limits of the screen. And so on a bit with everything.
These window managers are designed for use with the keyboard. Depending on each one, we can go from one "virtual desktop", in quotes, to another, we can close windows, resize them... everything, but it will not be possible to make normal use of the desktop.
Best window manager for Linux
I refuse to say which is the best because of what has been said, there are different tastes. If I can talk about The most popular, and the order of the factors does not alter the product (come on, the following is a list without any order).
i3wm
i3 is one of the most popular window managers, in part because it is an "old rocker" that is even available in community-created ISOs for some Linux distributions. You've probably read that it's on its last legs, but that's because is based on X11.
Time serves as experience to be a window manager that, if configured well, offers a stable user experience. Speaking of settings, it can be configured by editing a simple text file.
The interface is very simple, without frills, which helps make it lighter.
Sway
Sway is a window manager that is presented as the evolution of i3. It has many similarities with it, and the main difference is that it is based on Wayland, which is the graphical server that all software projects and developers are moving towards.
Sway's interface is more modern than X11.
open box
Openbox is known for its simplicity and flexibility, and is commonly used in minimalist or custom desktop environments. Its configuration is simpler than other window managers, and it is also more intuitive, which makes it perfect for those who want to go from a desktop to a window manager. It is what has made mabox Part of the Linux community likes it so much.
Bspwm
Bspwm is a tiled window manager that is based on the “floating windows” approach and is highly configurable, and this description also applies to the previous point. Many experienced users opt for Bspwm, and it is easy for you to even see it on YouTube on some computer professional channel.
Enlightenment
Elightenment was voted one of the best desks available for Linux, but its creators they define it as a "window manager" and we will have to pay attention to it. What it has is that it looks more like a desktop than other options, so it is easy to use even for those who have never used a window manager.
It supports X11 as the main option, but they have already started supporting Wayland.
What is the best window manager?
I leave the ball in your court, or at least in the court of the most experts. It's something I don't want to get involved in. Still, I can say that I liked i3, Sway, Openbox...