So for a long time pretty much every computer used the traditional like windows layout with moveable windows that minimized or maximized and had a taskbar and start menu and whatnot. You had some minor changes with Mac and stuff, but now you can really have some radically different ways to use a computer.

Personally I have differing preferences if I’m using a laptop or a desktop.

On my desktop I prefer a dock and to use the mouse to click around. More of the windows style. Then on a laptop (which I use most often) I use a heavily gesture based navigation.

Currently I have Gnome modified so that when I am in a program, like the web browser I’m in typing this, it is full screen. The top bar is hidden, and there’s no dock of any kind. Not even one that pops up when I move the mouse to the edge of the screen. Instead I have everything for navigation hidden inside the task view. I swipe up on the trackpad with 3 fingers to bring it up. That’s how I see time, battery life, and the other topbar stuff too. If switching quickly between two things I put one of them in a 2nd desktop and use a 3 finger side swipe to move back and forth.

I’m curious to know what other unique or highly custom navigation methods people are using on Linux. I know tiling window managers are pretty popular. Is there a general consensus on what’s best these days? Or is everyone doing slightly different things?

  • Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    15 hours ago

    I feel really lost with all these users talking about window managers, hotkeys and specific terms. I feel like a rookie😅

    If someone has a video comparing a lot of different workflows, I’d love to watch it. I feel like my workflow could still be improved.

    Currently I use Gnome on my Surface Go (hooked to a big screen) daily driver, Cosmic on my old MacBook Pro and KDE on my Steam Deck (hooked to the same big screen).

    I love Gnome and how I’ve configured (with an extension) every program to open on a specific workspace at startup while just using gestures or keyboard to move between workspaces.

    I’ve kind of reproduced this with KDE and Cosmic, but it’s not as perfect.

    KDE doesn’t follow the window rules I’m setting and Cosmic doesn’t let you automatically start programs on a specific workspace.

    • XiJinpingStanAccount@lemmy.mlOP
      2·
      13 hours ago

      You probably know a lot of the stuff just not the terms for it. If you are interested in like tiling or scrolling window managers you can look up videos on those terms and see them. The difference between them and a DE is that they are literally JUST a window manager. They don’t come with the other features of a DE. You basically won’t have a GUI unless you build one out. This gets you into the realm of like Linux ricing. Where people spend tons of effort and time making their computers look and function in a unique way.

      • Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works
        1·
        12 hours ago

        Yeah I guess I should do this in order to learn more about window managers and hotkeys.

        Still I know that I need a DE for sure for now. Even on a DE, I find the explanations about how to use them kind of lacking.

        For instance, Gnome doesn’t tell you that you can spread 7 programs on 7 workspaces if I’m not mistaken.

        At the beginning, I was really using a kind of Windows workflow instead of discovering the full power of Gnome…

        This applies to the other DEs I use too…