do you miss a specific feature from your previous auto tiling experience?

Well, autotilers are better for automatically fitting things on screen. If you want multiple windows to fit in screen in Niri, you’ll need to intervene for that (it’s pretty simple and easy, but it’s not automatic).

This is the only thing that keeps going through my mind as being objectively worse. Some small things are different, not necessarily worse or better. I think the column logic in Niri is super easy to understand, which is great, but it kinda limits tiling possibilities (not a big deal tbh, you just learn new ways to tile).

How do you deal with if you need all windows appear on a single screen at the same time?

For 4 windows in one workspace, you can create two columns, each split in half. Something like this:

If you want more windows, you can shrink a column to 25%, then add a new column at 25% as well. Like this:

Does Niri support two windows tiled bottom half and top half?

Yup! That’s just a single column divided in two:

If i’m not wrong, Cosmic allows you to minimize windows even in tiling mode

I think they are numbered by default in waybar

i also wish other workspaces could be numbered so you can keep track of which workspaces have which windows on them

Do you mean static workspaces? You can configure something like that.

By default, Niri uses dynamic workspaces (they are deleted when empty), but you can create persistent ones.

My config file has this:

// Declare persistent workspaces
workspace "1"
workspace "2"
workspace "3"
workspace "4"

This means workspaces 1 to 4 will always exist, even if they are empty. If I open something in workspace 3, it stays in 3 no matter what.

Now, if you do something like this:

// Declare persistent workspaces
workspace "1"
workspace "2"
workspace "3"
workspace "4"
workspace "5"
workspace "6"
workspace "7"
workspace "8"
workspace "9"
workspace "10"

Then 10 workspaces will always be present (probably the only ones you’ll use). In this way, it may be easier to keep track of where your windows are.

Sadly it was bugged for me. Had to use the TTY (Ctrl+Alt+F2) to disable that Karousel extension.

Ouch. Sorry about that :(

I’m not ready to switch to an entire different window manager yet, but I’m also quiet happy anyway.

100% fair. I only changed because my last setup was annoying me

The things you show in the gif are already possible with niri via Super + [ and Super + ] (default bindings) for placing into columns

Yup! I know about it. The script just makes it automaticaly:

• If there are fewer than N (default 2) windows in the focused column, it adds a new one there. Otherwise, it creates a new column.
• It also auto-fullscreens a window if it’s the only one in the workspace.

One tiling feature of niri I love is that with Super + W you can switch to a stacked mode like in a tiler.

I use it for my tens of freetube windows :)

I can’t go back to non-scrolling ever.

Wow! For how long have you been using scrollers?

To me it doesn’t feel different from (classic) floating style of managing windows. Why? Because I have to scroll and search for the window.

This is precisely the same feeling I had when I first tested Niri. It only changed once I started treating it as a tiling that sometimes expands when needed.

“focus-or-spawn”

Interesting. I haven’t had trouble finding windows so far, but I set up the niri_search_window script from niri_tweaks as mod+tab just in case I need it.

Umbriel

Cool! I’ll take a look at it, thanks!

haha, not false :) I mean, in the end, I think Linux is mostly for neckbeards.

I started using window managers to reduce resource usage (I had a really shitty PC back then) and to stay organized. It worked for both. I really don’t like how much time you have to invest in configuring them (which is why I tried cosmic, it’s much easier to set up), but I think it’s worth it in the end.