{"id":386745,"date":"2021-12-28T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/"},"modified":"2021-12-28T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-12-28T13:00:00","slug":"what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is the i3 Tiling Window Manager, and How Do You Use It on Linux?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bc009796d7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bc009796d7\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#What_Are_Tiling_Window_Managers\" >What Are Tiling Window Managers?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Installing_i3\" >Installing i3<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Logging_in_to_i3\" >Logging in to i3<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#A_Blank_Canvas\" >A Blank Canvas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Opening_Terminals\" >Opening Terminals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Launching_Applications\" >Launching Applications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Tabbed_and_Stacked_Windows\" >Tabbed and Stacked Windows<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Using_Workspaces_in_i3\" >Using Workspaces in i3<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Other_Tips\" >Other Tips<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/#Its_Worth_the_Culture_Shock\" >It\u2019s Worth the Culture Shock<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Is the i3 Tiling Window Manager, and How Do You Use It on Linux?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-769404\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/i3-tiled-windows.png?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/i3-tiled-windows.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/i3-tiled-windows.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A selection of windows tiled using the 13 tiling windows manager\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The i3 window tiling manager is a Linux desktop environment that\u2019s s<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>ped down to its absolute minimum. That might sound limited and restrictive, but for the right workflow, it\u2019s a form of freedom.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"tiling-window-managers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Tiling_Window_Managers\"><\/span>What Are Tiling Window Managers?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most of us are used to graphical desktop environments like GNOME, KDE, Xfce, LXDE or any of the many others. They let you arrange your application and terminal windows on the desktop however you like, and they provide eye candy such as wallpaper and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theme<\/a>s.<\/p>\n<p>Tiling window managers like i3 and Xmonad are a different breed of user interface altogether. They place your windows to make the most of the available real estate of your screen, or screens. Open a single terminal window and it\u2019ll be full-screen. Open another and they take half the screen each, from edge to edge, and butted right up against one another.<\/p>\n<p>Tiling window managers are for people of a slightly different mindset. They\u2019re certainly not for everyone. They lend themselves to terminal windows and text-based applications, or tools like parsers and compilers. They aid concentration by removing any distractions like pretty desktops and resizing and positioning windows. And\u2014as much as they can\u2013they even keep your hands away from your mouse. For everything that it takes away, that\u2019s a few more gains for speed, simplicity, and efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>Tiling window managers are for keyboard junkies. If you\u2019re someone who memorizes keyboard shortcuts and uses them to power through their day, you\u2019ll want to check out the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/i3wm.org\/\">i3 tiling window manager<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You can download versions of Ubuntu, Manjaro, and Fedora with i3 pre-installed as your main desktop environment. But if you\u2019ve already got your Linux box set up and your desktop environment set up the way you like, you can install i3 to sit alongside your current desktop environment, and switch to i3 when you need to roll your sleeves up, concentrate, and hit a deadline.<\/p>\n<p>They may be designed for power users and developers in particular, but tiling window managers are also great for running on aging hardware and older graphics cards. The absence of things like docks and animations can give your device a much-needed break.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Be More Productive in Ubuntu Using Keyboard Shortcuts<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"installing-i3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Installing_i3\"><\/span>Installing i3<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To install i3 on Ubuntu, you need to use the following command. This will install i3 itself, a connector so that it can send information to a status bar (<code>i3status<\/code>), a menu so that you can launch applications (<code>dmenu<\/code>, part of the <code>suckless-tools<\/code> package) and <code>i3lock<\/code> which provides a screen lock for i3.<\/p>\n<pre>sudo apt install i3-wm i3status suckless-tools i3lock<\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769317\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Installing i3 on Ubuntu\" width=\"644\" height=\"75\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Installing i3 on Manjaro or another Arch-based distro is very similar, and requires the same components, but we can call <code>dmenu <\/code> by name:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo pacman -S i3-wm i3status dmenu i3lock<\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769321\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/2-3.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Installing i3 on Manjaro\" width=\"644\" height=\"75\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Installation on Fedora loads the same components:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo dnf install i3 i3status dmenu i3lock<\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769326\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/3-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Installing i3 on Fedora\" width=\"644\" height=\"75\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"logging-in-to-i3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Logging_in_to_i3\"><\/span>Logging in to i3<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019ll need to log out and in again to access your new i3 window manager. When you are at your login screen, click the small cog icon.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769327\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/4-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Selecting i3 at the login screen\" width=\"644\" height=\"424\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Select i3 from the menu, enter your password, and log in. The first time you log in to i3 you\u2019ll be asked whether you want to generate a configuration file.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769328\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/5-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The first-boot i3 dialog asking whether to create a configuration file\" width=\"300\" height=\"216\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Press Enter to create a configuration file.<\/p>\n<p>Another small dialog appears. When you use i3 you use a modifier key\u2014known as <code>$mod<\/code>\u2014to issue commands. You can choose to have <code>$mod<\/code> set to the \u201cSuper\u201d key or to the Alt key. The Super key is the one between the left-hand Ctrl and Alt keys. Often it has a Windows logo on it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769330\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/6-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The first-boot i3 dialog asking which key to use as $mod\" width=\"300\" height=\"216\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select your preference, then press Enter to save your choice.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-blank-canvas\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Blank_Canvas\"><\/span>A Blank Canvas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve booted into i3, you\u2019re greeted with the final word in minimalism\u2014nothing. You\u2019re presented with a black screen that doesn\u2019t respond to clicks or right-clicks.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769333\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"An empty i3 workspace with a status bar\" width=\"644\" height=\"334\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the sort of abrupt jolt that makes you wonder if something has gone wrong. No, that\u2019s just i3. And it\u2019s not totally true that you don\u2019t get anything at all. Squeezed into as little space as they can manage is a status bar.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769334\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The default i3 status bar\" width=\"644\" height=\"33\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This shows you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your IP address in IPv6 format, if available.<\/li>\n<li>Your Wi-Fi connection status.<\/li>\n<li>Your IP address in IPv4 and your wired network connection status.<\/li>\n<li>Your battery charge state, if you\u2019re running i3 on a laptop.<\/li>\n<li>Free hard drive space.<\/li>\n<li>CPU load.<\/li>\n<li>The amount of RAM in use.<\/li>\n<li>The amount of RAM available.<\/li>\n<li>The date and time.<\/li>\n<li>Your keyboard layout\/locale.<\/li>\n<li>Access to the network connection settings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s a lot of information in a line of tiny text. It is color-coded, with red for services that are down or not used, green for good, and yellow for warnings.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the status bar is configurable, as is the whole of i3 itself. You can tweak the i3 configuration files to make your i3 experience meet your needs. Why have a battery indicator on a desktop that doesn\u2019t have a battery? Edit your <code>\/etc\/i3status.conf<\/code> file and comment out that section.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, making configuration changes to i3 requires hand-editing configuration files. There\u2019s no graphical \u201cSettings\u201d application in i3\u2019s world. The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/i3wm.org\/docs\/\">i3 documentation is very good<\/a>. If you fancy rolling your sleeves up and diving into some configuration files, that\u2019s the place to start.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"opening-terminals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Opening_Terminals\"><\/span>Opening Terminals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To actually do something with your computer, you\u2019ll need to launch terminal windows and applications.<\/p>\n<p>Hold down your <code>$mod<\/code> key and press Enter. A terminal window will open that covers your entire desktop.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769337\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/9-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A terminal window covering the entire workspace\" width=\"644\" height=\"334\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This is i3\u2019s way. It gives each window as much space as it can. Repeat that keystroke sequence\u2014 <code>$mod<\/code>+Enter\u2014and you\u2019ll get another terminal window. Depending on the aspect ratio and orientation of your monitor, i3 makes a decision about placing the new terminal window alongside or beneath your existing terminal window.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769339\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/10-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Two terminal windows with a vertical split\" width=\"644\" height=\"334\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>That is, it splits the screen either horizontally or vertically to add the new window, shrinking existing windows to make room for the new one.<\/p>\n<p>You can move between terminal windows using <code>$mod<\/code>+Arrow keys. You can also select a window by moving the mouse cursor. There\u2019s no need to click, just moving the cursor over a window selects it. But the idea is to keep your hands on the keyboard, so the <code>$mod<\/code>+Arrow keys method is the \u201cnative\u201d way to select windows in i3.<\/p>\n<p>To close a window you can use the regular methods\u2014Ctrl+D, or type \u201cexit\u201d and hit Enter\u2014or you can use the i3 key sequence of <code>$mod<\/code>+Shift+Q to send a shutdown signal to the window.<\/p>\n<p>You can direct i3 to split the current window horizontally or vertically when you ask for a new window. Using <code>$mod<\/code>+V followed im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely by <code>$mod<\/code>+Enter will create a new terminal window positioned vertically below the currently selected window. The new terminal window and the original terminal window share the space that was allocated to the original window.<\/p>\n<p>Pressing <code>$mod<\/code>+H followed immediately by <code>$mod<\/code>+Enter creates a new terminal window positioned horizontally alongside the currently selected window.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769341\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Three tiled terminal windows\" width=\"644\" height=\"334\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Both windows shrink to share the space allocated to the original window.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"launching-applications\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Launching_Applications\"><\/span>Launching Applications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Applications are launched by name. They\u2019re selected from a menu provided by the <code>dmenu<\/code> utility we installed earlier. To access the menu, use the <code>$mod<\/code>+D key sequence. A list of applications and utilities is displayed at the top of the screen.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769344\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/13-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The i3 dmenu application menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"136\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can move through this list using the Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Home, End, PageUp, and PageDown keys. The fastest way to locate the application you want to launch is to start typing its name. For example, to launch Firefox, start typing \u201cfire.\u201d Each letter you type reduces the number of listed applications as the search clue increases in length.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769353\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/14-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The i3 dmenu application menu with &quot;fi&quot; typed by the user\" width=\"640\" height=\"136\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Typing \u201cfi\u201d will match all applications whose names start with \u201cfi.\u201d When you\u2019ve reached \u201cfire\u201d the only option remaining is \u201cfirefox.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769357\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/15.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The i3 dmenu application menu with &quot;fire&quot; typed by the user\" width=\"640\" height=\"136\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Hit \u201cEnter\u201d to launch Firefox.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769361\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/16.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Firefox running in i3\" width=\"644\" height=\"334\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>i3 makes its usual decision about where to place and size the application window.<\/p>\n<p>You can use the <code>$mod<\/code>+H and <code>$mod<\/code>+V overrides to specify whether you want a vertical or horizontal placement of the application. You do this by using, for example, <code>$mod<\/code>+H,\u00a0<code>$mod<\/code>+D then typing the application\u2019s name. Or at least, typing as much of the application\u2019s name as you need to find it in the menu.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769369\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/17-1.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Firefox and a terminal window with a horizontal split\" width=\"644\" height=\"334\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>To close Firefox you can close its last tab, or press <code>$mod<\/code>+Shift+Q.<\/p>\n<p>Top exit from the menu without making a selection, hit Escape.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"tabbed-and-stacked-windows\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tabbed_and_Stacked_Windows\"><\/span>Tabbed and Stacked Windows<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Open enough windows and your desktop will look like a mosaic of small panels, none of which are actually useful. To improve matters you can use <code>$mod<\/code>+F to toggle a window back and forth to full-screen mode. That\u2019s fine, but it only affects a single window.<\/p>\n<p>Pressing <code>$mod<\/code>+W gives you a tabbed view of your windows. Selecting a tab from the top of the screen brings that window to the front, in full-screen mode.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769375\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/18.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"i3 using a tabbed interace\" width=\"618\" height=\"121\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Pressing <code>$mod<\/code>+S stacks the windows so that the tabs are listed vertically.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769377\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/19-2.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"i3 using a stacked interface\" width=\"556\" height=\"153\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"workspaces\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Using_Workspaces_in_i3\"><\/span>Using Workspaces in i3<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes it\u2019s convenient to use different workspaces. You might have one workspace for graphical apps, one for terminal windows, and one for your browser.<\/p>\n<p>Workspaces are created on-demand. They\u2019re discarded when there are no open windows in them, and you\u2019ve moved to another workspace. To create a workspace, use <code>$mod<\/code> and a number, like <code>$mod<\/code>+2 or <code>$mod<\/code>+3.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769379\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/22.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The i3 workspace indicator with workspace 2 active\" width=\"379\" height=\"67\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll see a small indicator in the bottom-left of your desktop telling you which workspace you\u2019re on.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"other-tips\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Tips\"><\/span>Other Tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here are some more useful key sequences:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>$mod+E<\/strong>: Toggles between vertical and horizontal layouts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$mod+Shift+Arrow keys<\/strong>: Move a window using with the arrow keys.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$mod+Shift+e<\/strong>: Exit from i3. This returns you to the login screen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-769380\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/24.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The exit i3 button\" width=\"460\" height=\"140\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"worth-the-culture-shock\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_Worth_the_Culture_Shock\"><\/span>It\u2019s Worth the Culture Shock<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Starting out with a tiling window manager is a shock to the system. It is such a different paradigm from standard desktop environments. Once you have the shortcuts memorized and worked up a bit of muscle memory, you\u2019ll be flying between windows and workspaces like a pro.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re predominantly a keyboard jockey, you owe it to yourself to check out i3.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/769284\/what-is-the-i3-tiling-window-manager-and-how-do-you-use-it-on-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What Is the i3 Tiling Window Manager, and How Do You Use It on Linux?&#8221; The i3 window tiling manager is a Linux desktop environment that\u2019s stripped down to its absolute minimum. That might sound limited and restrictive, but for the right workflow, it\u2019s a form of freedom. What Are Tiling Window Managers? Most of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":386746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/i3-tiled-windows.png?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-386745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}