5 ms·

What makes it worthwhile to you? It’s not entirely clear to me from the page what features set it apart. I guess part is familiar keybindings if you’re an emac

What makes it worthwhile to you? It’s not entirely clear to me from the page what features set it apart. I guess part is familiar keybindings if you’re an emacs user? The screenshots look like it does some tiling, is that a good experience? I use i3 so would be curious to know how this would compare.

skulk 6y ago
Every X window is a buffer, so you have all of emacs's powerful buffer switching programs (see: ido, helm [1], ivy [2]) for focusing windows. Also there are multiple interesting solutions to managing window splits [6], moving windows [3][4], saving their configuration [5], etc. [1]: https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm [2]: https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper [3]: https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WindMove https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WindMove [4]: https://github.com/abo-abo/ace-window https://github.com/abo-abo/ace-window [5]: https://github.com/Bad-ptr/persp-mode.el https://github.com/Bad-ptr/persp-mode.el [6]: winner-mode, one of my favorite things. https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WinnerMode https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WinnerMode
- leveleer323 6y ago
  Interesting side note, WindMove was originally authored by founder of wiki leaks Jullian Assange.
omnicognate 6y ago
It's primarily useful to people who already use emacs a lot, I think. Not sure I'd recommend using emacs just for EXWM, as some people seem to do with magit or org-mode. The main problem it solves is that emacs is a tiling window manager (in a loose, non X-specific sense), so if you spend the majority of your time in emacs it gets quite annoying that you're having to use two different paradigms to manage windows: one for managing emacs "windows" and the "buffers" that they "visit" and one for managing X windows, of which emacs itself is one. EXWM makes X windows behave (mostly) as if they are emacs buffers, so you can use the same powerful tools to manage them. As an example, I use ivy (https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper) so for switching between buffers I get a nice incremental fuzzy-matched buffer list. With EXWM that same buffer list also contains my web browser and other X applications. I've written a toy window manager so I have some sense for what making a real one would entail. I've been using emacs for 20 years or so, so have some insight into that. I am in awe at the dedication and attention to detail it must have taken to turn EXWM from a crazy idea into a solid WM that is completely usable as a daily driver.
- olufnaese 6y ago
  > it gets quite annoying that you're having to use two different paradigms to manage windows I can imagine that EXWM eliminates the need for SUPER, which for me would free a modifier pair for a useful LVL3.
  - leveleer323 6y ago
    What is LVL3 ?
    - olufnaese 6y ago
      Sorry: level 3. It's the modifier that ``comes after shift'' and accesses special symbols. Some operating systems call it `option' and `alt gr'. I currently have a super on both sides and need to shift super in order to get level 3. Some pedals would be nice.

skulk 6y ago

Every X window is a buffer, so you have all of emacs's powerful buffer switching programs (see: ido, helm [1], ivy [2]) for focusing windows. Also there are multiple interesting solutions to managing window splits [6], moving windows [3][4], saving their configuration [5], etc. [1]: https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm [2]: https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper [3]: https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WindMove https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WindMove [4]: https://github.com/abo-abo/ace-window https://github.com/abo-abo/ace-window [5]: https://github.com/Bad-ptr/persp-mode.el https://github.com/Bad-ptr/persp-mode.el [6]: winner-mode, one of my favorite things. https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WinnerMode https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/WinnerMode

leveleer323 6y ago
Interesting side note, WindMove was originally authored by founder of wiki leaks Jullian Assange.

omnicognate 6y ago

It's primarily useful to people who already use emacs a lot, I think. Not sure I'd recommend using emacs just for EXWM, as some people seem to do with magit or org-mode. The main problem it solves is that emacs is a tiling window manager (in a loose, non X-specific sense), so if you spend the majority of your time in emacs it gets quite annoying that you're having to use two different paradigms to manage windows: one for managing emacs "windows" and the "buffers" that they "visit" and one for managing X windows, of which emacs itself is one. EXWM makes X windows behave (mostly) as if they are emacs buffers, so you can use the same powerful tools to manage them. As an example, I use ivy (https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper) so for switching between buffers I get a nice incremental fuzzy-matched buffer list. With EXWM that same buffer list also contains my web browser and other X applications. I've written a toy window manager so I have some sense for what making a real one would entail. I've been using emacs for 20 years or so, so have some insight into that. I am in awe at the dedication and attention to detail it must have taken to turn EXWM from a crazy idea into a solid WM that is completely usable as a daily driver.

olufnaese 6y ago
> it gets quite annoying that you're having to use two different paradigms to manage windows I can imagine that EXWM eliminates the need for SUPER, which for me would free a modifier pair for a useful LVL3.
- leveleer323 6y ago
  What is LVL3 ?
  - olufnaese 6y ago
    Sorry: level 3. It's the modifier that ``comes after shift'' and accesses special symbols. Some operating systems call it `option' and `alt gr'. I currently have a super on both sides and need to shift super in order to get level 3. Some pedals would be nice.