I'm also using something very stable, since years and years (so long I don't remember): I'm using the tiling "Awesome VM". 13 virtual desktops. One (keyboard)

I'm also using something very stable, since years and years (so long I don't remember): I'm using the tiling "Awesome VM". 13 virtual desktops. One (keyboard) modifier assigned only to the WM and not anything else. I'm always putting my regular apps on the same virtual desktops: work email on virtual desktop '1', throwaway browser on '9', Emacs on '3', shitloads of xterms and cpu/disk/network monitors and whatnots on '5', etc. It's minimal in its appareance: one-pixel border around windows, a tiny "useless gap" between windows (but not near the monitor's physical borders for the monitor's physical borders do, IMO, act as the "gap"). Been a happy camper since years.