7 ms·

WSL2, power toys and hands down the best window management of any OS, I hate working on my MBP just due to the difficulty of managing different windows and alig

WSL2, power toys and hands down the best window management of any OS, I hate working on my MBP just due to the difficulty of managing different windows and aligning them on the same desktop.

AB1908 3y ago
Out of curiosity, how many window managers have you used on Linux? I found some superior choices there but I do agree that Windows is generally ok with Mac being dead last.
cladopa 3y ago
I have a question for you: If you make a Pie Chart with the time you send on each OS: Linux, Windows and Mac, what will be the percentages? Specially while you were young. Of all the languages I speak, German is the more chaotic language by far. But most native Germans consider it the best/easiest. For me the Windows management of Windows is horrible, but I spent like 90% of my time in Linux were I was young, even using things like "screen" that uses the command line and shortcuts to be the most efficient thing I have ever used (while requiring learning the shortcuts before becoming productive). Today I use Mac like 95% of my time, control Linux machines with it and use Windows when the force of circumstance obliges me the 5%.
- fauigerzigerk 3y ago
  When I was young I was mostly using Windows. For the last 15 years or so it has been macOS. I made a number of attempts (sometimes lasting months) to use Linux but it never stuck. My conclusion is that usability is mostly about getting used to how things work and a tiny bit of customisation. There are no significant usability differences between operating systems. The _only_ thing that I have never gotten used to and that keeps slowing me down is that app switching (Cmd+Tab) in macOS is MRU while switching windows (Cmd+`, Cmd+Shift+`) within apps is circular. I'm finding it impossible to remember whether I have to go forward or backward to get back to the window I'm looking for within an app.
- XCSme 3y ago
  > Of all the languages I speak, German is the more chaotic language by far. But most native Germans consider it the best/easiest. I consider my native language to be chaotic and hard to learn. Not all things are subjective, some things can be objectively compared.
politelemon 3y ago
Is that Fancy Zones which is part of power toys?
LtWorf 3y ago
power toys is buggy. It has had this bug that shows on non-US keyboard layouts, and of course it will never be fixed because who cares about non-US keyboard layouts? Meanwhile on KDE I have an easy option to swap caps lock and ctrl, without having to install some weird .exe file off github.
- 486sx33 3y ago
  Powertoys got a significant update for foreign users just 4 days ago. https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases
  - LtWorf 3y ago
    I'm subscribed to the issue. I'd have gotten an email if it was fixed.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
6c696e7578 3y ago
Probably seems weird to you, but I've never got on with the Windows UI. There's too many things that steal focus. I've been XFCE for too many years now, but it doesn't change significantly that I find I have to invest time learning what's changed. There used to be a 'tile windows' since windows 2.0 or something like that, but it did just that, splatted the windows to take up all the space. One thing I like about X11 and Windows doesn't do it, is alt-dragging from anywhere in the window, last time I used Windows you couldn't move things around by holding alt and left clicking anywhere, you could only do that from the title bar, which means you can't slide the top of the window off the screen. The other major thing for me is selection copy, if you highlight text, you can't middle mouse button to paste it, you have to ctrl-c first, which is just more steps.
- narag 3y ago
  you can't slide the top of the window off the screen You can use "move" in the system menu. Once activated, the arrow keys in the keyboard will move the window outside the desktop window, not sure if you can do it using the mouse somehow.
  - 6c696e7578 3y ago
    Interesting, I didn't know that, I think I'll stick to alt-moving, it's been very convenient so far!
  - magicalhippo 3y ago
    You can also use Win+Up arrow key to maximize the window, from there you can grab the title bar to drag it somewhere (preferably inside the desktop this time).
- user234683 3y ago
  I rarely get focus stolen on Windows 10. They now make it very difficult for applications to do this (see the allowed conditions here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-setforegroundwindow https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/... ). In contrast, focus stealing is a way of life on XFCE, and I just have to put up with it. The settings they recommend to fix it don't actually help.
atribecalledqst 3y ago
FYI -- on my MBP I use a program called Spectacle to snap windows around, and I now have no complaints relative to what you can do on Windows. Development on Spectacle ceased[1] and it looks like the community may have rallied around an open-source program called Rectangle, which is open source. At least, judging from this single Reddit thread lol: https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/kazpcn/spectacle_alternative_for_m1/ https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/kazpcn/spectacle_alter... [1] Although when I search for it now, I see an update from 2023 on softonic? Although the original dev's github repo for it hasn't been updated in years. https://github.com/eczarny/spectacle https://github.com/eczarny/spectacle
- Rewrap3643 3y ago
  I use Rectangle for this purpose.
  - Geezus_42 3y ago
    I use Amethyst, but it's keyboard, not mouse driven, so a bit different.
  - pirates 3y ago
    If you have it already, another alternative is to use BetterTouchTool and set it to override the behavior of the green corner button. For me it works just like Windows where there’s “minimize” on the yellow button and “maximize” on the green. I still use gestures like exposé but never have to worry about switching desktops or getting stuck in full screen.
    - DreaminDani 3y ago
      +1 to BTT. I also love how they have a (fully disable-able) drag to split, similar to Windows' hot edges
- user_7832 3y ago
  On the opposite side, would you (or anybody) know of a program to show windows in a cascade/overview style, on windows? So for example have one or 2 “main” windows, and have some/all the other windows in a cascaded view in the background. I would think it would help productivity a lot. (PowerToys doesn’t do this by itself, you have to select every window in place if I’m not mistaken.)
torginus 3y ago
Sorry for being off topic, but just tried powertoys based on your post, and holy cow! What an amazing piece of software. I particularly like the file unlocker feature, and the Windows implementation of Quick Look.
eshack94 3y ago
BetterSnapTool is great for this. Check it out.
ta8903 3y ago
>hands down the best window management of any OS Huh? You can't even snap windows to screen edges.
- epolanski 3y ago
  You can use the keyboard for that.
  - ta8903 3y ago
    It's the weekend so I can't confirm this with my work laptop but I'm pretty sure using arrow keys snaps windows in their predefined configurations (half the screen). And then the annoying UI asking what you want to do with the other half pops up. I could snap it to half the screen and then resize the window to it's original size but I shouldn't have to do that.
- kiwijamo 3y ago
  Can you clarify what you mean excatly. What you describe is possible in Windows out of the box. I think since Windows 7 or so. Or maybe your description is of a different feature I'm not familiar with.
suslik 3y ago
I can really recommend yabai for window management. I have reached a nearly identical config between my work mac with yabai/xkhd and my i3wm-based linux workstation.
neuromanser 3y ago
I have no experience with macOS, or trouble believing that it's even worse than Windows. That said: I can't use WSL or PowerToys at work for (enforced) dumb policy reasons - this is possible because they're optional bolt-ons as opposed to integral parts of Windows. PowerToys exists because the the base functionality is poor, and the contemporary PowerToys implementation leaves a lot to be desired. And last but definitely not least, window management in Windows, with or without PowerToys, sucks donkey balls IMO, especially in heterogenous multi-monitor systems. Aggravated by the knee-capped taskbar. I mean, it's not like window management is great anywhere, but claiming that it's somehow good in Windows is rich. Two anecdotes: starting Windows Terminal by clicking an icon in the taskbar (W10) creates a window that's not focused. W11 does away with the alt-space keyboard shortcut to open the window operations menu.

WSL2, power toys and hands down the best window management of any OS, I hate working on my MBP just due to the difficulty of managing different windows and aligning them on the same desktop.

AB1908 3y ago

Out of curiosity, how many window managers have you used on Linux? I found some superior choices there but I do agree that Windows is generally ok with Mac being dead last.

cladopa 3y ago

I have a question for you: If you make a Pie Chart with the time you send on each OS: Linux, Windows and Mac, what will be the percentages? Specially while you were young. Of all the languages I speak, German is the more chaotic language by far. But most native Germans consider it the best/easiest. For me the Windows management of Windows is horrible, but I spent like 90% of my time in Linux were I was young, even using things like "screen" that uses the command line and shortcuts to be the most efficient thing I have ever used (while requiring learning the shortcuts before becoming productive). Today I use Mac like 95% of my time, control Linux machines with it and use Windows when the force of circumstance obliges me the 5%.

fauigerzigerk 3y ago
When I was young I was mostly using Windows. For the last 15 years or so it has been macOS. I made a number of attempts (sometimes lasting months) to use Linux but it never stuck. My conclusion is that usability is mostly about getting used to how things work and a tiny bit of customisation. There are no significant usability differences between operating systems. The _only_ thing that I have never gotten used to and that keeps slowing me down is that app switching (Cmd+Tab) in macOS is MRU while switching windows (Cmd+`, Cmd+Shift+`) within apps is circular. I'm finding it impossible to remember whether I have to go forward or backward to get back to the window I'm looking for within an app.
XCSme 3y ago
> Of all the languages I speak, German is the more chaotic language by far. But most native Germans consider it the best/easiest. I consider my native language to be chaotic and hard to learn. Not all things are subjective, some things can be objectively compared.

politelemon 3y ago

Is that Fancy Zones which is part of power toys?

LtWorf 3y ago

power toys is buggy. It has had this bug that shows on non-US keyboard layouts, and of course it will never be fixed because who cares about non-US keyboard layouts? Meanwhile on KDE I have an easy option to swap caps lock and ctrl, without having to install some weird .exe file off github.

486sx33 3y ago
Powertoys got a significant update for foreign users just 4 days ago. https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases
- LtWorf 3y ago
  I'm subscribed to the issue. I'd have gotten an email if it was fixed.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

6c696e7578 3y ago

Probably seems weird to you, but I've never got on with the Windows UI. There's too many things that steal focus. I've been XFCE for too many years now, but it doesn't change significantly that I find I have to invest time learning what's changed. There used to be a 'tile windows' since windows 2.0 or something like that, but it did just that, splatted the windows to take up all the space. One thing I like about X11 and Windows doesn't do it, is alt-dragging from anywhere in the window, last time I used Windows you couldn't move things around by holding alt and left clicking anywhere, you could only do that from the title bar, which means you can't slide the top of the window off the screen. The other major thing for me is selection copy, if you highlight text, you can't middle mouse button to paste it, you have to ctrl-c first, which is just more steps.

narag 3y ago
you can't slide the top of the window off the screen You can use "move" in the system menu. Once activated, the arrow keys in the keyboard will move the window outside the desktop window, not sure if you can do it using the mouse somehow.
- 6c696e7578 3y ago
  Interesting, I didn't know that, I think I'll stick to alt-moving, it's been very convenient so far!
- magicalhippo 3y ago
  You can also use Win+Up arrow key to maximize the window, from there you can grab the title bar to drag it somewhere (preferably inside the desktop this time).
user234683 3y ago
I rarely get focus stolen on Windows 10. They now make it very difficult for applications to do this (see the allowed conditions here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-setforegroundwindow https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/... ). In contrast, focus stealing is a way of life on XFCE, and I just have to put up with it. The settings they recommend to fix it don't actually help.

atribecalledqst 3y ago

FYI -- on my MBP I use a program called Spectacle to snap windows around, and I now have no complaints relative to what you can do on Windows. Development on Spectacle ceased[1] and it looks like the community may have rallied around an open-source program called Rectangle, which is open source. At least, judging from this single Reddit thread lol: https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/kazpcn/spectacle_alternative_for_m1/ https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/kazpcn/spectacle_alter... [1] Although when I search for it now, I see an update from 2023 on softonic? Although the original dev's github repo for it hasn't been updated in years. https://github.com/eczarny/spectacle https://github.com/eczarny/spectacle

Rewrap3643 3y ago
I use Rectangle for this purpose.
- Geezus_42 3y ago
  I use Amethyst, but it's keyboard, not mouse driven, so a bit different.
- pirates 3y ago
  If you have it already, another alternative is to use BetterTouchTool and set it to override the behavior of the green corner button. For me it works just like Windows where there’s “minimize” on the yellow button and “maximize” on the green. I still use gestures like exposé but never have to worry about switching desktops or getting stuck in full screen.
  - DreaminDani 3y ago
    +1 to BTT. I also love how they have a (fully disable-able) drag to split, similar to Windows' hot edges
user_7832 3y ago
On the opposite side, would you (or anybody) know of a program to show windows in a cascade/overview style, on windows? So for example have one or 2 “main” windows, and have some/all the other windows in a cascaded view in the background. I would think it would help productivity a lot. (PowerToys doesn’t do this by itself, you have to select every window in place if I’m not mistaken.)

torginus 3y ago

Sorry for being off topic, but just tried powertoys based on your post, and holy cow! What an amazing piece of software. I particularly like the file unlocker feature, and the Windows implementation of Quick Look.

eshack94 3y ago

BetterSnapTool is great for this. Check it out.

ta8903 3y ago

>hands down the best window management of any OS Huh? You can't even snap windows to screen edges.

epolanski 3y ago
You can use the keyboard for that.
- ta8903 3y ago
  It's the weekend so I can't confirm this with my work laptop but I'm pretty sure using arrow keys snaps windows in their predefined configurations (half the screen). And then the annoying UI asking what you want to do with the other half pops up. I could snap it to half the screen and then resize the window to it's original size but I shouldn't have to do that.
kiwijamo 3y ago
Can you clarify what you mean excatly. What you describe is possible in Windows out of the box. I think since Windows 7 or so. Or maybe your description is of a different feature I'm not familiar with.

suslik 3y ago

I can really recommend yabai for window management. I have reached a nearly identical config between my work mac with yabai/xkhd and my i3wm-based linux workstation.

neuromanser 3y ago

I have no experience with macOS, or trouble believing that it's even worse than Windows. That said: I can't use WSL or PowerToys at work for (enforced) dumb policy reasons - this is possible because they're optional bolt-ons as opposed to integral parts of Windows. PowerToys exists because the the base functionality is poor, and the contemporary PowerToys implementation leaves a lot to be desired. And last but definitely not least, window management in Windows, with or without PowerToys, sucks donkey balls IMO, especially in heterogenous multi-monitor systems. Aggravated by the knee-capped taskbar. I mean, it's not like window management is great anywhere, but claiming that it's somehow good in Windows is rich. Two anecdotes: starting Windows Terminal by clicking an icon in the taskbar (W10) creates a window that's not focused. W11 does away with the alt-space keyboard shortcut to open the window operations menu.