Lets talk about xmonad

Desktop Environments
1

What do you think about xmonad and share your desktops and configs,
and your opinion

2

Tried it, too complex for me. My order of preference for configuration and workflow:

i3wm>qtile>xmonad

I would use qtile because of python but have some difficulties in dual monitor configuration and the way it handles/moves workspaces/groups.

3

Haskell is a really bad programming language. Sure, the pure functional paradigm is interesting, but it does not make for a good general purpose programming language. In addition, it’s runtime system is very slow and inefficient.

And that’s my only problem with xmonad. Otherwise, it’s alright, I guess.

1 Like
4

I have been eyeing xmonad for quite some time. I use Amethyst on my work Mac. I had been using xpytiles in the meantime. Finally had time to make a cut over, and am quite impressed.

While I expand my keybindings and learn a little Haskell, I’m interested in fixing two issues:

  1. xmobar is launched via SpawnPipe in my main method - this causes an extra xmobar to be launched when I restart. I’d like to find a workaround or a replacement.

  2. I’d love my mouse pointer to end up in the middle of a window when I switch to it. I was looking at UpdatePointer, but haven’t made any progress yet. Researching model config files of others, I still can’t figure it out yet.

5

xmonad Community Edition /when ?
:sunglasses:

1 Like
6

I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve found it rather hard to config Xmonad. Haskell isn’t really easy to use. There are 85 ways to do things, but way #43 won’t work with way #20.

I started out with the Xmonad config file. That worked, but I think it’s old. I started to build onto it and things went way south quick.

I then tried Distrotube’s config, which is huge. I cut out the extra screens (I only have 1), and replaced his favorite apps with mine. It starts, but I can hang Xmonad within about 2 minutes. Maybe graphics? Or a bug? No easy way to tell. I almost gave up on it.

Tonight I started a new config, and brought over many pieces of Distrotube’s config. I’ll call it “lite” config - it works, it looks pretty good, but not all the bells and whistles.

I don’t have the galleries, or notebooks, or the window when you move to a new screen. I’ve got trayer only showing on one screen. It works though, and I have to do some clean up.

Now what I’d like to see in a future EOS, would be a tool that could set up any major WM (i3, bpswm, qtile, leftwm, xmonad, dwm, awesomewm) and with a click and a logout/login, you’d be in using it with a good, easy config and a one pager on how to not die. :slight_smile:

As for me, I’m going to add Polybar and Rofi to my ToDo to check out, over xmobar and trayer.