Choosing Between i3, KDE Plasma, and Alternatives for Customization

If you're using KDE, you might want to try out Niri or Hyperland instead of i3. They offer great compatibility and features that could suit your ricing journey!

It sounds like you're trying to mix i3 with KDE Plasma, but unfortunately, that won't work directly because i3 uses X11 while Plasma under Wayland doesn’t support switching between different compositors like that. You can, however, install i3 and select it at login from your display manager. This way, you can use i3 as intended, even if you start with the X11 Plasma session.

What are the specs of your machine? i3 is a solid choice for basic setups, but if you have newer AMD hardware, I’d recommend Sway instead, or if you’re on Nvidia, give Hyprland a go since they utilize Wayland. To get started with i3, tools like i3bar and picom can help you rice it nicely. If you're new to this, I'd suggest considering a pre-made shell like Niri, which takes care of much of the setup for you.

Honestly, Sway is often a better choice than i3 nowadays due to its Wayland compatibility. Also, don’t overlook Niri; it’s pretty fun to use and customizable!