I've been curious about why most desktop environments (DEs) limit window management to just grid arrangements instead of allowing tiling. Wouldn't it be simple to implement a setting that enables better tiling functions? If I hadn't explored Linux, I wouldn't have discovered that tiling drastically boosts productivity, especially when I'm trying to work without using a mouse. Alongside this, the more I learn about Linux, the more disappointed I feel with Windows due to its bloat and restrictions on customization.
2 Answers
In the Linux world, there's a historical division between window managers and desktop environments. Window managers focus solely on how windows are displayed and arranged, while desktop environments cover the overall GUI like taskbars and themes. This separation has created some limitations when it comes to tiling in more traditional desktop environments.
Ubuntu has had basic tiling capabilities for quite some time, so I'm unsure why some think there's a significant barrier to them being implemented in every DE. Many other distributions also have this functionality baked in!
That makes sense! I never really understood the purpose behind X and why it was designed that way.