Coming from i3 or sway to a Mac
Used to i3 or sway on Linux? The Mac options for keyboard driven tiling, how i3 habits translate, and why a scrolling strip may suit you better.
i3 on X11 and sway on Wayland are keyboard driven tiling window managers configured in a text file. Moving to a Mac, the overlapping windows feel like a step back.
Closest to i3 itself
AeroSpace follows the i3 model closely, with a tree layout, its own workspaces and a config file. If you want i3 exactly, start there. See ClutterFreeMac vs AeroSpace.
Worth trying: scrolling instead
Many i3 users who try a scrolling layout do not go back, because the thing that annoyed them in i3, windows getting tiny as a workspace fills up, simply stops happening. Habits carry over well:
| i3 habit | ClutterFreeMac |
|---|---|
| Focus left or right | ⌃ ⌥ ← → |
| Move window | ⌃ ⌥ ⇧ ← → |
| Stacking layout | Stacks, ⌃ ⌥ ] |
| Floating toggle | ⌃ ⌥ T |
| Fullscreen | ⌃ ⌥ F for full width |
Questions
Is there i3 for Mac?
i3 runs on Linux only. AeroSpace is closest in model; ClutterFreeMac offers keyboard driven scrolling instead.
Read next
- Guide
Scrolling vs tiling window managers: which suits you?
Tiling splits one screen between all your windows. Scrolling gives each window its width and lets the row grow. How they differ, and who each one suits.
Read › - Guide
Stacked and tabbed windows in window managers, explained
Two ways to put several windows in one slot: stacked one above another, or tabbed with only one showing. How each works, from i3 to a scrolling strip.
Read › - Compare
ClutterFreeMac vs AeroSpace
AeroSpace is an i3 style tiler with its own workspaces and a config file. ClutterFreeMac is a scrolling window manager with settings in a window.
Read ›