Coming from KDE Plasma: window management on a Mac
KDE users miss KWin's tiling, window rules and keyboard control on macOS. Where each one is on a Mac, and how to get back what macOS lacks.
KDE Plasma's window manager, KWin, can tile windows, apply rules per app, and be driven entirely from the keyboard. macOS does some of this, and apps fill the rest.
Where things are
| In KDE Plasma | On a Mac |
|---|---|
| Meta and arrows to tile | Fn ⌃ and arrows (macOS Sequoia and later) |
| Virtual desktops | Spaces, in Mission Control |
| Present windows (overview) | Mission Control, ⌃ ↑ |
| Window rules | Per app rules in a window manager such as ClutterFreeMac |
| KWin scripts, such as Karousel | Window manager apps; see Karousel for Mac |
Keys feel different
On a Mac, ⌘ does what Ctrl does on Linux (copy, paste, save), and the Meta style window keys live on ⌃ and ⌥. ClutterFreeMac uses ⌃ ⌥ for everything, and lets you add H J K L if you are used to them. See GNOME to Mac for more on the switch.
Questions
Does macOS have window rules like KDE?
Not built in. Window manager apps add them; ClutterFreeMac has per app rules to float an app, open it full width, or keep it at either end of the strip.
Read next
- Coming from
Karousel on a Mac: scrolling tiling without KDE
Karousel brings scrollable tiling to KDE Plasma as a KWin script. The same idea on a Mac: columns on a strip that runs past the edges of the screen.
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Coming from Pop!_OS: auto tiling on a Mac
Pop!_OS's COSMIC desktop tiles windows automatically with a toggle. What gives a Mac the same automatic arrangement, and what to expect from the keys.
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Coming from GNOME: window management on a Mac
Super key overview, half tiling, dynamic workspaces. What GNOME users miss on a Mac, the closest macOS equivalents, and how to get a calmer layout.
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