Home / ubuntu / Questions / 7798
In Process
Lazer
Asked: 2010-10-17 12:25:51 +0800 CST

How do I arrange my windows automatically?

  • 772

Is there some equivalent of Windows' "Tile Windows" in Ubuntu?

alt text

window-manager

8 Answers

  1. If you're using compiz, you can enable the "Grid" plugin to use keyboard shortcuts to move windows around the screen in a tiling sort of way.

    You'll need to make sure compiz-fusion-plugins-extra is installed (sudo apt-get install compiz-fusion-plugins-extra or use synaptic - probably software center too).

    I got the tip from here: http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/linux-w-compiz-tile-position-and-resize.html

    You can do something similar without compiz using this: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/08/python-window-organizer-organize-your-windows-using-the-keyboard

    I don't think either of these options have an auto tile feature though. Using a default install, I'm not sure this option is anywhere (not anywhere that I know of anyway). In that case, some of the other answers already posted might be more useful.

    • 12

  2. You could use a tiling window manager. There are many options (ion3, scrotwm, dwm, etc, etc). Search google for "tiling window manager", or search for "tiling" in synaptic.

    • 6

  3. There is also an unsupported compiz plugin called Tile. It's in the compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupported package which can be obtained e.g. from this PPA (update of compiz from this ppa needed too)

    You can watch it in action in this video (starting at 1:44)

    • 5

  4. X Tile

    X-tile is an application that allows you to select a number of windows and tile them in different ways.

    X-tile works on any X desktop (gnome, kde, xfce, lxde…).

    The main features are: many tiling geometries, undo tiling, invert tiling order, optional system tray docking and menu, filter to avoid listing some windows, filter to check some windows by default, command line interface.

    • 2
    • 0

  6. Having looked at all the answers above, the answer (without either completely dumping your existing Window Manager) seems to be "You can't".

    • xMonad is a completely different Window Manager to the one you're probably using
    • the compiz plugins all seem to be out of date
    • as are most of the other answers

    The only sensible option seems to be https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/shell-windows-tiled.html which isn't quite automatic but seems to be as good as it gets.

    • 0

  7. You can use Super(Win)+W with lastest Ubuntu. Press and hold Super button, you will see the hotkey tutorial

    • -1

  8. I think you can use wmtile for your case: http://ostatic.com/wmtile/home/1

    • -2