qtile is a tiling window manager that is designed to provide a full-featured and highly customizable environment for Linux desktops. Unlike traditional window managers that use overlapping windows, qtile arranges windows in a tiled layout, allowing you to make more efficient use of your desktop space.
One of the key features of qtile is that it is written and configured in Python, a popular programming language known for its simplicity and ease of use. This makes it easy to customize and extend the window manager using Python code, without having to learn a new configuration language.
qtile provides a wide range of configuration options and features, including:
Tiling layouts: qtile supports a variety of tiling layouts, including stacking, tabbed, and floating layouts. You can choose the layout that best suits your needs, or even create your own custom layout using Python code.
Keybindings: qtile allows you to define custom keybindings for controlling the window manager and launching applications.
Widgets: qtile provides a range of built-in widgets that display information such as the current time, system load, and network status.
Extensibility: qtile can be extended using Python code, allowing you to add custom functionality to the window manager or create your own widgets.
qtile provides a rich set of commands and shell interfaces that allow you to interact with the window manager and customize its behavior. The qtile-cmd tool allows you to send commands to qtile from the command line, while the shell interfaces allow you to interact with the qtile API using Python code.
If you encounter the below error while running the command qtile:
qtile: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install qtile |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install qtile |
| Arch Linux | pacman -S qtile |
| Fedora | dnf install qtile |
qtile Command Examples
1. Start the window manager, if it is not running already (should ideally be run from `.xsession` or similar):
# qtile start
2. Check the configuration file for any compilation errors (default location is `~/.config/qtile/config.py`):
# qtile check
3. Show current resource usage information:
# qtile top --force
4. Open the program `xterm` as a floating window on the group named `test-group`:
# qtile run-cmd --group test-group --float xterm
5. Restart the window manager:
# qtile cmd-obj --object cmd --function restart
Summary
Overall, qtile is a powerful and flexible tiling window manager that offers a wide range of customization options and features. Its Python-based configuration and extensibility make it a popular choice among developers and Linux users who are looking for a more efficient and customizable desktop environment.