WinTile allows you to put a window in each corner of Ubuntu as in Windows 11

WinTile

It's been a couple of years since I tried Kubuntu again and since then I have stayed on KDE (I use it on Manjaro too). Ubuntu, the main flavor, I use for testing, but GNOME, although I like some things, is not as productive or as light as Plasma. Without working with GNOME, and without needing many times to put applications in the corners, I was surprised to read about WinTile, something that may now be of interest because it is a way to put windows in the corners like Windows 11 will allow us to do.

Things as they are: the day of the presentation of Windows 11, the OMG medium! Ubuntu! he wrote in a tweet that I didn't pay much attention to, partly because I didn't understand it ("Can't you?" I thought). A while ago posted an article on WinTile, and that's when I opened my virtual machine with Ubuntu 21.10 to verify that, indeed, Ubuntu, or to be more specific GNOME, does not allow us put windows in the corners natively.

WinTile: put windows in the corners like in Windo ... KDE, for example

There are other graphical Linux environments that do allow this natively. I am going to say that KDE is safe, and i3 and Sway also because I tried them recently, they are actually window managers and every window we open splits the screen once more, but I am not going to assure that it is possible, for example, in the Deepin (DDE) that I have also recently tried because, quite simply, right now I doubt. I think it is something that should be available in any operating system, but it is not in Ubuntu.

But as almost always in the Linux world, there is a solution, and the one that works in Ubuntu is the aforementioned WinTile. Is available in this link, and it is an extension for GNOME Shell that works on Ubuntu 18.04 or higher and also in GNOME 40.

On the GNOME Extensions website they explain that:

WinTile is a window tiling system for GNOME that mimics the standard Win-arrow keys from Windows 10, allowing you to maximize, maximize to the sides, or 1/4 size to the corner via single or multiple monitors using only Super + Arrow.

In addition, the latest version allows:

  • Put 2, 3 or 4 columns for standard or ultra-wide monitors.
  • Upper / lower half support.
  • Mouse preview and adjust to position windows.
  • Toggle "maximize" mode, adding / removing GNOME animations.

It can help us be more productive

Personally, I only remember making use of something similar in KDE recently, when I wanted to copy files to three different disks, but it can help us be more productive, as was the case. Until Project GNOME adds it as native: Canonical do the same as you did with DING, which added the default extension in Ubuntu 21.04, WinTile is the best option.


4 comments, leave yours

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

  1.   Xfce said

    In xfce you can do that for a lifetime.

  2.   doest said

    You can do this perfectly using X-Tile some time ago… (Which curiously you already wrote an article here on this blog: https://ubunlog.com/organiza-tus-ventanas-con-x-tile/ )

    For the continuous workflow it comes in handy to be able to put the windows in one way or another.

    I use it under XFCE because of how complete it is and because of the lack of being able to put the windows horizontally when you work with tables or under a text editor and you want it in landscape to see everything correctly: /

  3.   deabru said

    I'm surprised gnome didn't already have this functionality.

    Plasma has also been doing this forever, not recently.

  4.   Xavi said

    As of today (mid-2023) I think there is still no extension or window manager that allows a split to 3 or 4 columns. If you work with a 32:9 monitor it is a must have.