Eliana Willis

The i3 tiling window manager is worth the time it takes to understand how it works. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETYour window manager is responsible for the placement and appearance of windows on your Linux desktop. If you use a full desktop environment (such as GNOME or Plasma), the window manager is part of that stack. On GNOME, for example, the window manager is Mutter. On Plasma, it’s KWin. Every window manager offers a different feature set and aesthetic.Also: The best tiling window managers for Linux, and what they can do for youThere’s one type of window manager specifically designed to deliver the most efficient experience, a window manager that allows you to keep your hands on your keyboard more of the time while enjoying automatically placed and sized windows. That window manager is called a tiling window manager. (Previously, I’ve reviewed what I believe are the best tiling window managers currently available.) Today, I’m going to show you how to install a tiling window manager on Linux.I’ll demonstrate how to do this using the i3 tiling window manager. I’ll show how this is done, with a single command, on most popular Linux distributions (Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, Alpine, Arch, and openSUSE).Keep in mind that tiling window managers typically are targeted toward advanced users. For those who’d like to give tiling window management a try, without actually installing the software, you can always use the Tiling Shell GNOME extension or Polonium for Plasma. Other distributions, such as Pop!_OS, include a tiling window manager extension by default, which you can enable or disable as needed.Also: 10 things I always do after installing Linux – and why you should tooHere’s another thing to consider: When you install a tiling window manager, it’s installed in addition to what you already have. That means you can select between the default desktop environment or the new tiling window manager at the login screen.For those who are curious, i3 is a highly configurable tiling window manager that features a tree data structure for more flexible layouts and includes custom keyboard shortcuts and plain-text configuration without the need to restart the system.With that noted, let’s get to the installation.How to install a tiling window manager on LinuxWhat you’ll need: To install the i3 tiling window manager, you’ll need a running instance of one of the distributions listed above and a user with sudo privileges. Most of these windows managers don’t require much storage space, so they can safely be installed alongside what you already have. More

Google If you have an email sitting in your drafts because you can’t quite fine-tune it to sound like you want, a new Gemini feature might help. In a recent blog post, Google detailed two new additions to Gemini: an option for ‘Help me write’ that lets you polish Gmail drafts on web devices and […] More

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Ulefone Armor 25T Pro is available from Amazon More

Max Buondonno/ZDNETGoogle’s latest lineup of Pixel 9 phones launched last week, and with preorder offers underway, Best Buy More

Books take up a lot of space, but e-readers allow you to carry hundreds of books (and audiobooks) in a small, convenient form factor. And, unlike smartphones and tablets, e-readers are fitted with e-ink displays to look and even feel like paper. They’re glare-free and suited to both indoor and outdoor reading. Also: The best Kindles you can buyE-ink displays even feature a subtle backlight, which means you can read in bed without needing a light on. Combine this with a battery life measured in weeks, and you have the perfect device to replace your big, heavy books.What is the best e-reader right now?Based on our extensive testing, the best e-reader available is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite More

the_burtons/Getty Images If you have some old electronics around the house, you might be able to turn those into groceries.  Costco offers an electronics trade-in program where you can send your old devices and get a store gift card in return — you don’t even have to be a Costco member. Also: A Costco membership comes […] More

If you want to build a website, there are dozens of web hosting providers you can turn to. Choosing the right web hosting service for you can be challenging, but you no longer need to be a programmer or pay someone to build advanced features such as e-commerce or forum management to launch a website.Today, many web providers offer these functions, as well as a content management system (CMS) and other features like SEO assistance and security checks, in standard subscription packages — and for an affordable price. Below, you will find our top recommendations for web hosting services, ranging from providers that give you a quick and easy way to build your website all the way up to companies that provide full data center infrastructure capabilities as a service.Also: The best VPNsWhat is the best web hosting service right now?ZDNET has conducted extensive research and hands-on testing with many of the top web hosting services. Our pick for the best web hosting service overall is Hostinger More

Cerise HUA/Getty Images Back in my early days of Linux, the terminal was a necessity. Now, the GUIs are so advanced, user-friendly, and powerful, that you could go your entire Linux career and never touch a terminal window. Also: 10 Linux keyboard shortcuts I depend on for maximum efficiency But when you do need to […] More