Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pekwm VS qtile

Compare pekwm VS qtile and see what are their differences

pekwm logo pekwm

pekwm is a window manager that once up on a time was based on the aewm++ window manager, but it has...

qtile logo qtile

Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written in Python.
  • pekwm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-22
  • qtile Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-14

pekwm features and specs

  • Lightweight
    pekwm is designed to be a lightweight window manager, making it ideal for systems with limited resources or for users who prefer a minimalistic setup.
  • Highly Customizable
    It offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to tailor the appearance and behavior of the window manager to fit their needs.
  • Tabbing Support
    pekwm includes support for window tabbing, enabling users to group windows together in a single frame, which can enhance workspace organization and efficiency.
  • Efficient Resource Use
    Due to its simplicity and optimized design, pekwm uses minimal system resources, resulting in fast performance even on older hardware.

Possible disadvantages of pekwm

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The customization capabilities, while extensive, can be complex for new users who are not familiar with editing configuration files manually.
  • Limited Community Support
    pekwm does not have as large a user base or community support compared to more popular window managers, which can make finding help or resources more challenging.
  • Lack of Development Updates
    Compared to more actively maintained projects, pekwm receives updates less frequently, which can mean slower response to bugs or lack of new features.
  • No Built-in Compositor
    pekwm lacks a built-in compositor, which can limit graphical effects and require additional setup for those who want advanced visual features like transparency.

qtile features and specs

  • Highly Customizable
    Qtile is written in Python, which makes it highly customizable and easy to script. Users can define their own layouts, widgets, and keybindings.
  • Lightweight
    Qtile is designed to be minimalistic and lightweight, which helps in maintaining a low system resource footprint.
  • Active Community
    It has an active open-source community, which means regular updates, a wealth of shared configurations, and user-contributed extensions.
  • Flexibility
    Qtile allows dynamic management of windows, making it flexible for various workflows whether you prefer tiling, stacking, or floating window layouts.
  • Multi-Monitor Support
    It offers excellent support for multi-monitor setups, enabling independent workspaces on each screen.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Qtile provides comprehensive documentation that makes setup and customization more straightforward for both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of qtile

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its high degree of customization and flexibility, new users might find it difficult to get started compared to more traditional desktop environments.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Experience
    The default configuration is minimal, requiring users to spend time tweaking and configuring to meet their specific needs.
  • Dependency on Python
    Because it’s based on Python, performance can be slower compared to window managers written in lower-level languages such as C.
  • Possible Bugs
    As with any open-source project, there can be occasional bugs or regressions in updates, especially considering the highly customizable nature of Qtile.

Analysis of qtile

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Qtile is a good window manager, especially for users who prefer customization and scripting capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • Qtile is a highly configurable tiling window manager written in Python, which makes it attractive to those who are familiar with the language. It provides the flexibility to customize window layouts, key bindings, and startup behavior according to personal preferences. Additionally, its active community and comprehensive documentation make it easier for new users to get started.

Recommended for

    Qtile is recommended for Python programmers, Linux enthusiasts who enjoy customizing their desktop environment, and users looking for a keyboard-driven tiling window manager that can be extensively tailored to their workflow.

pekwm videos

Manjaro PekWM Review

More videos:

  • Review - Obscure Window Manager Project - PekWM
  • Review - Pekwm

qtile videos

Obscure Window Manager Project - Qtile

More videos:

  • Review - I tried Qtile (a tiling window manager written in python)
  • Review - Qtile review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pekwm and qtile)
Window Manager
31 31%
69% 69
Tool
100 100%
0% 0
Linux
0 0%
100% 100
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare pekwm and qtile

pekwm Reviews

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qtile Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Custom layouts, commands, and widgets are simple to create in Qtile. It may also be remotely scripted to create workspaces, update status bar widgets, and manipulate windows, among other things. It comes with extensive documentation in case you have any questions.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
Qtile features easy to write custom layouts, commands, and widgets. It can also be scripted remotely in order to set up workspaces, update status bar widgets, manipulate windows, etc. It has comprehensive documentation in case you need clarification along the way.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, qtile seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

pekwm mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of pekwm yet. Tracking of pekwm recommendations started around Mar 2021.

qtile mentions (6)

  • Qtile Logs in to a Blank Screen
    Yes, all the dependencies listed in qtile.org are installed. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • docs.qtile.org down? Any information to be found?
    I think yesterday qtile.org itself seemed to be working properly. Now it is also offline. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • New to Linux and qtile, need help.
    Try python -m py_compile ~/.config/qtile/config.py first. You can find this from https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Qtile#Installation which you should be using as your main resource along with qtile.org. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Free/Total Disk Space Widget?
    I was just curious if there is a Qtile widget that would show how much space I have left on my SSD. I looked through the Qtile widgets on qtile.org and couldn't seem to find anything like this which is actually kind of odd to me. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Issue with installing Qtile?
    I possess followed installation guide from‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‎­the qtile.org. Error occurs when I type command startx. https://preview.redd.it/6x0qri1b4n361.png?width=801&format=png&auto=webp&s=bee71e4eb593c08b56f9fd07b30e9c9eca6fd00f. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing pekwm and qtile, you can also consider the following products

Compiz - Project information. Maintainer: PS Project Management Team. Driver: Compiz Maintainers. Licence: GNU GPL v2, GNU LGPL v2. 1, MIT / X / Expat Licence.

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

xfdashboard - xfdashboard provides a GMONE shell dashboard like interface for use with the Xfce desktop.

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

IceWM - icewm home page . Bug Tracking. If you have a patch, a bug report or a feature request to submit, please do so at the icewm project page at SourceForge.

dwm - dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.