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"I found that using only one monitor allows me to focus more on what I’m doing, and I don’t miss anything about a multi-monitor setup."

This.

I had the same realization maybe 7 or 8 years ago and it is true for me. With multiple monitors it's like moving your hands away from the keyboard all the time and looking for the mouse. Same happens for me while looking for anything across the 2 or 3 monitor setup. It just weakens your focus... If I'm on a laptop (and I usually am), I just use the laptop's screen. Getting used to a different screen size while working with my laptop setup would also slightly slow me down when I'm bound to use only the laptop.

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Except you have huge monitor and you lay stuff in multiple side by side windows which makes the whole argument very moot. And when you use laptop you are kind of forced to use single screen because multiple screens is inconvenient at best.

When I started development 15" monitors were standard and 17" were a luxury. Setting multiple monitors was a must or you would have to constantly switch between editor, terminal and documentation.

If you look at the setup that's exactly what is happening. On a single screen there is browser with documentation (presumably), and there is four (!) IDE/editor/terminal windows.

It's not about how many monitors you have but rather what you are doing with them. You can put Netflix as one of the windows and still get distracted on a single monitor setup or you can have bad sight like me and require two 27" monitors side by side so that I can magnify fonts and have documentation, IDE and terminal at the same time with no strain.

> If you look at the setup that's exactly what is happening. On a single screen there is browser with documentation (presumably), and there is four (!) IDE/editor/terminal windows.

Just to clarify: there are two i3 containers side by side (each using 50%). The left one’s active window is a browser, the right one’s active window is Emacs, in which I have two buffers side by side at the top, and compilation mode and magit status side by side at the bottom.

I have three monitors, but I only use one (a 24" one, the second is for when I want to watch some show or movie while doing stuff on the main one, and the third I basically never use). I have my apps always maximized/fullscreen in the main monitor and I alt-tab between them. I never could get into having multiple apps on-screen at the same time, since I can only focus on one.

Writing this comment, though, I realize that a better alt-tab switcher would be a godsend. I keep getting confused with window order sometimes and I'm not sure why, maybe I should write a better switcher.

If you’re on macOS https://contexts.co/

Thank you! That looks very nice, unfortunately I'm on Linux, but something like that is bound to exist.

Try i3 as a Window manager. Put every app in a separate single window, and instead of alt-tab you use, e.g: alt+1 terminal, alt+2 browser, etc... You can have as much workspaces as you need and assign applications to specific workspace. This way I always know where every app or category of app exists. And this mostly works on default i3 config, no learning curve.

I started off using Alt F1-F12 (like the console), but I've found zero problems using bare F1-F12 with no modifier.

That sounds interesting, I'll try that, thanks!

Does this compliment an application like Alfred?

Yes! I use both together. I love that you can configure it to not show minimized apps when switching.

A better alt+tab switcher would be great! Why isn't that a thing? I'm imagining something where you could use alt+f1, alt+f2, alt+f3, etc. to switch to specific windows rather than just rotating between everything.

On Windows, you can effectively use Win+1-9 for that by pinning the applications to the taskbar. I use that all the time.

Long time ago I made a python script to manage my 2-monitor i3 setup.

The idea was to be able to quickly select things to be made visible on both monitors.

The two monitors are named primary and secondary.

To select something to be visible on primary you would press the combination (for example alt+f1) and the selected desktop would be placed on primary. Whatever was on primary would be pushed to secondary.

To select both primary and secondary you would first press what you want on secondary and then what you want on primary.

The idea is that people typically have what I call "scenes". Scene is particular arrangement of windows on both monitors.

This means that you can quickly learn your "scenes" and get them to be visible very quickly, in a fraction of a second, without having to hard-code the scene in your config file.

On Win10 you can use win+1, win+2, ... to select the apps pinned to the application bar, it launches them if they're not launched; if they are launched it switches between active windows. That sounds like what you're after.

Sorry if this is really well known I'm new to MS Windows as a user.

I use dual monitor, but have two virtual desktops giving me 4 "screens" to layout windows in. I keep the same window in the same place, but often have to use 3 docs at once and so would love a 3rd screen. Then I'd have reference material on 1), doc I'm responding to on 2), doc I'm writing in also on 2), citations on 3).

On Linux, I use jumpapp: https://github.com/mkropat/jumpapp

On Mac, Quicksilver with Triggers: https://qsapp.com/

If you can live with switching between different applications rather than windows, this is the default behavior on Windows 10 and Gnome 3 using win+1, win+2, ….

Yes, exactly! Or just a saner way of sorting the tab order would be nice. I'll look and see if there's one for Linux, there must be something...

This is what you do in Linux with i3.

I work the same way and having a keyboard shortcut set for each one of my Apps has been game changing for me. Worth trying out to see if it fits your flow:

http://macnotes.com/how-i-work-on-my-mac/

That's a great idea, especially with my programmable keyboard, thank you. I'll have to see if KDE supports this, but I think it's likely.

EDIT: Turns out it's trivial, I love Linux:

http://xahlee.info/linux/linux_add_keyboard_shortcuts_to_swi...

KDE's window manager, Kwin, supports this functionality built it.

Just right click on any title bar on a window, go to "Special Application Settings" -> "Arrangement and access" -> "Shortcut". You can manually type "F8" in the shortcut and it'll work just fine.

You can also go to "System Settings" -> "Window Rules" to manage all rules you've defined.

That settings dialog is a lifesaver, thank you. I've been using devilspie2 to do the same, but now I can do it natively.

Same here. I full window everything. And use my second monitor basically only for YouTube/Spotify. It’s really useful when I need to keep some reference up too.

Oh you're going to love this: There's an extension that launches custom programs with the current page as an argument, and I use it to launch mpv, which is then configured to open full-screen on the second screen with a high-quality stream of the YouTube video I'm on.

I have also configured the window to always stay on top and to resize to a small window on the bottom right, so if I press escape while the window is focused, I get picture-in-picture.

Also, mpv exits when it's done, so it's a great way of watching a video in full screen on the second monitor at the press of a button.

link to said extension? :)

I don't remember the name right now and I'm not at the computer, but anything that will launch a program will work, the extension itself does very little.

I just checked, the extension is called "Open With":

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/open-with/

For me, it's not about having more monitors. It simply about having enough real state to be productive.

It doesn't matter if I use 2 27" 1440 monitors or a 32" inch 4K monitor.

Personally, a single 27" 1440 monitor is the bare minimum I am comfortable with in a desktop.

The main issue for me is finding in which monitor the focus/mouse is

So yes, while in some situations (like debugging a complicated app, or for some "standby" information) multiple monitors are a must, for general use it ends up being too distracting.

"Except you have huge monitor and you lay stuff in multiple side by side windows which makes the whole argument very moot."

Not my case. I don't lay my stuff around. My apps are in the menu, running ones on dock (Mac or Linux) and when I do need to have few windows open at the same time (second one either being terminal or mobile emulator or whatever) I arrange them to fit the same screen. My smallest screen is 15" on my Thinkpad, 17" on MBP and an external is Dell 23". Had no issues so far with my workflow.

True for writing or any one-mode tasks.

For dev work though, typically I need see multiple things simultaneously: input (IDE/editor), output (console/browser) and instrumentation (debugger etc.)

I'm one-monitoring these days (WFH) because my laptop can't output to more than 1 display without a docking station -- I had left mine at the office. The context switching is tiring to say the least. I'm making do by tiling my windows but with a 24" display, there's just not enough room.

I think the author's setup works because he's using a 31" monitor and a tiling window manager. Most window managers don't tile as nicely.

That said, there are tools like Terminator and tmux, which are always useful.

I bought one of those usb to dvi converters for a white polycarb macbook that only had one external monitor connector.

While you couldn't run a game with it, it worked great for work. They seem to have some embeded video card.

(mine is no longer availble . But this looks similar: https://www.newertech.com/products/vidu3dvia.php)

Thanks for the tip! This sounds like it might work for me.

I've come to love the ultrawide 34" format @3440x1440 for "I want things side by side". Most of these can work as multiple monitors and split the screen if you plug in two cables, but you'll obviously have zero gap between them.

Same, that's what I have been using for GIS work, media production, and some light coding. Only thing I regret is not being able to play Xbox games at 21:9 (unless you know of a way).

I don't have an Xbox, so unfortunately no. The only occasional gaming I do is on Windows, and even that's rare these days.

When I started at my current company they gave me a single 43" 4k monitor. It felt ridiculously huge at first, but now I'm not sure I could ever go back to anything smaller. At the distance I sit from it, the ~102 PPI is perfect for 100% scaling. I bought a 43" Samsung TV to use at home.

As you mention, I find using a laptop screen for development really painful now.

ooc, what is the distance you sit from it?

About 30 inches.

Actually, I like having two screens. However, I arrange them in vertical order and one is my primary screen and the other is like additional space I can use when I need it.

For many tasks, one screen is enough/better, but sometimes it makes things a lot easier when you can look at them without having to rearrange your windows.

Yeah, one big screen is great. Only my kitchen table isn't big enough to fit a large screen as I need to sit at the short end. Because the landlord decided it was great to buy one of those weird tables with a little storage table thingy [1] below it so I keep hitting it with my legs.

[1] Imagine something like this: https://future99.en.alibaba.com/product/60091134705-80040621...

I have the opposite problem...

I have bad eyes, and use HUGE fonts and can basically only get 1 window per monitor... so I have 3 monitors setup: middle for editor left for browser/docs right for email, slack, irc

Similar to you, I've had to increase text sizes gradually over the past decade. Currently I have 3 monitors, from left to right:

Portrait 1080x1920 22" Dell. Landscape 4K LG. Landscape 4K LG. Plus the macbook pro screen, but I hardly ever put stuff on it.

I'm not a fan of the LG monitors I got, model "27UD68-W" in 27 inch. The standby light is bright white and flashes slowly, you have to switch the screen off to stop it. Which is a huge #firstworldproblem, I know, but no other monitor I've used has done this.

I wish I had gotten a higher-refresh-rate screen with less than 4k resolution. Would really like to play some games at faster than 60fps.

>Similar to you, I've had to increase text sizes gradually over the past decade. Currently I have 3 monitors, from left to right

I find using a dark themes for everything really helps...Maybe I'm returning to my roots, but I use a lot of Ambers, Greens and Yellows for good contrast without blinding myself. If your a VI(m) user, I found the 'elflord' colorscheme comes pre-installed on a lot of machines (just ':colorscheme elflord' to try it..) Its a decent starting point.

On the other hand, I never seem to have enough light on my workbenches. I've fallen in love with ultra-bright LED fixtures from Home Depot for work area lighting... Dam screws get smaller ever year! (extendable magnetic 'wand' is awesome for finding them when you drop them...)

> I'm not a fan of the LG monitors I got, model "27UD68-W" in 27 inch.

I run 3 x LG 27UK650_600. Most of my gaming tends to be MMORPG stuff, so I don't need anything more then 60Hz. But I am wondering how they'll handle CyberPunk 2077

To to fair i3 is so good that having multiple becomes unnecessary. It's much faster to open a second or third window in the same screen than looking up to the other screen.

I share the same perspective.

For what it is worth, not too long ago I came across the concept of “portable monitors”. Took a risk on a 4K 15” model and it ended up being decent quality. Skinnier than a #2 pencil and perfect size when propped next to my 15” MBP, without getting in the way.

edit: Almost forgot to mention this — it is powered via USB-C cable. One end to the monitor and the other into my 15” MBP (13” MBP may not have enough “juice” to power).

Agreed. I’ve just dumped my second monitor as well. I’m now down to one Iiyama 22” 1080p unit. I’m considering replacing it with a larger 4K monitor but am demotivated to do this because I don’t want to futz with it all now.

Ditto with workspaces. A great idea, in theory, but all windows end up in one place eventually.

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