More on the windowmanager article

content/rambles/windowmanagers.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: "On window managers and XMonad"
 date: "2022-11-03T23:17:35+01:00"
 author: "$HUMANOID"
-tags: ["linux", "window managers"]
+tags: ["linux", "window managers", "xmonad"]
 description: "A ramble about a highly configurable window manager"
 ---
 
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ pretty much exactly how I wanted it to. In other words, a fairly basic
 configuration with most of the default features ripped out and instead my
 partially-organically-grown-probably-batshit-insane-keybindings (I use `Super` +
 `Space` to open my run launcher. In fact, on my keyboard I have holding the big
-space bar (yes it has two space bars, it is about as insane as my window
-management keybindings) bound to `Super` + `Space`).
+space bar (yes it has two space bars, its layout is about as insane as my
+window management keybindings) bound to `Super` + `Space`).
 
 To this day I still use DWM quite frequently on machines where I don't really
 want to think about what graphical interface to chuck on it (hence I half
@@ -79,17 +79,61 @@ planning on frequently using fullscreen applications and how strong the machine
 in question was; AwesomeWM being noticeably slower than DWM on _really_ old
 machines (like RejuvinatedBrick). Until at some point, I came across XMonad.
 
-I tried it.
+I tried it for an evening.
 
-Hated the fact that it's configured in _sodding Haskell_ and went back to DWM.
+I hated the fact that it's configured in _sodding Haskell_ and went back to DWM.
 
-A few months later, I came across it's implementation of chorded keys through
+A few months later, I came across an implementation of chorded keys through
 the `XMonad.Util.EZConfig` module and decided to give it another shot.
 
 This time I was hooked.
 
-The biggest problem I had with it was _still_ the fact that it was configured in
-Haskell, but the level of configurability made it worth dealing with the
-functional pain. It was also the first time I decided to not bother with a
+The biggest problem I had with it was _still_ the fact that it was configured
+in Haskell, but the absurd level of customisability made it worth dealing with
+the functional pain. It was also the first time I decided to not bother with a
 status bar as getting a basic configuration going had given me enough grief for
-one month.
+one month. 
+
+For a really long time I could tell you how great XMonad was, but that it had
+one major caveat: "it's configured in Haskell". Sure, besides Haskell there were
+a few other things that I didn't like much. 
+
+As for gripes I had (and partially still have) with XMonad, they were quite few,
+surprisingly. Coming from AwesomeWM and DWM, I would've liked XMonad to use tags
+instead of workspaces; fullscreen is a bit of a pain to get working, but has
+less fuckups than DWM; the fact that it's configured in Haskell; it not having a
+set of workspaces per monitor (at least by default, I kind of stopped caring
+after a little while); the fact that it's configured in Haskell; the
+`XMonad.Layout.ShowWName` module being kind of unstable and last but not least,
+the fact that it's configured in _fucking Haskell_.
+
+It almost seems like I got sick of being sick of it being configured in Haskell
+and I decided to dive into learning the language with the goal of being able to
+fully understand by monstrous 384 line config file (without the around 200 lines
+of documentation in the comments).
+
+{{< img class="stickers" src="/images/config_length.png" >}}
+
+So far I don't fully understand it yet at the time of writing, but I do
+understand it a hell of a lot better than when I prodoced most of those 300
+lines.
+
+The greatest thing about XMonad is simultaneously the thing that kept me away
+from it: it's written and configured in bloody Haskell. Thus there is barely a
+separation configuration and source code. The only difference there _really_ is,
+is the filename. Once you understand a bit of Haskell (no small task if you're
+used to imperative languages) adding and integrating your own features is really
+easy.
+
+Weird thing with Haskell I'm noticing so far is that I'm slowly but surely
+managing to dig up old concepts that I tried to implement in imperative
+languages, but couldn't due to their nature. Things like pattern matching and
+maps are quite intuitive to me. It's just that the syntax takes a _lot_ of
+getting used to.
+
+I highly recommend giving it a shot if you're willing to bash your head against
+the Haskell wall for a while before understanding how your window manager works.
+
+Looking back I find it quite funny to see how I went from not being able to get
+i3 to do what I wanted it too and giving up; to barely being able to write or
+understand Haskell but putting up with it.