So I’m using dwm as an interface for Proxmox currently, but here’s my gripes.

  1. Config requires rebuilding.
  2. Hotkeys seem to break for no reason*, last when I created a new user for controlling proxmox.
  3. No real mouse controls for stuff.

Now I realize dwm is mostly a keyboard focused window manager.*

For context, proxmox runs on debian, but doesn’t necessarily support everything properly (ie plasma has heavy visual glitching from something).

  • @[email protected]English
    -1•9 months ago

    If you’re going to use it as a workstation, are you not going to just use Gnome, KDE, xfce, etc.? I’m still pretty confused about what your actual use case is, since you haven’t explained it.

    • dogOPEnglish
      1•9 months ago

      I mostly use win11 as my main os, and using proxmox as a base lets me properly use things like pihole, homeassistant, nextcloud, and other such services, because Windows really sucks for virtualizing those.

      And OS hopping is a lot easier when I have a backend like proxmox.

      Want to try arch but not sure if nvidia/wayland support is there yet? Roll up a gpu-p’d VM for it, instead of wiping the entire disk.

      Edit: To further elaborate on what I have setup.

      1. Go through the typical proxmox install.
      2. Get debian up to date.
      3. Add Librewolf’s sources.
      4. apt install picom lightdm dwm librewolf
      5. Reboot.
      6. Login to dwm via lightdm, and open up librewolf.
      7. Navigate to the web ui.
      8. Add W11 VM image to storage.
      9. Create a W11 VM.
      10. Install W11 via VNC.
      11. GPU-P + USB Passthrough to W11.
      12. You’re now in Windows.
      • @[email protected]English
        -2•9 months ago

        I assume you’re dual booting, otherwise I’d just say use the web interface from Windows.

        But I don’t see any reason here that you can’t just use a standard desktop on top of Proxmox. Or, for that matter, just using plain old Debian and qemu.

        • dogOPEnglish
          1•9 months ago

          Why would I ever dualboot?

          And plasma/gnome et al. don’t seem to work with proxmox.

          Thus something like dwm.

          • @[email protected]English
            -2•9 months ago

            If you’re not dual booting, and you have Windows and Proxmox, then you have two devices and you can use the Proxmox web interface from the other and be done with it.

            • dogOPEnglish
              1•9 months ago

              No? Windows is installed as a VM in Proxmox, as I’ve mentioned couple times already.

              I do config Proxmox also from Windows, but I need to go back to the barebone Proxmox in case the VM has issues.

              Anyhow, this was about dwm alternatives.