Is there an alternative window manager for OS X (…)?
It depends on what you define as window manager. If you mean the entire framework that draws the windows, then no. This has always been the Window Server in conjunction with Quartz. If you mean apps that enhance some of the window switching and layouting behavior, there are plenty of those, but none of them really replaces anything.
Have a look at the following projects or tools if you want to tweak the window behavior, mostly with respect to resizing automatically:
- xnomad, a keyboard based open-source tiling window manager
- Slate, based on xnomad
- Spectacle, keyboard-controlled window moving and resizing
- TylerWM, like Spectacle
- SizeUp, same as Spectacle, but costs something
- Cinch, Windows-like Aero Snap resizing
- BetterTouchTool, mostly for mouse and trackpad gestures, but has window snapping
- Optimal Layout, Mizage, Moom, Window Magnet, etc.
Can I move the "stoplight" icons from the left to the right on the titlebar of the window, and also make them a few pixels larger?
There is no way to move the buttons somewhere else, as this is hardwired into the operating system. You also can't make them larger.
The only possible "customization" in the title bar is removing window buttons entirely, showing a subset of them, or making them smaller (i.e. Inspector windows).
It's really bad engineering, in my opinion.
This is Mac OS X, not Windows, and not Linux. It is what it is—you'll just have to get used to it. Mac people will probably take a week or two to get used to the inverse when sitting on a PC. And others might leave their cursor resting on the left.
OS X offers you tons of shortcuts to close or minimize a window without needing the mouse. If you have your left hand available, all you need to do is press ⌘W to close the window, or ⌘M to minimize it.
@slhck I really hope there was a choice, but their monopoly on ios compilers won't let me have one :/ – Dev Aggarwal – 2019-03-24T16:39:55.573
As well, for Spotlight, ⌘Spacebar to access Spotlight search – Canadian Luke – 2013-01-15T06:58:20.277
1The OP was talking about the red/yellow/green "stoplight" buttons, not Spotlight, but I had to read that twice myself :) – slhck – 2013-01-15T07:01:17.597
Ahhh... never mind then – Canadian Luke – 2013-01-15T07:19:40.047
Accepted your answer and +1 for consideration. Just sucks that Apple refuses to be more flexible here. – Volomike – 2013-01-15T16:35:03.950
1@Volomike That's how they've always been—to be honest it's a wonder they let users install Linux and Windows on Macs and allow you to install software that's not from the App Store (although that's even disabled by default on Mountain Lion). That's a policy you have to live with. Apart from that, depending on what you do, you'll embrace OS X for its stability, Unix background and automation features. – slhck – 2013-01-15T19:47:12.987
3@slhck Saying "you'll just have to get used to it" and "that's a policy you'll just have to get used to" as a rebuttal to "It's really bad engineering" is a really poor form of reasoning. The fact remains that it is very poor engineering. There is absolutely no excuses, and should you find yourself trying to convince others that they are wrong for pointing out the short comings, then I would hope that others see the twisted madness in your reasoning. – airtonix – 2013-07-19T14:14:48.457
@airtonix "Bad engineering" is what the OP's subjective opinion about the stoplight buttons is, not an objectively bad thing per se. Others definitely like the buttons and don't need them to be bigger. Regarding alternative window managers: They've created a system that just works, and they've always been restrictive with regard to what you can plug into that. I don't even want to reason pro or against Apple here… it is how it is, either you like it and run OS X, or you don't and run Linux or Windows on your Mac. – slhck – 2013-07-19T14:19:30.177