Paneru

Sliding tiling window manager on an infinite horizontal strip

Visit WebsiteView Source
Category
Window Manager
WM Type
tiling
License
free
Open Source
Yes
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
No
Last Update
2026-04-11

Features

  • Infinite horizontal strip layout
  • New windows never resize existing ones
  • Touchpad gesture navigation
  • Focus follows mouse
  • Window stacking
  • Multi-monitor support
  • Native workspace integration
  • Live config reload
  • TOML configuration

About

Paneru arranges windows on an infinite horizontal strip extending rightward, with the key principle that opening a new window will never cause existing windows to resize. Built with Rust and Bevy ECS, each display maintains its own independent window strip with touchpad gesture navigation.

Who It's For

Paneru is for users who want a scrollable infinite-canvas tiling experience on macOS — specifically, the model where new windows are appended to the right rather than causing existing windows to resize. This "infinite horizontal strip" approach, popularized by niri (a Wayland compositor), means your workspace grows horizontally as you open new windows, and you navigate it by scrolling with touchpad gestures. If you've used PaperWM on GNOME or niri on Linux and want that feel on macOS, Paneru implements this model using Rust and Bevy ECS.

How It Works

Paneru arranges windows in a horizontal strip that extends rightward on an infinite canvas. When you open a new window, it's appended to the right of the existing windows at a defined default size — no other window changes size. You navigate the strip by swiping left and right on the trackpad, scrolling the viewport across your open windows. Focus-follows-mouse moves keyboard focus as you scroll. Each display maintains its own independent strip. Windows can stack within a strip position, cycled by a shortcut. TOML configuration covers gap sizes, default window dimensions, and keybindings. Live config reload applies changes without restarting the daemon.

Compared to Similar Tools

Compared to PaperWM.spoon (scrollable tiling via Hammerspoon), Paneru is a standalone Rust daemon without a Hammerspoon dependency, and uses touchpad scrolling as the primary navigation metaphor. Compared to AeroSpace and yabai (BSP/i3-style), Paneru's infinite strip is a fundamentally different spatial model — windows don't get squeezed as more are added. For users who want the scrollable tiling paradigm specifically, Paneru is the primary macOS option alongside PaperWM.spoon.

Requirements

  • macOS version: check github.com/karinushka/paneru for requirements
  • No SIP disabling required
  • Accessibility permission required
  • Free and open-source

Getting Started

Download from the GitHub releases page and launch. Grant Accessibility permission. Create a config file at the path documented in the README to configure gaps and keybindings. Use two-finger swipe to scroll your window strip.

Discussion