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Platform (computer) > Linux (distribution) > X > Window manager > Operating environment >

This topic tends to be particular to Linux. Other operating systems like Windows have their own "window managers" integrated into every version.

/tag/window-managers

Features required ∞

• Workspaces (aka Desktops)
• Alt-leftclick window dragging.
• Alt-leftclick on a window to raise it without interacting with it.
• Alt-rightclick resizing (from any corner!)

• Hotkeys

  • Single-step is ok, but chaining is nice for me for alt-space
  • If none is provided, I'm not sure what I'll use. Perhaps bbkeys.
  • Kicking the currently-selected application to an arbitrary workspace.
  • Kicking the currently-selected application to the back of the window stack. (alt-escape)
  • Opening the currently-selected window's menu. (alt-space)
    - If this isn't available, a chained hotkey would be needed for stuff like alt-space,m for maximize.

• Taskbar

  • If none is provided, I'll probably use [http://wiki.lxde.org/en/LXPanel] lxpanel.
  • Listing current applications.
  • With a tray area that can handle KDE icons. This is simply my standard for testing.
  • date/time clock that can handle [http://linux.die.net/man/3/strftime strftime]:
    %F %a %l:%M %P
    2009-04-07 Sat 5:33pm

• Simple menu

  • If none is provided then many could be used.
  • I may make one for my own applications but not for system applications.
  • If on the desktop, it must also work on the edges of applications so that I can use the menu even with stuff maximized.

• Run dialogue

  • If none is provided then many could be used, but I'll be making one.

Features not required or desired ∞

• Desktop icons
• Quick launch bar full of icons
• Transparency support
• Widgets

• Bloat

Note that for now I would just use the everyday XOrg server, but there are some minimal X servers which I might examine at some point. This would allow an even more extreme lightness.

I discounted a number of window managers because I was unable to install them when following proper directions, the project has gone quiet for a couple of years or they fail in some fundamental way which is covered by some/all of the remaining contenders.

There are a number of keyboard-oriented window managers which I tried, but didn't include.

If there is a light/small window manager which you use and it's not in this list, let me know.

If there's a window manager in that list which you've never tried. Do so! They're all compilable with very little effort. Well, except Awesome. [to be re-tested]

Full reviews will be forthcoming.

Judging speed and memory use ∞

See Testing Linux software speed and memory costs

To try ∞

• /tag/window-managers will have some I didn't give much of a chance to.

• Scrotwm

  • Would be nice when (if?) they implement alt-tab support. Otherwise, why bother?
• Stumpwm
• fvwm

• Musca

  • Like ratpoison, only more sane.

Unsorted ∞

I've probably tested most of these things at least briefly.. but I don't remember anything about them or why I didn't select them over the picks above.

• AfterStep
• ctwm

• Sawfish

Not going to try ∞

• See

  • /tag/window-managers+disliked
  • /tag/window-managers+abandoned

• TinyWM

  • A C version and a Python version. Written in as few lines as possible.
  • Should be hacked to have click-focus.
  • TrentBuck's rewrite in Common Lisp / CLX. Quote: "because I can"

Resources ∞

• http://web.archive.org/web/20161122165805/http://www.xwinman.org:80/
• Giles' window manager reviews
• FreeBSD Window Managers

• FreeBSD Handbook: Chapter 5 The X Window System

Last updated 2021-05-18 at 19:38:11