Linux SIG - Overview of Window Available For Linux/XFree86

Overview of Window

Managers Available For

Linux/XFree86

Brian Ricker

twm - Tabbed Window Manager

Screen Capture - 13847 bytes

Default window manager with minimal features available on most X11 implementations

Features

icons - bitmap (2-color only)

icon manager

minimal title bar buttons - iconify, resize

Performance - Medium executable size and memory requirements, minimal color requirements for decorations

vtwm - Virtual Tabbed Window Manager

Screen Capture - 16279 bytes

twm with virtual desktop enhancements

Features

Virtual screen manager, shows window locations for each screen

Desktop button bar, allows push button changes between screens

Performance - Roughly same as standard twm, slightly greater memory requirements for virtual screen features

ctwm

Screen Capture - 153006 bytes

Enhanced window manager based on twm code

Features

Virtual Workspaces, each with a different color scheme and background

Desktop button bar, allows pushbutton changes between desktops

3-D configurable title bar buttons

Pinnable menus

Color icons (XPM format)

Performance - Significantly larger executable than twm, can use a lot of colors depending on bitmaps used for icons and buttons

wm2

Screen Capture - 125413 bytes

Extremely minimal window manager

Features

No title bar, window titles displayed as tabs on side of window

No icons

Menus not configurable, starts new xterm, window list

No .rc file

Performance - Extremely small, uses little memory and only 2 colors

9wm

Minimal window manager based on window manager included in 8 1/2, the windowing system used with Plan 9.

Features

No title bar

No icons

Menus not configurable, starts new xterm, window list

No .rc file

Performance - Extremely small, uses little memory and only 2 colors, makes wm2 look extravagant

olwm/olvwm - Open Look Window Manager

Screen Capture - 18825 bytes

Window manager used with Open Windows/Open Look. Used to be the default window manager for SunOS/Solaris, being replaced by Motif/CDE.

Features

Implements the OpenLook UI

Pinnable Menus

Menus are configurable via separate menu files which can be updated without restarting the window manager

Color icons

Virtual screens with screen manager display (olvwm)

Performance - Since these window managers use the XView and OpenLook libraries, they tend to use large amounts of memory.

mwm/dtwm - Motif Window Manager/Desktop Window Manager

Screen Capture - 66426 bytes

Window manager included with OSF Motif. Desktop Window Manager part of Motif/CDE.

Features

Implements the Motif look and feel

Button bar with virtual desktops (dtwm)

CDE - Common Desktop Environment. Standard window manager and desktop applications across several hardware platforms (Sun, HP etc)

Motif only available as a seperate commercial package for Linux. CDE currently unavailable for Linux (next year?)

Window manager seperate from Motif libraries. Can run Motif applications without using mwm or dtwm.

Performance - Mwm lacks features available in more modern window managers (i.e. fvwm). Dtwm is a good choice for a standard setup in a multi-platform environment.

fvwm - f(?) Virtual Window Manager

Screen Capture - 15664 bytes

Feature laden window manager included with most Linux distributions.

Features

Virtual - multiple desktops with virtual screens in each. Ability to start applications on specific desktops.

Color icons (bitmap and XPM)

Button bar has ability to "swallow" other X applications and display them. Can show small applications such as XBiff, XLoad, XClock in a button.

Modular design. Audio, ButtonBar, WindowList and other modules included with window manager

Configurable title bar buttons. Custom button shapes as well as user assignable functions to title bar buttons.

Performance - The base fvwm manager is equivalent in size and memory requirements to twm. The modular features tend to consume resources as they are used. The extensive use of colors can use up the color map on a 8-bit sever.

fvwm-95 - f(?) Virtual Window Manager 95

Screen Capture - 27253 bytes

Fvwm with Windows 95 look and feel.

Features

Base fvwm hacked up to look like Windows 95.

Includes a task bar to allow easy switching between windows.

Includes many color icons and small icons for use in title bar.

Based on fvwm 2.x.

Performance - Similar to fvwm, even more extensive use of colors in the default configuration makes 8-bit server use with color intensive applications (e.g. Netscape) difficult.

AfterStep

Screen Capture - 360961 bytes

Fvwm with NextStep look and feel.

Features

Fvwm 1.x hacked up to look like NextStep.

Includes Wharf - a button bar with drawers and AsClock a clock/calendar program.

Performance - Almost unusable on 8-bit displays due to shaded title bars which use several colors out of the default colormap.

Other Fvwm Derivatives

Enlightenment - Fvwm 2.x derivative which uses many color icons in integrated icon management/button bar features. Extremely color intensive, author recommends 16-bit X server at minimum, currently in alpha development.

Fvwm/CDE - a set of icons and modifications to the fvwm button bar to make the standard fvwm 2.x look like dtwm/CDE.

Current Versions

vtwm - 5.3

ctwm - 3.4

wm2 - 2.0

9wm - 1.1

olwm/olvwm - Xview 3.4

fvwm - 2.0.43

fvwm-95 - 2.0.42a

AfterStep - 1.0pre2

Web Resources

Window Managers for X - http://www.plig.org/xwinman/

Fvwm - http://www.hpc.uh.edu/fvwm/

Fvwm-95 - http://www.terraware.net/ftp/pub/Mirrors/FVWM95/fvwm95.html

AfterStep - http://mango.sfasu.edu/~frank/afterstep/

Last Modified: 24 January 1997

St. Louis Unix Users Group - Linux SIG