CrunchBang Linux Forums / 30 Window Managers in 30 days

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (R3nCi) — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:13:51 +0000

On a somewhat relevant note, there's a huge pretty darn big list of wm's at Guide to X11/Window Managers.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (wuxmedia) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:08:03 +0000

Nice review - have to say amiwm replicates the first time I used a GUI.
Wb3, may look bad, but it was better than 1.3 :-)
I should think it is lightweight, It ran on a 68000 Motorola.
I was a bit disappointed that the new released commodore Linux didn't use it.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (ivanovnegro) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:34:14 +0000

^ Wow, a continuation. Looking forward to Afterstep.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (joek) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:11:11 +0000

Day N -- Amiwm

Today's window manager is amiwm, a floating window manager designed to emulate the AmigaOS's user interface.

Installing:
Amiwm is in the repos for both Wheezy and Squeeze:

 sudo apt-get install amiwm

works.
Amiwm creates a .desktop file in /usr/share/xsessions, so GDM users can select 'amiwm' from the list without further configuration. The command to place in your .xinitrc for those who do not use a display manager is `exec amiwm`. The default configuration is ugly and slightly peculiar, but perfectly usable. Focus behaviour is strict focus-follows mouse by default, rather than sloppy focus or click to focus, both of which are now more common. Newly launched windows do not take focus by default, and the placement is in the top-left corner. You can right-click the bar at the top which reads 'workbench screen' to bring up a menu. The most useful thing in the built in menu is under WorkBench-Execute Command; a simple command launcher. If no window has focus you can also bring it up with Alt-E.

Configuring:
Amiwm is very easy to configure, although this is mainly because the options available number something close to nil. The ~/.amiwmrc file contains all configuration options, which are listed in amiwm's man page.

My very simple .amiwmrc

FastQuit yes
Focus sloppy
ToolItem "Dmenu" "dmenu_run" "P"
ToolItem "Slock" "slock" "Q"

What I like:
Frankly, unless you are really longing to go back to the old AmigaOS - which I am too young to remember - I can't see that there's much worthwhile in this wm. It's lightweight, but it's not the only lightweight window manager.

What I dislike:
The lack of alt-tab functionality is very annoying; the minimal configurability. As far as I can tell, amiwm is pretty irredeemably ugly.

Links:
Home Page
http://umlautllama.com/projects/amiwm/

In the next instalment of 30 WMs in 30 Days: Return of the Window Managers, expect something about Afterstep.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (dkeg) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:11:51 +0000

Yes, i3 is a great wm. Been using for sometime now as my primary. Check out this dedicated thread to it

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (rmcellig) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:04:17 +0000

I have never heard of i3 before. I have been so focused on Openbox that I never really took the time to see if there was something maybe better or different than Openbox. I will have to try out i3 very soon. Hope it is not to hard to install and get going.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (joek) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:57:43 +0000

Hmm, have been thinking for a while that I could probably add reviews of another 15 or so window managers to this thread... Might start on that project after this term's exams are over.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (rmcellig) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:40:43 +0000

I'm in! This is a fantastic thread!!

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (R3nCi) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:34:36 +0000

Linux BBQ 0.5 Oyster

containing all window managers that are available in Debian's repos (around 40), as far as possible preconfigured (with a bunch of exceptions where vanilla makes most sense: most tilers) with clever keybindings, a cookbook and a load of terminal gimmicks.

Looks interesting enough to generate some new posts in DHA

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (ChickenPie4Tea) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 08:37:34 +0000

re-Snapwm
you say some things cant be changed without rebuilding like keybindings for instance but the wiki says

All user settings are read from three files in ~/.config/snapwm/

one of these files is key.conf
SnapWM wiki

The one I settled on in the end is i3
I tried others and used Awesome for a while but i3 gives me the choices the others did but also allows tabbed mode ( a bit like you webrowser with tabs at the top) and has an easy to configure text file and and excellent user guide
user guide

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (hochrappenkopf) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:59:24 +0000

I3 is really great, but nowadays I prefer the built in window manager of Crunchbang Waldorf 11

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (Iranon) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:51:44 +0000

FVWM is my favourite too, and spent entirely too much time tweaking it.

I feel spoiled even when struggling - I'm usually trying to get rid of some rough edges in functionality I wouldn't have anywhere else, and there's probably a way to do it cleanly.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (joek) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:43:32 +0000

Oh, yeah, it's definitely fun. As some of my essays last term know to their cost...

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (rkwurth) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:40:19 +0000

Yeah, but I've got nothing better to do, and it is fun.

Re: 30 Window Managers in 30 days

dummy@example.com (joek) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:31:57 +0000

The only problem I have with FVWM is I go through periods of spending more time hacking my config file than I do using it to do anything else aside from hacking said config file...