Window manager

Window system- based graphical user interfaces have several layers, e.g. B. Gnome shell on mother and X.Org server

Typical elements of a window . The window decoration can be produced either by the window manager or by the client. The content of the window is always the domain of the client.

Without the window manager, the window decorations are missing

twm, a very simple window manager

Fluxbox offers extended window decorations as well as a bar that shows the open windows

Kwin, the window manager from KDE, here in a very old version, integrates seamlessly into the environment

More modern window managers offer a variety of effects, such as KWin version 4.4 here

A window manager (half a loan translation for English window manager , literally " window manager ") is a program that has the task in window systems of offering the user programs functions such as minimizing , enlarging and closing windows . The graphical user interface can possibly have a client-server system (such as the X Window System ) as a substructure, but this is by no means mandatory.

The window manager often determines the title bar and frame of the window. However, the window content is usually created independently of this with the help of program libraries, which make work easier for programmers of graphic interfaces and also ensure that the programs appear uniformly. In most cases, these program libraries are then expanded to include a uniform appearance ( or design , also in connection with so-called themes ) - with taskbar (s) , additional small applications , an (electronic) recycle bin and uniform menus - which takes the step towards a desktop environment marked.

Window manager for the X Window System

Popular window managers for the X Window System (X) on different operating systems:

• Compiz (OpenGL-based; includes a composition manager ; requires Xgl , AIGLX or the driver from Nvidia . In addition, there is a plug-in collection called Compiz Fusion )
• Enlightenment (successor to E16)
• Fluxbox (based on blackbox )
• GNU Window Maker (design based on NeXTStep - can also be used with GNUstep )
• IceWM (compatible with Gnome and KDE )
• KWin (standard at KDE )
• Marco (standard of the MATE Desktop Environment )
• Metacity (standard with Gnome up to version 2.x)
• Muffin (standard of the Cinnamon Desktop Environment)
• Mother (standard with Gnome 3.x)
• Openbox ( similar to Blackbox , standard with LXDE and LXQt )
• Xfwm (standard with Xfce )

Other window managers for X are:

4dwm (standard window manager at SGIs IRIX ) 5Dwm (free porting of 4dwm for Linux) 9wm aewm ++ AfterStep (design based on NeXTStep - based on FVWM) AmiWM awesome Azalea (window manager of the Étoilé Desktop Environment ) Black box CTWM cwm Dwm eewm euclid-wm evilwm FVWM FVWM2 FVWM95 (based on FVWM2 - Windows 95/98 similar) FWM Hackedbox (based on blackbox) Herbstluftwm i3 ion Joe's Window Manager (JWM) Kahakai (based on Waimea) larswm Luminocity (test window manager for Metacity) LWM Matchbox (for integrated environments such as handhelds) Metisse (Compiz alternative from Mandriva)

MLVWM (Macintosh like virtual window manager) Motif Window Manager (MWM) OLWM (and OLVWM - OPEN LOOK window manager) OroboROX (window manager for the ROX desktop ) Oroborus PapuaWM (based on evilwm) PekWM (based on aewm ++) PWM Qvwm ( Windows 95/98 similar) Ratpoison Sawfish (formerly Sawmill - standard window manager of Gnome 1.x; also suitable for Gnome 2.x) scrotwm Scwm SithWM Small Window Manager (SWM) StumpWM (written in Common Lisp and intended as the successor to Ratpoison) twm (part of the X system, minimalist) etc. VirtuaWin Waimea Window Manager Improved (WMI) WindowLab wm2 WMII (Window Manager Improved 2) xmonad (Window Manager written in Haskell) XPwm (window manager from XPde )

Window manager for other systems

• Quartz Compositor from Apple
• Desktop Window Manager from Microsoft

Web links

• Xwinman.org an overview of window managers and desktop environments for X
• Window manager in the Arch Linux Wiki