cwm (Calm Window Manager)
is a
stacking window manager
A stacking window manager (also called floating window manager) is a window manager that draws and allows windows to overlap, without using a compositing algorithm. All window managers that allow the overlapping of windows but are not compositing ...
for the
X Window System
The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems.
X originated as part of Project Athena at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1984. The X protocol has been at ...
. While it is primarily developed as a part of
OpenBSD
OpenBSD is a security-focused operating system, security-focused, free software, Unix-like operating system based on the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). Theo de Raadt created OpenBSD in 1995 by fork (software development), forking NetBSD ...
's base system,
portable versions are available on other
Unix-like
A Unix-like (sometimes referred to as UN*X, *nix or *NIX) operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, although not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. A Uni ...
operating systems.
History
Development of cwm started from patches to
evilwm by Marius Aamodt Eriksen.
To ease the implementation of new features, cwm was eventually rewritten using some code from 9wm.
The last release by the original author came out in August 2005.
In April 2007, cwm was imported into the OpenBSD source tree.
By January 2008, a substantial part of the original source code, including all of the 9wm code, was rewritten.
cwm has been distributed with OpenBSD since version 4.2, where it replaced
wm2.
A third-party
Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
port also exists.
Description
cwm is a stacking window manager oriented towards heavy keyboard usage,
small footprint and ease of use. While it lacks explicit
virtual desktops
In computing, a virtual desktop is a term used with respect to user interfaces, usually within the WIMP paradigm, to describe ways in which the virtual space of a computer's desktop environment is expanded beyond the physical limits of the sc ...
functionality, it can be emulated by using the window groups mechanism.
cwm does not draw window decorations except for a border around windows.
cwm includes several menus:
* exec menu (launch an application)
* window menu (search for a running application)
* ssh to menu (start a
Secure Shell
The Secure Shell Protocol (SSH Protocol) is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. Its most notable applications are remote login and command-line execution.
SSH was designed for ...
session)
* exec wm menu (switch to a different
window manager
A window manager is system software that controls the placement and appearance of window (computing), windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. Most window managers are designed to help provide a desktop environment. They ...
)
All these menus operate in a "search as you type" manner.
cwm allows raising, hiding, switching between, and searching for windows using just the keyboard, making it suitable to use as
terminal emulator
A terminal emulator, or terminal application, is a computer program that emulates a video terminal within some other display architecture. Though typically synonymous with a shell or text terminal, the term ''terminal'' covers all remote term ...
multiplexer.
Furthermore, it allows manipulating pointing devices, such as mice, with the keyboard.
Additional
key bindings and configuration options can be specified in the configuration file
~/.cwmrc.
Reception
cwm is generally well received in
software minimalist communities.
cwm is noted to be used mainly due to its status as one of the default window managers in OpenBSD,
though other reasons are sometimes cited.
cwm is also praised for its flexibility, ease of use, and the fact that it can be used without a mouse.
See also
*
Comparison of X window managers
References
External links
*
*
*
{{OpenBSD
Free software programmed in C
Free X window managers
OpenBSD
OpenBSD software using the ISC license