Other Window Manager for FreeBSD

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Other Thread 'BSD Window Managers; List'

Partial list of BSD style wm's:
........................
Lightest:
x11-wm/antiwm - C - fullscreen
x11-wm/bspwm - tiling
x11-wm/cwm - C - floating
x11-wm/ctwm - twm variant
x11-wm/dwm - C - requires C compiling to configure
x11-wm/tinywm
x11-wm/twm - C Xlib - reparenting
x11-wm/vtwm - twm variant

Light:
x11-wm/blackbox - C++ - floating
x11-wm/i3 - tiling
x11-wm/jwm - C - floating
x11-wm/qtile - python - tiling

Heavy:...
  • Thanks
 
jbo@ said:
That is subjective.
Click to expand...

It is !

For me: From the "main line" window managers -- I always install XFCE on to FreeBSD systems right now. XFCE is a lot lighter and less clutered than the heavy GNOME/KDE window managers that I use on Linux systems. It is also super easy to configure how I want and drop "icons" where I want them, set choices into the menus, install and set (a ton of) XFCE provided plugins where I want them, etc. You can take a look at the XFCE documentation (with screen shots ) - Here

NOTE: That unlike in the Linux world where when you install a desktop/wm it comes completely populated with "a lot of stuff" in it. In the FreeBSD world window managers are installed pretty much "spartan and empty". So when you first start XFCE it will look pretty empty ! Then you can go forth and add what "you want" to your window manger.

Use pkg to install the XFCE features you want -- for example (from 14.3-RELEASE-p5):

Code: 
shell$ pkg search xfce
gtk-xfce-engine-3.2.0_1        Xfce GTK2 theme engine
libxfce4menu-4.20.2            Widgets library for the Xfce desktop environment
libxfce4util-4.20.1            Extension library for the Xfce desktop environment
libxfce4windowing-4.20.4_2     Windowing concept abstraction library for X11 and Wayland
workrave-xfce-1.10.53          RSI prevention tool (xfce flavor)
xfce-4.20                      Meta-port for the Xfce Desktop Environment
xfce-icons-elementary-0.21     Elementary icons, extended and maintained for Xfce
xfce4-appfinder-4.20.0         Application launcher and finder
xfce4-appmenu-plugin-0.7.6_3   Application Menu plugin for XFCE panel
xfce4-battery-plugin-1.2.0     Battery monitor panel plugin for Xfce4
xfce4-bsdcpufreq-plugin-0.3.1_4 Displays the current CPU clock frequency in the panel
xfce4-calculator-plugin-0.8.0  Simple calculator for the Xfce panel
xfce4-clipman-plugin-1.7.0     Clipboard manager for the Xfce panel
xfce4-conf-4.20.0              D-Bus-based configuration storage system
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin-1.3.0    Graphical representation of the CPU load
xfce4-dashboard-1.1.0          GNOME shell like dashboard for the Xfce desktop
xfce4-datetime-plugin-0.8.3_3  Datetime panel plugin for the Xfce desktop
xfce4-desktop-4.20.1           Xfce's desktop manager
xfce4-dev-tools-4.20.0         Xfce development tools
xfce4-dict-plugin-0.8.9        Xfce4 plugin to query different dictionaries
xfce4-diskperf-plugin-2.8.0    Graphical representation of the disk IO
xfce4-docklike-plugin-0.5.0    Modern, minimalist taskbar for Xfce
xfce4-eyes-plugin-4.7.0        Panel plugin that adds eyes which watch your every step
xfce4-fsguard-plugin-1.2.0     Panel plugin which displays free space of mountpoint
xfce4-generic-slider-1.1.0,1   Slider plugin to adjust and/or monitor any numeric variable
xfce4-genmon-plugin-4.3.0      Generic Monitor Xfce4 panel plugin
xfce4-goodies-4.20             Meta-port for software and artwork from the Xfce4 Goodies Project
xfce4-mailwatch-plugin-1.4.0   Mail notification applet for the Xfce panel
xfce4-mixer-4.20.0             Volume control for the Xfce desktop
xfce4-mixer-full-4.20.0        Volume control for the Xfce desktop
xfce4-mount-plugin-1.2.0       Mount and umount utility for the Xfce4 panel
xfce4-mpc-plugin-0.6.0         Musicpd client plugin for the Xfce panel
xfce4-netload-plugin-1.5.0     Network Load plugin for Xfce4
xfce4-notes-plugin-1.12.0      Notes plugin for the Xfce panel
xfce4-notifyd-0.9.7            Visually-appealing notification daemon for Xfce
xfce4-panel-4.20.5             Xfce's panel
xfce4-panel-profiles-1.1.1     Xfce's panel multiple layouts manager
xfce4-places-plugin-1.9.0      File browser launcher for Xfce4 panel plugin
xfce4-power-manager-4.20.0     Power manager for the Xfce Desktop
xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin-0.5.1  Panel plugin for controlling PulseAudio mixer
xfce4-screensaver-4.20.1       Xfce 4 screen saver and locker
xfce4-screenshooter-plugin-1.11.2 Application and panel plugin to take screenshots
xfce4-session-4.20.3           Xfce's session manager
xfce4-settings-4.20.2          Xfce settings management
xfce4-smartbookmark-plugin-0.6.0 Query search engines from the Xfce panel
xfce4-stopwatch-plugin-0.6.0   XFCE panel plugin to keep track of elapsed time
xfce4-systemload-plugin-1.4.0  System Load plugin for Xfce4 panel
xfce4-taskmanager-1.6.0        Task manager for the Xfce desktop
xfce4-terminal-1.1.5           Terminal emulator for the X windowing system
xfce4-time-out-plugin-1.2.0    Time out plugin for Xfce
xfce4-timer-plugin-1.8.0       Timer plugin for Xfce
xfce4-tumbler-4.20.0_4         Thumbnail service for Xfce desktop
xfce4-verve-plugin-2.1.0       Command line plugin for the Xfce Desktop
xfce4-volumed-pulse-0.3.0      Volume management daemon for Xfce using PulseAudio
xfce4-wavelan-plugin-0.7.0     Displays various information about a WaveLAN device
xfce4-weather-plugin-0.12.0_1  Weather plugin for the Xfce panel
xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin-2.10.0 Alternate menu for the Xfce Desktop
xfce4-windowck-plugin-0.6.1    Puts the maximized window title and windows buttons on the panel
xfce4-wm-4.20.0                Xfce's window manager
xfce4-wm-themes-4.10.0_2       Additional themes for xfwm4
xfce4-xkb-plugin-0.9.0         Keyboard layout switching plugin for the Xfce panel
shell$
 
Heh, everyone who answers will have their own preferences. I like dwm (https://srobb.net/dwm.html) for a tiling manager and openbox for a stacking one. (I have a page on openbox too, but it's pretty old, https://srobb.net/fluxopen.html)

I like being able to open programs with keyboard shortcuts, and being able to move windows around without using the mouse. And this can, of course, be done in many other window managers, though I'd have to lookup how to do it for each one.

You can install any number of them with pkg install, then if you decide you don't like that one, do pkg delete <WM_name> and then pkg autoremove which will remove almost anything the window manager you decided not to keep installed.

What do you like? Some people prefer using the mouse, others, like myself, the keyboard Do you want a heavier desktop environment, where you can search for printers and scanners and install 'em with a click or it is ok to have to take 3 minutes to set it up by hand. (And in many cases, it is only 3 minutes. I have yet another page on that https://srobb.net/cliscanprint.html. Fluxbox and Openbox are somewhat similar, Flux being a bit easier to configure keyboard shortcuts and having a builtin panel, but I prefer openbox. For no good reason, I just like its appearance better.

So, try to figure out your useage, then choose a couple and see which you like best. (A namby pamby answer, I admit, but your tastes and use case are your own.)
 
WindowMaker has been my goto Window Manager (not a Desktop Environment) for a long time. It works the way I want, does not suck a lot of system resources, configuration is relatively simple.
Others I've used on and off:
awesome
twm

I seem to always come back to WindowMaker.
 
As to "FreeBSD philosophy," things to look out for might be WMs that were designed for a different OS that might have an awkward time translating into FreeBSD, but even that I don't know. I guess if it's a WM, not a DE, and it's meant to work with xorg, it should work just fine and not have any missmatching edges with the FreeBSD way of things. Frankly, if its in the repositories, you should be good to explore without fear of offending the FreeBSD spirits.

I guess if I would give a crack at putting "the philosophy" into words, I might try "modular, functional, robust, supported." Grab something that will not put too many barriers between you and changing it, and that has clear and well documented interfaces with the lower layers of the system it will be depending on.
 
scottro said:
I like being able to open programs with keyboard shortcuts,
Click to expand...
That is possible with twm.

scottro said:
and being able to move windows around without using the mouse.
Click to expand...
Did you try the package xkbset? I not really, just installed it out of curiosity, but seems to work.

UPDATE:

Just played a little. After you do xkbset m you can use the keypad as mouse.
5 or 0 as button; division, multiplication and minus key select what button (this seems not to be documented).
You move the cursor with the other numerical keys.

UPDATE 2:

The same effect is reached in a more standard way with

setxkbmap -option keypad:pointerkeys and Alt+⇧ Shift+Num Lock

see:

Mouse keys - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Xfce4 got me moved to FreeBSD from XP but as I progressed I did not like the way bsddisks and all kind of stuff was mounting and locking things.
I want to do that myself. No mounting help needed.

Openbox if you want something simple but more refined than twm or Xorg -retro.
Xfe for file manager and its accompanying xwriter for docs.

I feel that sheds the polkit layer and all the ilk that follows.
 
Phishfry said:
Xfce4 got me moved to FreeBSD from XP but as I progressed I did not like the way bsddisks and all kind of stuff was mounting and locking things.
I want to do that myself. No mounting help needed.

Openbox if you want something simple but more refined than twm or Xorg -retro.
Xfe for file manager and its accompanying xwriter for docs.

I feel that sheds the polkit layer and all the ilk that follows.
Click to expand...
Can you explain the difference between Openbox and LXDE?
 
LXDE adds LX window decorations and their own application suite to Openbox.
Text Editor, Image Viewer ect...

Its built on top of openbox.
Curently abandoned for eyecandy lxqt.
 
Here is the beauty of Openbox.
There are only 3 confguration files.

One for menu's. In Openbox they are accessed with a right click of mouse on desktop.
menu.xml
This is an easily edited text file with hierarchy that is easy to understand.
The "default" menu includes applications that are not installed. There is no autoconfigure. You make your own menus.

The next one is pretty large.
rc.xml
It contains everything needed to run Openbox.
You might modify it to make a specific program run maximized or change the way something looks but it works. OOB.
Being an XML file it too is easily edited. OBCONF is a GUI program that writes settings to rc.xml. It seems to be broke but provides names of settings to change in rc.xml.

The third configuration file is the main one.
autostart
Openbox is a blank slate. Nothing at all comes up by default on startup.Totally blank canvas.
So everything is started on Openbox by autostart. From your system clock to desktop background it is started from autostart.

That is it.
Truthfully you will want all kind of creature comforts and they are not in Openbox.
So ride LXDE down with the ship.
 
Isn't LXDE and/or LXQT full desktop environments with things like configuring printers, and the like? (I'm asking, I don't know the answer, but that's what I thought).
 
Yes there are additional LXDE setup programs. I have not used it in over 8 years so I am unqualified to say. I seem to remember openbox underneath.
 
I used fvwm for many many years and about two years ago finally switched to openbox. Still not perfect but it meets my needs with a heavily customized .xinitrc and tint2 config. I switch back and forth between a classic 2 monitor twinview config and zaphod separate dual display setup with a single set of config files and different initialization scripts: ie large single desktop, or :0.0 and :0.1desktops.
 
Phishfry said:
Yes there are additional LXDE setup programs. I have not used it in over 8 years so I am unqualified to say. I seem to remember openbox underneath.
Click to expand...
I played with LXDE on a job site a couple of years ago but found too many "out of the box" bugs...things that should have been polished out before it was released.
 
I am more than happy with i3wm + dmenu (2 monitors).
My second choice is dwm (from suckless team, again a tiling wm).
Third choice: Openbox.
 
Phishfry said:
Yes there are additional LXDE setup programs. I have not used it in over 8 years so I am unqualified to say. I seem to remember openbox underneath.
Click to expand...
LXDE uses ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml

and also ~/.config/lxsession/LXDE/autostart

One thing I've never figured out is where it puts is icons and pointers and does it use Openbox's icons and pointers or does it provide its own?
 
When I had a multi-monitor setup, I used only dwm. The reason was that I could put monitor one on tag 1 and monitor 2 on tag 2 etc. With Openbox, I if I went to desktop 2 all monitors went to desktop 2, but dwm would enable me to have any tag on any monitor. Phishfry, when I last used LXDM, it definitely had openbox underneath, but that was many years ago, I don't know what it does now, and also, it seems to have lost out to LXQT
 
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