cwm2

cwm2 X11 Window Manager

Introducing a next-gen Unix'y Window Manager (Wm) for X11.

This projects aims to explore "new paradigms" in managing window clients under the X-Window System. The config is compiled a la dwm style. If you are familiar with dwm then it should come fairly naturally.

So why yet another Wm?

The X-Window system could be used without a window manager. The Window Manager is a user-level abstraction for the X-Window System. Presented in this program are a combination of features that make this Wm unique. The motivation is not to replicate what already exists in other projects. The following are a genuinely unique combination of features. The codebase has been founded from first principles. Most importantly, the idea here has been to cast the project in such a way that it is relatively easy to extend. Herein is the highly modular aspect of the project's design. The project has to be manageable such that the user is not inhibited or curtailed from making modifications to it in the future. The project has to be simple (even dumb), clean, under control, yet useful. So what are the "new paradigms" I was referring to? We will come to those in due course. The design choices are kept natural and straightforward. We don't conform to any corporate or vested interests.

Features in a nut-shell:

• No relation to cwm, but inspired by dopenbox-wm in the tradition of twm, the canonical Wm for the X-Window System.

• Completely new project imagined, designed & impl. from scratch.

• Borrows and improves the user experience from dwm.

• A highly modularised, "object-oriented" & extensible design.

• An integrated user-interface that uses native X-protocols.

• Integrated blocked memory management.

• A safe implementation in C.

• Tiny demands on system resources.

• Transparent performance.

• Tiling windows.

• Articulated multi-monitor support.

• Dynamic workspaces.

• Open to ricing without using patches.

• Slop free.

• Woke free.

• Cult free.

Build prerequisites/deps:

CC, Make, lib-X11, lib-Xinerama

Distribution: Run make in the project's root directory. This produces the executable cwm2.bin which is all you need to run the program (no shared/dynamic libs required apart from the pre-installed system libs above).

Run make install with elevated privileges to install to the system path.

Add cwm2.bin to your user's .xinitrc and restart the X system.

Release: rc4 (2026-02-10).

Target(s): Any UNIX w/ X-Window System Ver. 11.

This programs runs on (tested) FreeBSD 14.0/.3, Linux (glibc, musl).

User's Guide:

This overarching philosophy is this Wm works on the principle of selections. You select a group of objects (namely clients/windows) and then apply the desired operation on the group. Operations are typically arrangements. It is possible to conceivably implement any number of operations. The default client arrangement is a floating layout (as opposed to, say a dynamic tiling).

The config.h file (in the root directory) initialises the Wm. The config is not entirely bomb-proof -- as such invalid values could result in build and/or runtime errors. The Wm's essential settings are implemented in the calls.c file. It is recommended that you leave calls.c intact for reference, but instead add your own extensions to the usercalls.c file instead.

You can pin simple apps to the tray. The tray is persistant across all views/workspaces.

The panel shows all clients across all workspaces. It is easy to keep track of clients. Clients are easily switchable.

The Wm can be entirely keyboard driven.

You can print a status string to the Wm's name using the shell command:

$ xsetroot -name "..."

The default Call options:

.cmd = "<...>" Fork a command

.call = calls_wk<...> Switch to a wk (between 1, 12)

.call = calls_cli_last Switch to last client

.call = calls_cli<...> Switch to a cli (between 1, 12)

.call = calls_cli_next Switch to next client

.call = calls_cli_prev Switch to prev client

.call = calls_cli_raise_toggle Raise a client

.call = calls_arrange_toggle Toggle client layouts (Tile/Cascade)

.call = calls_cli_fs_toggle Toggle client fullscreen

.call = calls_cli_mode_toggle Toggle client mode

.call = calls_sel_toggle Select current client

.call = calls_sel_clear Clear client selection

.call = calls_cli_last Switch to last focused client

.call = calls_wk_prev Switch to prev wk

.call = calls_wk_next Switch to next wk

.call = calls_wk_map Add a wk

.call = calls_wk_unmap Remove current wk

.call = calls_kill Close current client

.call = calls_cli_wk_prev_move Move client to prev wk

.call = calls_cli_wk_next_move Move client to next wk

.call = calls_cli_wk<...>_move Move client to a wk (between 1, 12)

.call = calls_quit Exit the program

The theme here is simplicity for use and maintenance, transparency, low maintenance, low overheads. It may be simple, but still be fun to use, and sharp for the job.

(C) 2023-2026 doa379