Wm2

For the 1986 WWF pay-per-view event, see WrestleMania 2.

"wmx" redirects here. For other uses, see WMX (disambiguation).

wm2

Original author(s)	Chris Cannam
Stable release	4[1][2]  / 21 March 1997
Written in	C++
Operating system	Linux, Unix-like
Type	Window manager
Website	all-day-breakfast.com/wm2/

wm2 is a minimalist reparenting window manager for the X Window System written by Chris Cannam.

History

wm2 was released around 1997 and was inspired by the window manager from the operating system Plan 9.^[3]

Functions

wm2 was designed to have a simple set of features and be fast. It provides support for moving, resizing, and deleting windows, but does not support desktop icons, menus, toolbars, panels, or docks.^[4] Instead of icons, wm2 allows temporary hiding of windows from the desktop environment. Hidden windows can be recovered via a menu from the root window. It does not support interactive configuration, or provide a virtual desktop, and other features of modern window managers such as configurable root menus, toolbars, etc. Configuration options require editing and recompiling a source file and few options are available.^[5][6] wm2 is intended to be configuration free.^[7]

wmx

wmx is a version of wm2 modified to add experimental features otherwise not supported in wm2.^[8][9]

Reception

wm2 was noted as being "very spartan", "bare-bones", and minimalist, though opinions on it were positive as it is allows for easy access to X11 and window management without too much configuration.^[6][10][11] One author noted it used less memory than the other options he tried, getting it to run with only 0.7MB of memory.^[4]

References

1. https://www.all-day-breakfast.com/wm2/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. https://www.all-day-breakfast.com/wm2/wm2-4.tar.gz. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Ayers, Larry (1997-01-24). "A Profusion of Window-Managers". Linux Gazette. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
4. "A Memory Comparison of Light Linux Desktops – Part 2" (PDF). enos.itcollege.ee. 2013-04-09.
5. Ayers, Larry (1997-01-21). "wm2". Linux Gazette. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
6. Burk, Robin (1998). UNIX Unleashed. Sams Pub. p. 476. ISBN 978-0-672-31411-7.
7. Stutz, Michael (2004). The Linux Cookbook, 2nd Edition: Tips and Techniques for Everyday Use. No Starch Press. p. 428. ISBN 978-1-59327-031-5.
8. "wmx". www.all-day-breakfast.com. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
9. "T2 package - trunk - wmx - A window manager for X based on wm2". t2sde.org. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
10. Smith, Roderick W. (2005). Degunking Linux. Paraglyph Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-933097-04-6.
11. Stephens, Ryan K.; Ball, Bill; Smoogen, Stephen (1998). Sams' Teach Yourself Linux in 24 Hours. Sams Pub. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-672-31162-8.

Further reading

• Ball, Bill (2001). The New XFree86. Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade. ISBN 0-7615-3152-1.