xfwm4 is the window manager used by the Xfce desktop environment. It provides traditional overlapping window management, supporting the movement, resizing, placement and decoration of application windows.
Designed to complement Xfce’s lightweight desktop philosophy, xfwm4 combines efficient window handling with a configurable interface. Users can customise window borders, title bars, keyboard shortcuts and focus behaviour without needing to edit configuration files manually.
xfwm4 includes an integrated X11 compositor which provides window shadows, transparency and other graphical effects. The compositor can be enabled or disabled independently of the window manager’s core functionality.
Although xfwm4 is designed for Xfce, it can also operate independently when accompanied by suitable configuration tools.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Traditional stacking window management with configurable placement and focus policies.
- Integrated compositing manager supporting window transparency and drop shadows.
- Separate opacity settings for window frames, inactive windows, popups and windows being moved or resized.
- Configurable window decorations, title bar buttons and themes.
- Keyboard shortcuts for window manipulation, workspace navigation and desktop operations.
- Window snapping to screen borders and neighbouring application windows.
- Optional automatic tiling when windows are moved towards screen edges.
- Support for multiple workspaces and configurable workspace navigation.
- Multiple monitor support, including HiDPI configurations.
- Configurable focus stealing prevention and window raising behaviour.
- Desktop zoom functionality and additional accessibility-related controls.
- Vertical blank synchronisation using supported GLX or XPresent methods.
- Compliance with relevant freedesktop.org window management specifications.
- Internationalisation and support for different keyboard layouts and languages.
Website: docs.xfce.org/xfce/xfwm4/start
Support:
Developer: Olivier Fourdan and contributors
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
xfwm4 is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Stacking Window Managers | |
|---|---|
| Openbox | Standards compliant, fast, light-weight, extensible window manager |
| KWin | Window manager for the KDE Plasma Desktop |
| Mutter | Wayland display server and X11 window manager and compositor library |
| FVWM | Powerful ICCCM-compliant multiple virtual desktop window manager |
| berry | Healthy, bite-sized window manager |
| xfwm | Part of the Xfce desktop environment |
| Window Maker | NeXTSTEP-like window manager |
| JWM | Joe’s Window Manager |
| Gala | Designed by elementary for use with Pantheon |
| Fluxbox | Highly configurable and low resource |
| evilwm | Maximises screen real estate and provides good keyboard control |
| Worm | Tiny, dynamic, tag-based window manager |
| Blackbox | Similar to the NeXT interface and Window Maker |
| Enlightenment | Focuses on pushing the limits of existing technologies |
| PekWM | Originally based on the aewm++ window manager |
| Marco | MATE default window manager |
| 2bwm | Offers 2 borders, and written over the XCB library |
| cwm | OpenBSD fork of calmwn, a clean and lightweight window manager |
| IceWM | Win95-OS/2-Motif-like window manager |
| Sawfish | Extensible window manager using an Emacs Lisp-like scripting language |
| Moksha | Modern iteration of the Enlightenment window manager |
| Magpie | X11 window manager and compositor library |
| EMWM | Fork of the Motif Window Manager |
| sowm | Itsy bitsy floating window manager |
| CTWM | X11 window manager derived from twm |
| Compiz | OpenGL window and compositing manager |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Compositing Window Managers | |
|---|---|
| sway | i3-compatible tiling Wayland compositor and a replacement for i3 |
| KWin | Window manager for the KDE Plasma Desktop |
| Mutter | Wayland display server and X11 window manager and compositor library |
| Moksha | Modern iteration of the Enlightenment window manager |
| xfwm | Part of the Xfce desktop environment |
| Compiz | OpenGL window and compositing manager |
| Gala | Designed by elementary for use with Pantheon |
| Enlightenment | Focuses on pushing the limits of existing technologies |
| Magpie | X11 window manager and compositor library |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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