Herbstluftwm
herbstluftwm is a manual tiling window manager for X11 using Xlib and Glib. It arranges windows in a grid by default and allows you to switch between layouts using tags and monitors. It features gaps, tabbed or stacked windows, split layouts, floating windows and more.
tiling
keyboarddriven
x11
manual
gaps
tabbed
stacked
split
floating
herbstluftwm: Manual Tiling Window Manager
Herbstluftwm is a manual tiling window manager for X11 using Xlib and Glib, arranging windows in a grid by default and allowing users to switch between layouts using tags and monitors.
What is Herbstluftwm?
herbstluftwm is a fast, lightweight and low resource tiling window manager for X11 using Xlib and Glib. Some key features include:
- Tiling window layouts where windows are arranged efficiently to avoid overlapping
- Support for floating and fullscreen windows in addition to tiled ones
- Dynamic or pre-configured layouts with split or tabbed windows
- Tags and virtual desktops for organizing windows
- Gaps between window borders for aesthetics
- Keyboard-driven workflow for quick window switching
- Multiple monitor support with per-monitor desktop layouts
- Extensibility through shell scripts and plugins
herbstluftwm follows a manual tiling approach where window positions and sizes need to be adjusted manually unlike other automatic tilers. The keyboard driven interaction allows efficient window management without needing a mouse.
With very low memory and CPU footprint, herbstluftwm is highly responsive and suitable for older and lower powered hardware while still being fast and effective on modern systems.
herbstluftwm focuses on simplicity, flexibility and having a minimalistic design without many graphical bells and whistles. It can be customized via editing its plain text configuration files.
Herbstluftwm Features
Features
- Manual tiling window manager
- Arranges windows in a grid by default
- Allows switching between layouts using tags and monitors
- Supports gaps between windows
- Supports tabbed and stacked windows
- Supports split layouts
- Supports floating windows
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Lightweight and fast
Highly customizable
Keyboard driven
Supports multiple monitors well
Cons
Steep learning curve
Configuration can be complex
Not as actively maintained as some other tiling WMs
Official Links
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