Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

dwm VS Fluxbox

Compare dwm VS Fluxbox and see what are their differences

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dwm logo dwm

dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

Fluxbox logo Fluxbox

Fluxbox is a window manager for X that was based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code.
  • dwm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-12
  • Fluxbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-18

dwm features and specs

  • Lightweight
    dwm is extremely lightweight, resulting in minimal use of system resources. It is designed to have no unnecessary bloat, making it suitable for older hardware or low-spec systems.
  • Customizable
    dwm is highly customizable, with the configuration being done through editing the C source code. This allows for deep customization to meet specific user preferences.
  • Simplicity
    The software is designed with simplicity in mind. It has a straightforward design and a gentle learning curve for users familiar with tiling window managers.
  • Tiling Window Management
    dwm automatically arranges windows in a tiling format, which can help improve productivity by making better use of screen real estate and reducing the need to manually arrange windows.
  • Community Support
    A robust community following and good documentation provide ample support for troubleshooting and extending dwm. Many patches and tips are shared among users.

Possible disadvantages of dwm

  • Steep Initial Learning Curve
    For users not familiar with tiling window managers or who are used to traditional desktop environments, the initial setup and usage might be challenging.
  • Manual Compilation for Configuration
    Configuration changes require editing the source code and recompiling the window manager. This can be inconvenient for users who prefer a dynamic configuration option.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Functionality
    dwm does not come with many features available in other window managers by default. Users might need to apply patches or write custom scripts to get additional functionality.
  • Fewer Graphical Tools
    Since dwm focuses on simplicity and minimalism, it lacks graphical configuration tools, which might deter non-technical users or those who prefer GUI-based management.
  • Compatibility
    Some applications may not play well with dwm's tiling mechanism, requiring additional configuration or even the use of floating mode for specific apps.

Fluxbox features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Fluxbox is a minimalist window manager that uses very little system resources, making it ideal for older or less powerful hardware.
  • Customization
    Offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor the desktop environment to their preferences with themes, styles, and configurable keyboard shortcuts.
  • Speed
    Due to its minimalist design, Fluxbox is very fast and responsive, providing a smooth user experience.
  • Stability
    Fluxbox is known for its stability and reliability, with fewer crashes or performance issues compared to more feature-rich desktop environments.
  • Low Dependencies
    Requires fewer dependencies compared to full-fledged desktop environments, simplifying the installation and maintenance process.
  • Scriptability
    Highly scriptable using shell scripting, providing advanced users with powerful tools to automate and configure their environment.
  • Multiple Desktops
    Supports multiple desktop configurations, allowing users to organize their workspace more efficiently.

Possible disadvantages of Fluxbox

  • Learning Curve
    The minimalist design may be difficult for new users to learn and configure effectively, especially those used to more feature-rich desktop environments.
  • Limited Features
    Lacks many built-in features and utilities that are standard in other desktop environments, requiring users to manually install additional software.
  • Aesthetic
    May not be as visually appealing out-of-the-box compared to other desktop environments, requiring more effort to achieve a polished look.
  • Community Support
    Smaller user community compared to larger desktop environments, potentially making it harder to find help and resources.
  • Compatibility
    Some applications designed for more comprehensive desktop environments may not integrate smoothly with Fluxbox, requiring additional tweaks.
  • Advanced Configuration
    Requires editing text files for certain configurations, which can be intimidating and inconvenient for users who prefer graphical configuration tools.

dwm videos

dwm (suckless) - why I prefer it to i3 [ricing FreeBSD & OpenBSD]

More videos:

  • Review - Super MINIMALIST tiling window manager - dwm
  • Review - Suckless's dwm: So easy even a caveman could do it!

Fluxbox videos

Openbox, Fluxbox or JWM which one do you like?

More videos:

  • Review - Salix OS 13.1.2 Fluxbox Review - Linux Distro Reviews
  • Review - Manjaro's New Fluxbox 15.10 Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to dwm and Fluxbox)
Linux
64 64%
36% 36
Window Manager
61 61%
39% 39
Utilities
62 62%
38% 38
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare dwm and Fluxbox

dwm Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Spectrwm is a fast, compact, and brief reparenting and tiling window manager for X11 that is inspired by xmonad and dwm. It was created to address the problems that xmonad and dwm have. Also check Fulfillify alternatives
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
spectrwm is a small, dynamic, xmonad, and dwm-inspired reparenting and tiling window manager built for X11 to be fast, compact, and concise. It was created with the aim of solving the issues of xmonad and dwm face.
Source: www.tecmint.com
5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux
DWM is, well, a dynamic window manager. Tiling isn’t the only way you can manage your windows. It’s also possible to lay the windows out in a floating or monocle style. All modifications to DWM can be done within its source code. Easy keyboard shortcuts allow for a great navigation experience while managing windows.

Fluxbox Reviews

We have no reviews of Fluxbox yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, dwm seems to be a lot more popular than Fluxbox. While we know about 67 links to dwm, we've tracked only 6 mentions of Fluxbox. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

dwm mentions (67)

  • The Future Is Niri
    Hm, I am using [dwm](https://dwm.suckless.org/) with a custom keybinding to shift to the left or right workspace. That seems similar enough, other than the fact that changing the split ratio will affect all workspaces on dwm while on Niri it most likely will not ... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Shifted 3 Shapes – Making a w3M Logo
    I associate this style with the suckless foundation, even though it is distinct from e.g. The dwm logo. https://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • AT&T says criminals stole phone records of 'nearly all' customers in data breach
    Https://dwm.suckless.org/ > This keeps its userbase small and elitist.. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Tinygrad 0.9.0
    The only one I can think of the dwm window manager (https://dwm.suckless.org/), that used to prominently mention a SLOC limit of 2000. Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the landing page anymore, not sure if it's still in effect. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Show HN: Hancho – A simple and pleasant build system in ~500 lines of Python
    This is sort of the suckless approach. Most (all?) of their projects are customized by editing the source and recompiling. From their window manager, dwm: dwm is customized through editing its source code, which makes it extremely fast and secure - it does not process any input data which isn't known at compile time, except window titles and status text read from the root window's name. You don't have to learn... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

Fluxbox mentions (6)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing dwm and Fluxbox, you can also consider the following products

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

bspwm - A tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning

IceWM - icewm home page . Bug Tracking. If you have a patch, a bug report or a feature request to submit, please do so at the icewm project page at SourceForge.

awesome - A dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages.

Openbox - Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

Xmonad - xmonad is a dynamically tiling X11 window manager that is written and configured in Haskell.