Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Fluxbox VS Openbox

Compare Fluxbox VS Openbox and see what are their differences

Fluxbox logo Fluxbox

Fluxbox is a window manager for X that was based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code.

Openbox logo Openbox

Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.
  • Fluxbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-18
  • Openbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-06

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.

Openbox features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Openbox is a highly efficient window manager that requires minimal system resources, making it an excellent choice for older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • Customizable
    Openbox offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor the look and feel of their desktop environment to their specific preferences.
  • Fast Performance
    Due to its lightweight nature, Openbox provides fast and responsive performance, resulting in quicker application launches and smoother overall desktop experience.
  • Comprehensive Keybindings
    Openbox supports complex keybindings, enabling power users to create efficient workflow setups through keyboard shortcuts.
  • Extensible
    Openbox can work seamlessly with other tools and additional software, allowing users to extend its capabilities with tools like panels, widgets, and additional plugins.

Possible disadvantages of Openbox

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Openbox requires a more hands-on approach and can be challenging for beginners to set up and configure due to its extensive customization options.
  • Limited Out-of-the-box Features
    Unlike full desktop environments, Openbox does not come with many built-in features, requiring users to install and configure additional software to achieve a fully functional desktop.
  • No Desktop Icons by Default
    Openbox does not support desktop icons natively, so users need to rely on additional tools like 'xfdesktop' or 'pcmanfm' to add this functionality.
  • Minimalistic Appearance
    While some users appreciate the minimalistic look, others might find it too bare-bones compared to more feature-rich environments like GNOME or KDE.
  • Manual Configuration
    Most customizations in Openbox require editing configuration files manually, which can be time-consuming and error-prone for users unfamiliar with text-based configurations.

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

Openbox videos

Get Rid Of That Bloated Desktop Environment And Install Openbox

More videos:

  • Review - Manjaro Openbox: First Impressions and Review
  • Tutorial - Openbox V8S Review- How to get Free TV!!!
  • Review - Open Box Review (Bx8 M-Audio Speakers) #Openbox #SpeakerReview
  • Review - Openbox A1 - Review
  • Review - OPEN BOX - @ikmultimedia TONEX #fyp #opening #openbox #review #guitar

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Fluxbox and Openbox)
Window Manager
49 49%
51% 51
Linux
45 45%
55% 55
Utilities
42 42%
58% 58
Qt
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 Fluxbox and Openbox

Fluxbox Reviews

We have no reviews of Fluxbox yet.
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Openbox Reviews

Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020
People who’re deep into Linux, love Openbox’s simplicity. It’s extremely lightweight, and comes with only a text-based right-click menu that lists all your applications. The menu is customizable too, and you can add scripts or functions within the menu as a link.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Fluxbox seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. 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.

Fluxbox mentions (6)

View more

Openbox mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Openbox yet. Tracking of Openbox recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

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.

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

qtile - Qtile is a full-featured, hackable tiling window manager written in Python.

Xfce - Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.