IceWM VS Fluxbox

Compare IceWM VS Fluxbox and see what are their differences

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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.

Fluxbox

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

Landing page //
2023-05-07

Landing page //
2021-09-18

IceWM features and specs

Lightweight
IceWM is designed to be fast and frugal with system resources, making it ideal for older hardware or systems with limited RAM and processing power.
Customizable
Users can easily customize the look and feel of IceWM using themes and configurations without needing advanced technical knowledge.
Simple and Intuitive
The window manager offers a straightforward, no-frills interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for new users.
Stable and Reliable
IceWM is known for its robustness and stability, reducing the likelihood of crashes and bugs compared to more complex window managers.
Efficient with X Resources
IceWM is very efficient in how it utilizes X resources, contributing to its overall speed and responsiveness.
Integrated Taskbar
The built-in taskbar includes features like a system tray, app launcher, and workspace switcher, providing essential functionality without additional software.

Possible disadvantages of IceWM

Limited Advanced Features
IceWM might lack some of the advanced features and eye-candy that are available in more modern or feature-rich window managers and desktop environments.
Basic Default Appearance
Out of the box, IceWM may appear somewhat basic or outdated, requiring user customization to enhance its aesthetics.
Manual Editing for Customization
While IceWM is customizable, it often requires manual editing of text files for configuration, which might be cumbersome for some users.
Limited Community and Support
Compared to more popular desktop environments like GNOME or KDE, IceWM has a smaller user community, which may lead to fewer resources and less community support.
Minimalist Approach
The minimalist approach, while beneficial for resource usage, might not cater to users looking for a fully integrated and richly featured desktop environment.

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.

Analysis of Fluxbox

Overall verdict

Fluxbox is generally well-regarded among users who prioritize performance and customization over extensive features found in more comprehensive desktop environments. It is particularly appreciated by Linux enthusiasts and those who enjoy tweaking their interfaces to suit personal preferences. However, newcomers to Linux or those who prefer a more out-of-the-box, feature-rich environment might find Fluxbox's initial setup and configuration process challenging.

Why this product is good

Fluxbox is a lightweight window manager for the X Window System, known for its speed and simplicity. It is highly customizable, allowing users to modify the look and feel extensively through configuration files. This makes it an attractive choice for users who prefer a minimalist and resource-efficient desktop environment. Its low memory footprint and fast performance are particularly useful for older hardware or systems where resource usage needs to be minimized. Additionally, Fluxbox provides robust window management features, such as tabbed windows and virtual desktops, which can enhance productivity.

Recommended for

Users with older or resource-limited hardware.
Enthusiasts who enjoy customizing their desktop environment.
Linux users looking for a fast and minimalistic window manager.
Advanced users comfortable with manual configuration.

IceWM videos

+ Add

Obscure Window Manager Project - IceWM

Fluxbox videos

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Openbox, Fluxbox or JWM which one do you like?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IceWM and Fluxbox)

Fluxbox

Window Manager

49 49%

Window Manager

51% 51

Linux

49 49%

Linux

51% 51

Utilities

47 47%

Utilities

53% 53

Productivity

52 52%

Productivity

48% 48

User comments

Share your experience with using IceWM and Fluxbox. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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.

IceWM mentions (0)

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

Fluxbox mentions (6)

I Still Use Windows 95 (archived, 2008)
I have been using fluxbox[1] for many years now, happily. It's a very barebones thing (in a good way) while also being highly configurable — customizable keyboard shortcuts, menus, scriptability, etc. It is not a tiling WM. It also doesn't have desktop icons by default. I thought I would miss those, but have found I do not. There are options[2] to add that if you want it. So, my setup is ~8 virtual... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
I'm so undecided about desktop environments, which one should I choose and why are you recommending it? I need a stable, customizable one.
If you want to customize in detail your desktop and are not afraid to edit text files, awesome and fluxbox can be your option. Source: over 2 years ago
What's the good window manager for a beginner?
As far as wms go, I always liked fluxbox and xmonad. Openbox has its fans, and i3 is very popular. I prefer a de over a wm but I know a lot of people use i3. Source: about 3 years ago
What is your development setup (IDE, gems, library, ci/cd etc) for RoR/non-RoR applications development ?
Linux (Fedora), gvim (because it opens a new window instead of taking up yet-another-terminal-tab), fluxbox (because it has awesomely configurable hot-key support), dotfiles, chruby + ruby-install (with rubies installed into /opt/rubies), bundler + rspec + yard + rubygems-tasks + gemspec_yml + GitHub Actions on all of my Ruby projects. Source: over 3 years ago
Any tips to speed up gnome?
You can use cinnamon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_(desktop_environment)) Should work a bit better not perfected. If you are on a potato run fluxbox imo. http://fluxbox.org/. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing IceWM 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.

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

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.

Compiz - Project information. Maintainer: PS Project Management Team. Driver: Compiz Maintainers. Licence: GNU GPL v2, GNU LGPL v2. 1, MIT / X / Expat Licence.

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