Table of contents
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.
dwm is considered a good choice for users who value performance, simplicity, and customizability. However, it might not be suitable for everyone due to its steep learning curve and the requirement to modify its source code for customization.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if dwm is good.
Check the traffic stats of dwm on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of dwm on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of dwm's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of dwm on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about dwm on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
Caffeine.wiki/x220, where Rodrigo Franco (caffo) tuned Arch + dwm on a Thinkpad X220 for a cheap, durable and low-profile machine he could use anywhere (sketchy coffee shops included). - Source: dev.to / 10 days ago
I can't remember the last time I resized a window. Does everyone not already install Magnet or an alternative first-thing to emulate the impeccable DWM? https://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
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 1 year ago
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 / over 1 year ago
Https://dwm.suckless.org/ > This keeps its userbase small and elitist.. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
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 / almost 2 years ago
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 2 years ago
> Their philosophy[1] says nothing of the sort Their philosophy doesn't, but their page for dwm[0] does :D "Because dwm is customized through editing its source code, it's pointless to make binary packages of it. This keeps its userbase small and elitist. No novices asking stupid questions. There are some distributions that provide binary packages though." [0] https://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
I was looking for a minimal linux distribution that is light on resources, and I found one called Metis Linux, which is based on Artix. The interesting part of metis is that it wasn't using a desktop environment, but a windows manager called dwm. At the time, metis linux had a minimal bash script installer via chroot. This took longer to setup, but I had a better understanding of what the setup involved rather... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
The window manager in this screenshot is DWM in floating mode (https://dwm.suckless.org) with a lot of patches and a compositor (to make DWM support transparency). And the terminal is st with some patches. Both should be compiled from source manually. And both are configured in C. Source: almost 3 years ago
In my programs there's usually a core insight or mental model that makes the code simple and straightforward to understand. What does someone need to have in their mind to understand this program? Then time happens and then the code is adapted and refactored and more features are added, then the original gem of mental model is hidden by hundreds of files and the algorithm is split into 10s of files for the little... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
Https://surf.suckless.org/ ah, the memories this + dwn https://dwm.suckless.org/ then I said to myself "why am I wasting so much time tinkering with stuff that gains me nothing" and moved on in my life. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
Https://dwm.suckless.org/ is probably the smallest example you can find. You could try to see if you can change it to your liking. Source: about 3 years ago
No it doesn't. Wayland is the window server. (DWM)[https://dwm.suckless.org] allows new windows to automatically be tiled when created. It also allows you also to change the way the tiling occurs when new windows are opened. My new windows used to split an ever smaller portion of my screen in a fibonacci spiral based layout. I could also move between windows with hotkeys. Rectangle is useful in a pinch, but it's... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
Im not sure weather or not I should mention penrose an dwm here :D you can configure even more than with kde (and my setup ended up way beyond anything recognisable). Source: about 3 years ago
Although it isn't a fully-fledged DE, dwm can do this. Source: over 3 years ago
I went with Dwm just because Luke Smith has a full library of videos (noobs & advanced) about it. And it is very easy to patch and configure however you like even if you don't code at all. (Hint for y'all: for .rej files use vsplit in vim to fix them in no time). https://dwm.suckless.org/. Source: over 3 years ago
Probably obvious from some of the bullet points, but this is not a gaming rig. I run Debian Linux on it and run it as a workstation for computer programming as well as heavily testing out infrastructure related tools. I hate the typical desktop environments like Gnome and KDE, so I just run a window manager (dwm) to mostly manage rxvt terminals and Firefox. So it's pretty lightweight as far as the environment... Source: over 3 years ago
General population needs a "desktop," I get it. But for those comfortable with the CLI, a window manager (e.g., one that does not suck [0]) should be good enough. (Coming from personal experience - used Gnome/KDE/XFCE, enjoyed them all, in the end went back to blissful world of MWM.) [0] http://dwm.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
You can take a look at the amd64 packages to check if all the software you need is available. There are KDE packages, I don't know if in sum they yield a whole "desktop evironment." I personally am using dwm, possibly looking to switch to cwm(1) in the future, which is part of the base system. Source: over 3 years ago
You could us a dynamic window manager like https://dwm.suckless.org/ and code yourself a dead area wherever you like. If you use a black background in the unused area it should be transparent through the glasses. Source: over 3 years ago
The dynamic window manager (dwm) from suckless.org has garnered a reputation that resonates with a specific subset of the Linux user community, characterized by its emphasis on minimalism, efficiency, and customization via source code. Unlike some of its more user-friendly contemporaries, dwm requires users to engage with C code directly, making it appealing to those who prefer a hands-on, customizable approach.
Overall, dwm is esteemed within specialized circles for its lightweight nature and simplicity. Users who value lean and efficient software commend it as a tool that prioritizes functionality over frills. Its minimal design does not cater to the novice, positioning dwm as an elitist choice among window managers. This could be seen as a feature or a flaw, depending on perspective.
One of the standout aspects of dwm is that it is customized through editing its source code—a hallmark of the suckless philosophy. This customization approach, while daunting for beginners, is praised by experienced users who appreciate the control it affords. This closely aligns with the philosophy that simplicity through reduced complexity yields a more secure and efficient solution. Dwm eschews configuration files or scripting languages in favor of direct code modifications, making a working knowledge of C essential.
Dwm is particularly favored by users who are willing to trade ease of configuration for performance. Its tiling capabilities, dynamic workspaces, and keyboard-driven interface offer speed and flexibility. Users highlight its energy efficiency—being lightweight minimizes the footprint on system resources, a feature appreciated by those running resource-constrained environments.
Some critiques of dwm center on its steep learning curve. The requirement to compile the application from source, and modify it via code, can be a barrier to entry for less technical users or those new to Linux. Additionally, there are voiced concerns about its limited functionality out-of-the-box compared to more feature-complete managers like i3 or awesome WM.
Dwm’s market positioning as a niche product within the tiling window manager ecosystem has a double-edged appeal—its simplicity drives a dedicated, albeit smaller, user base. The suckless community is noted as being supportive but not particularly novice-friendly, with interaction standards that presuppose a degree of technical competence.
Dwm exerts its charm on users who value performance, control, and minimalism over graphical user interfaces and configuration simplicity. Its influence is seen in other window managers, reflecting its standing as a foundational tool in its category. While it is not poised to replace more user-friendly window managers in mainstream use, it continues to inspire and serve a dedicated audience seeking purity in their computing environments.
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