Stumpwm

From Encoresoup - The Ultimate Guide to Free/Open Source Software

StumpWM is a window manager for POSIX-compliant Unix-like operating systems running the X Window System. It started as a rewrite of the ratpoison window manager.^[1]

Stumpwm is written in the Lisp dialect Common Lisp. This allows complete reprogramming and customization instantly, without restarts, by running StumpWM in an interactive Common Lisp system like SBCL or CLISP. Using a higher level programing language also made easier to create a window manager that has the same basic paradigm as ratpoison (written in C), but far more malleable and rewritable:

"Stumpwm attempts to be customizable yet visually minimal. There are no window decorations, no icons, and no buttons. It does have various hooks to attach your personal customizations, and variables to tweak."^[2]

StumpWM and Ratpoison emulate Screen and Emacs in many respects. Besides sharing similar default keybindings, they allow rebinding of keys to other commands, writing of commands, access to the Unix shell for scripting, and virtual desktops. Unlike Ratpoison, StumpWM includes a mode-line much like GNU Screen and GNU Emacs have.

As the Debian page describes StumpWM:

"It attempts to be highly customizable while relying entirely on the keyboard for input. You will not find buttons, icons, title bars, tool bars, or any of the other conventional GUI widgets."^[3]

It is intended to continue where ratpoison left off.^[4]

[edit] References

1. ↑ Linux.com review of tiling window managers
2. ↑ Stumpwm homepage -(accessed 6 October 2006)
3. ↑ "Package: stumpwm" -(accessed 6 October 2006)
4. ↑ "StumpWM grew out of the authors' frustration with writing ratpoison in C. Very quickly we realized we were building into ratpoison lispy-emacs style paradigms. We had a REPL hanging off 'C-t :', hooks, and a growing subset of Common Lisp in the implementation ... It was clear what we really wanted was a window manager written in Lisp from the ground up with lots of room for customizing and real-time hacking." "Background" from the StumpWM wiki

[edit] See also

• Sawfish
• Ion
• larswm
• Xmonad
• wmii
• dwm

[edit] External links

• Stumpwm homepage
  • Savannah page.
  • Stumpwm wiki
• CLiki entry for Stumpwm
• Freshmeat: Stumpwm
• Debian package page
• A video demonstrating the Stumpwm experience

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