Window Manager Helper Programs

These are applications you can use to make your Window Manager experience better - application launchers, pagers, menu systems, screen savers, screen lockers, and stranger things. I will for the most part list only applications that work well in multiple WMs (ie. a pager meant specifically for KDE won't be listed). See also the list of X terminals.

This page is updated, but only intermittently: some applications on this page are probably abandoned.

• Backstep - "draws icons for minimized windows on your desktop"
• bbrb - Blackbox background manager
• bbrun - a Blackbox application launcher (abandoned)
• bugn - adds tiling to EWMH-compliant WMs, also appears to work with Windows.
• Cairo-Dock - pretty and customizable dock application, requires compositing. I use this heavily (2015).
• Conky - "a light-weight system monitor."
• dmenu - you'll need something like this in your fluxbox keys file (or equivalent):

  Mod4 P :ExecCommand $(dmenu_path | dmenu -fn 10x20 -nb black -nf white )

  - a type-until-you-match application launcher, and my personal favourite.
• Docky - "Docky is an advanced shortcut bar that sits at the edges of your screen."
• dzen - "Dzen is a general purpose messaging, notification and menuing program for X11. It was desigend to be scriptable in any language and integrate well with window managers like dwm, wmii and xmonad though it will work with any windowmanager." It is generally displayed as a very narrow strip at the top or bottom of the screen with system or menu information. It works well.
• Fluxspace - "blends Fluxbox's window management with new desktop management capabilities. It leverages existing components and the power of Python to help build a flexible desktop environment around Fluxbox and other lightweight window managers."
• fbpanel - "fbpanel is a lightweight, NETWM compliant desktop panel"
• Genmenu - menu generator for several WMs
• GKrellM - stack of system monitor boxes.
• gmrun - a Gnome application launcher
• GOULD - "GTK+ Objects Ultra Light Desktop." Not a WM, provides a set of apps.
• gsmenu - "'gsmenu' is a program that reads a list of entries from standard input (one per line) and provides a visual, grid-based interface from which the user can select ..." Similar to dmenu, written in Haskell.
• hpanel - lists windows, lets you change workspaces, requires NETWM, based on fspanel
• iDesk - icons on the desktop for minimalist WMs.
• IPager - Pager developed for Fluxbox, but works with (some) other WMs.
• kittens - "like screen for applications" (although I don't think it allows disconnect), frames, tabs, and controls other apps in a window manager.
• menushki - menu editor for several WMs
• OBPager - "OBPager is a lightweight pager designed to be used with NetWM-compliant window managers like OpenBox"
• OSD Monitors - "... transparently display various textual monitors on a fixed position of the screen."
• Plank - "Plank is meant to be the simplest dock on the planet." Used by ElementaryOS, and in that context it looks great.
• ppager - a pager for GNOME-compliant WMs
• PyTyle - Adds tiling to EWMH-compliant WMs
• qcon - make any terminal emulator a Quake-style console. (Points to freecode because the website is broken.)
• Qingy - DirectFB graphical replacement for getty that runs on text terminals. I love this, but it can be a bit of a challenge to get started with. Odd monitor setups will cause problems.
• root-tail - displays log files in different colours on your root window.
• screenpager - "a screenwise pager for X workstations running Xinerama. It works like a desktop pager, but acts at the level of screens."
• selectwm - allows you to choose your WM when you start X
• shellshape - "inspired by bluetile," adds tiling features to GNOME.
• SLiM - "SLiM is a Desktop-independent graphical login manager for X11, derived from Login.app. It aims to be light and simple, although completely configurable through themes and an option file; is suitable for machines on which remote login functionalities are not needed."
• Stalonetray - stand-alone freedesktop.org and KDE system tray/notification area.
• Synergy2 - "Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware. It's intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own monitor(s)."
• tabble - tabbed application launcher.
• Tilda - a pull down terminal in the likeness of Quake, Doom, and Halflife.
• Tint2 - taskbar/systray meant for Openbox, works with other WMs as well. I use this on machines not suited to Cairo-Dock (2015).
• Torsmo - a system monitor on your desktop
• VNC - "vnc is a program that allows one to remotely view and interact with real X displays." "Virtual Network Computing" was originally written at AT&T Labs in Britain? Since then it's fragmented terribly, and there are a dozens of clients and servers. I think I used "TightVNC" last time, but I would look into the encrypted ones now, or ensure Tight could be encrypted easily. The link is to a Freecode search.
• wbar - "is a quick launch bar. It's developed with speed in mind and is highly tweakable."
• whaw - "window manager independent window layout tool," brings window tiling to non-tiling WMs.
• Wmconfig - menu generator for several WMs
• wmcontrol - allows command line control of windows in EWMH/NetWM compatible WMs.
• wmtheme - manages themes for several WMs and XMMS
• Workrave - reminds you to take RSI-preventitive breaks
• wumwum - "A window manager manager," which uses ewmh and wmctrl to make a standard WM such as fluxbox or e17 behave like a tiling WM.
• x2vnc - allows one keyboard to control not only its own computer, but any other computer that can run VNC. I used it for years to control both a Linux and a Windows box, with the mouse sliding off one screen onto the other. "Synergy" seems to be considered the better solution these days.
• x2x - "x2x allows the keyboard, mouse on one X display to be used to control another X display. It also shares X clipboards between the displays." I used this extensively for years, but synergy (above) is probably preferable now.
• xdock - emulates Window Maker docks, runs in any WM.
• xdotool - "simulate keyboard input and mouse activity, move and resize windows, etc."
• Xephyr - Xnest replacement with extensions.
• xlayout - control window and mouse positioning from the console
• xlockmore - screen locker and screen saver
• Xpra - 'Xpra gives you "persistent remote applications" for X. That is, unlike normal X applications, applications run with xpra are "persistent" -- you can run them remotely, and they don't die if your connection does.'
• xrun - an X application launcher
• XScreenSaver - do I need to tell you?
• XStickWin - move or resize the focused window from the command line
• xwrits - great little app I've used for years to remind me to take wrist breaks to prevent carpal tunnel. (Memory usage: 504 1244 3244)