zwm is a minimalistic and opinionated tiling window manager for X11. It uses XCB instead of Xlib to communicate with the X server. The underlying data structure for managing windows is a customized BSP tree.
The motivation behind zwm stems from a desire to create a window manager that is both lightweight and highly efficient, yet tailored to how I like to work. Sure, there are other great tiling window managers that perform well and offer robust features, but zwm was developed primarily as a learning exercise in creating a window manager from scratch.
- Minimalism
- Efficiency
- Performance
- Compliance with a subset of ewmh and icccm
- Multiple Layouts (default, master, stack, grid).
- Multiple virtual desktops.
- Multi-monitor support.
- Independent workspaces for each monitor by default.
- Low memory footprint, runs within ~2MB of memory
- Resize, flip, and swap windows or partitions.
- Layouts apply to individual desktops.
- Customizable settings.
- Customizable window rules.
- Keyboard-Driven, fully controlled via keyboard shortcuts.
- Can be integrated with any status bar.
- Config reload on the fly.
ZWM uses binary space partitioning tree (BSP-tree) to store and manage windows. This allows for more flexible layouts.
- Each desktop has its own pointer to a bsp-tree
- The tree is a partition of a monitor's rectangle into smaller rectangular regions.
- Each leaf node holds exactly one window.
- Each node in a bsp-tree either has zero or two children.
- Each internal node is responsible for splitting a rectangle in half.
Window and Partition Structure in a BSP-tree:
The layout of windows in BSPWM follows a binary tree structure:
I ROOT (root is an INTERNAL NODE, unless it is a leaf by definition)
/ \
I I INTERNAL NODES (screen sections/partitions)
/ \ / \
E E E E EXTERNAL NODES (windows/leaves)
- Internal Nodes (I) represent screen sections where windows can be displayed.
- External Nodes (E) represent the actual windows within those sections.
- Windows (E nodes) share the width, height, and coordinates (x, y) of their parent sections (I nodes).
Example Structure:
I
/ \
I I
/ \ / \
E E E I
/ \
E E
Partition Behavior:
- Internal nodes (I) can contain other partitions or be contained within other partitions.
- External nodes (E) are the leaves (actual windows).
Example of tree:
- 1, 2, 3 are leaves/windows (EXTERNAL_NODE).
- a, b are internal nodes (INTERNAL_NODE), or screen sections/partitions.
1 a a
/ \ / \
---> 1 2 ---> 1 b
/ \
2 3
Visualization of Screen Layout:
+-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 |
| | | | | | | |
| 1 | | 1 | 2 | | 1 |-----------|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 |
| | | | | | | |
+-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
Another Example:
- Numbers are the are leaves/windows (EXTERNAL_NODE).
- Letters are internal nodes (INTERNAL_NODE), or screen sections/partitions.
a a a
/ \ / \ / \
1 b ---> c b ---> c b
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \
2 3 1 4 2 3 1 d 2 3
/ \
4 5
+-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
| | | | | | | | |
| | 2 | | 1 | 2 | | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | |
| 1 |-----------| |-----------|-----------| |-----------|-----------|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | 3 | | 4 | 3 | | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
+-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
yay -S zwmAssuming you have void-packages
git clone https://github.com/elbachir-one/void-templates
cp void-templates/zwm/ void-packages/srcpkgs/ # Copying the zwm/ directory that has the template
cd void-packages/
./xbps-src pkg zwm
sudo xbps-install -R hostdir/binpkgs zwm- gcc
- libxcb
- xcb-util
- xcb-util-keysyms
- xcb-util-wm (ewmh,icccm)
- lxcb-randr
- lxcb-xinerama
- lxcb-cursor
git clone https://github.com/Yazeed1s/zwm.git
cd zwm && sudo make installA config file will be generated when you first start zwm. The file can be found in the following location:
- ~/.config/zwm/zwm.conf
border_width = 2
active_border_color = 0x4a4a48
normal_border_color = 0x30302f
window_gap = 10
virtual_desktops = 7
focus_follow_pointer = true- border_width: Defines the width of the window borders in pixels.
- active_border_color: Specifies the color of the border for the active (focused) window.
- normal_border_color: Specifies the color of the border for inactive (unfocused) windows.
- window_gap: Sets the gap between windows in pixels.
- virtual_desktops: sets the number of virtual desktops.
- focus_follow_pointer: If false, the window is focused on click; if true, the window is focused when the cursor enters it.
- For a single command:
exec = "polybar"- To specify additional arguments as a list:
exec = ["polybar", "-c", ".config/polybar/config.ini"]rule = wm_class("window class name"), state(tiled|floated), desktop(1..N)- wm_class: The window class name used to identify the window.
- Use the
xproptool to find the wm_class of a window.
- Use the
- state: Specifies whether the window should be tiled or floated.
- tiled: The window will be tiled... clearly.
- floated: The window will be floated... clearly.
- desktop: The virtual desktop number where the window should be placed.
- Use -1 if you do not want to set it to a specific desktop.
; Example:
rule = wm_class("firefox"), state(tiled), desktop(-1)
; This rule sets "firefox" window to be tiled and does not change its virtual desktop.- The format for defining key bindings is:
bind = modifier + key -> action - If two modifiers are used, combine them with a pipe (|). For example, alt + shift is written as
alt|shift. - Note: Some functions require additional arguments to specify details of the action.
- These arguments are provided using a colon syntax, where the function and its argument are separated by a colon.
- Example:
func(switch_desktop:1)means "switch to desktop 1". - Example:
func(resize:grow)means "grow the size of the window". - Example:
func(layout:master)means "toggle master layout".
- super (meta), alt, shift, ctrl
-
run(...): Executes a specified process.
- Example:
bind = super + return -> run("alacritty") - To run a process with arguments, use a list:
Example:
bind = super + p -> run(["rofi", "-show", "drun"])
- Example:
-
func(...): Calls a predefined function. The following functions are available:
- kill: Kills the focused window.
- switch_desktop: Switches to a specified virtual desktop.
- fullscreen: Toggles fullscreen mode for the focused window.
- swap: Swaps the focused window with its sibling.
- transfer_node: Moves the focused window to another virtual desktop.
- layout: Toggles the specified layout (master, deafult, stack).
- traverse: (In stack layout only) Moves focus to the window above or below.
- flip: Changes the window's orientation; if the window is primarily vertical, it becomes horizontal, and vice versa.
- cycle_window: Moves focus to the window in the specified direction (up, down, left, right).
- cycle_desktop: Cycles through the virtual desktops (left, right).
- resize: Adjusts the size of the focused window (grow, shrink).
- reload_config: Reloads the configuration file without restarting ZWM.
- shift_window: Shift the floating window's position to the specified direction by 10px (up, down, left, right).
- gap_handler: Increase or decrease window gaps (GROW, SHRINK).
- change_state: Set window state (FLAOTING, TILED).
-
Default keys
bind = super + return -> run("alacritty")
bind = super + space -> run("dmenu_run")
bind = super + p -> run(["rofi","-show", "drun"])
bind = super + w -> func(kill)
bind = super + 1 -> func(switch_desktop:1)
bind = super + 2 -> func(switch_desktop:2)
bind = super + 3 -> func(switch_desktop:3)
bind = super + 4 -> func(switch_desktop:4)
bind = super + 5 -> func(switch_desktop:5)
bind = super + 6 -> func(switch_desktop:6)
bind = super + 7 -> func(switch_desktop:7)
bind = super + l -> func(resize:grow)
bind = super + h -> func(resize:shrink)
bind = super + i -> func(gap_handler:grow)
bind = super + d -> func(gap_handler:shrink)
bind = super + f -> func(fullscreen)
bind = super + s -> func(swap)
bind = super + up -> func(cycle_window:up)
bind = super + right -> func(cycle_window:right)
bind = super + left -> func(cycle_window:left)
bind = super + down -> func(cycle_window:down)
bind = shift + up -> func(shift_window:up)
bind = shift + right -> func(shift_window:right)
bind = shift + left -> func(shift_window:left)
bind = shift + down -> func(shift_window:down)
bind = shift + t -> func(change_state:tile)
bind = shift + f -> func(change_state:float)
bind = super|shift + left -> func(cycle_desktop:left)
bind = super|shift + right -> func(cycle_desktop:right)
bind = super|shift + 1 -> func(transfer_node:1)
bind = super|shift + 2 -> func(transfer_node:2)
bind = super|shift + 3 -> func(transfer_node:3)
bind = super|shift + 4 -> func(transfer_node:4)
bind = super|shift + 5 -> func(transfer_node:5)
bind = super|shift + 6 -> func(transfer_node:6)
bind = super|shift + 7 -> func(transfer_node:7)
bind = super|shift + m -> func(layout:master)
bind = super|shift + s -> func(layout:stack)
bind = super|shift + d -> func(layout:default)
bind = super|shift + k -> func(traverse:up)
bind = super|shift + j -> func(traverse:down)
bind = super|shift + f -> func(flip)
bind = super|shift + r -> func(reload_config)More options will be added in the future as development progresses.
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
super + w |
kill/close window |
super + return |
launch a terminal (alacritty) |
super + space |
launch dmenu |
super + p |
launch rofi |
super + [1..N] |
switch to desktop |
super + l |
resize window (grow/expand) |
super + h |
resize window (shrink) |
super + f |
toggle fullscreen |
super + shift + [1..N] |
transfer window to a diff desktop |
super + shift + m |
toggle master layout |
super + shift + s |
toggle stack layout |
super + shift + d |
toggle default layout |
super + shift + j/k |
traverse the stack |
super + shift + f |
flip the window/partion |
super + shift + r |
hot-reload |
super + s |
swap window's orientation |
super + ← |
focus window on the left |
super + ↑ |
focus window above |
super + → |
focus window on the right |
super + ↓ |
focus window below |
super + shift + → |
cycle desktop right |
super + shift + ← |
cycle desktop left |
shift + ← |
shift window to the left by 10px |
shift + ↑ |
shift window up by 10px |
shift + → |
shift window to the right by 10px |
shift + ↓ |
shift window down by 10px |
super + i |
increase window gaps by 5px |
super + d |
decrease window gaps by 5px |
super + t |
tile window |
super + f |
float window |
[module/xwindow]
type = internal/xwindow
format = <label>
; Available tokens:
; %title%
; %instance% (first part of the WM_CLASS atom, new in version 3.7.0)
; %class% (second part of the WM_CLASS atom, new in version 3.7.0)
; Default: %title%
label = %title%
label-maxlen = 50
label-empty = "[null]"[module/ewmh]
type = internal/xworkspaces
label-active = %index%
label-active-background = ${colors.bg}
label-active-underline = ${colors.blue}
label-active-padding = 1
label-occupied = %index%
label-occupied-padding = 1
label-urgent = %index%!
label-urgent-background = ${colors.red}
label-urgent-padding = 1
label-empty = %index%
label-empty-foreground = ${colors.gray}
label-empty-padding = 1
label-separator = " "For further custmization please refer to polybar's wiki.
If you would like to add a feature or to fix a bug please feel free to submit a PR.