NAME¶
9wm - 8-1/2-like Window Manager for X
SYNOPSIS¶
9wm [
-grey ] [
-version ] [
-font fname ] [
-term termprog ] [
exit|
restart ]
DESCRIPTION¶
9wm is a window manager for X which attempts to emulate the window
management policies of Plan 9's
8-1/2 window manager.
The
-grey option makes the background light grey, as does 8-1/2. Use this
option for maximum authenticity.
-font fname sets the font in
9wm's menu to
fname, overriding the default.
-term
termprog specifies an alternative program to run when the
New
menu item is selected.
-version prints the current version on standard
error, then exits.
To make
9wm exit, you have to run
9wm exit on the command line.
There is no ``exit'' menu item.
9wm is click-to-type: it has a notion of the current window, which is
usually on top, and always has its border darkened. Characters typed at the
keyboard go to the current window, and mouse clicks outside the current window
are swallowed up by
9wm. To make another window the current one, click
on it with button 1. Unlike other X window managers, 9wm implements `mouse
focus': mouse events are sent only to the current window.
A menu of window operations is available by pressing button 3 outside the
current window. The first of these,
New, attempts to spawn a
9term process (or
xterm if
9term is not available). The
new
9term will request that its outline be swept using button 3 of the
mouse, by changing the cursor. (
xterm defaults to a fixed size, and
thus wants to be dragged; pressing button 3 places it.)
The next four menu items are
Reshape,
Move,
Delete, and
Hide. All of the operations change the cursor into a target, prompting
the user to click button 3 on one of the windows to select it for the
operation. At this stage, clicking button 1 or 2 will abort the operation.
Otherwise, if the operation was
Resize, the user is prompted to sweep
out the new outline with button 3. If it was
Move, the user should keep
the button held down after the initial click that selected the window, and
drag the window to the right place before releasing. In either case, button 1
or 2 will abort the operation.
If the
Delete operation is selected, the window will be deleted when the
button is released. This typically kills the client that owns the window. The
Hide operation just makes the window invisible. While hidden, the
window's name appears on the bottom of the button 3 menu. Selecting that item
brings the window back (unhides it). This operation replaces the iconification
feature provided by other window managers.
BUGS¶
Is not completely compatible with 8-1/2.
There is a currently a compiled-in limit of 32 hidden windows.
SEE ALSO¶
9term(1),
xterm(1).