mwm(1)
mwm — The Motif Window Manager
Description
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mwm — The Motif Window Manager
mwm [options]
The mwm window manager provides functions that facilitate control (by the user and the programmer) of elements of window state such as placement, size, icon/normal display, and input-focus ownership.
The stand-alone window manager is not an integral part of CDE and does not support communication with other components in the CDE environment, such as the Style Manager and the Session Manager.
This option specifies the display to use; see X(1).
This option specifies a resource string to use.
This option causes mwm to manage all screens on the display. The default is to manage only a single screen.
This option causes mwm to retrieve its resources using the specified name, as in name*resource.
This option specifies the resource names to use for the screens managed by mwm. If mwm is managing a single screen, only the first name in the list is used. If mwm is managing multiple screens, the names are assigned to the screens in order, starting with screen 0. Screen 0 gets the first name, screen 1 the second name, and so on.
The following sections describe the basic default behaviors of windows, icons, the icon box, input focus, and window stacking. The appearance and behavior of the window manager can be altered by changing the configuration of specific resources. Resources are defined under the heading "X DEFAULTS."
By default, mwm manages only the single screen specified by the -display option or the DISPLAY environment variable (by default, screen 0). If the -multiscreen option is specified or if the multiScreen resource is True, mwm tries to manage all the screens on the display.
When mwm is managing multiple screens, the -screens option can be used to give each screen a unique resource name. The names are separated by blanks, for example, -screens scr0 scr1. If there are more screens than names, resources for the remaining screens will be retrieved using the first name. By default, the screen number is used for the screen name.
Default mwm window frames have distinct components with associated functions:
In addition to displaying the client's title, the title area is used to move the window. To move the window, place the pointer over the title area, press button 1 and drag the window to a new location. By default, a wire frame is moved during the drag to indicate the new location. When the button is released, the window is moved to the new location.
The title bar includes the title area, the minimize button, the maximize button, and the window menu button. In shaped windows, such as round windows, the title bar floats above the window.
To turn the window into an icon, click button 1 on the minimize button (the frame box with a small square in it).
To make the window fill the screen (or enlarge to the largest size allowed by the configuration files), click button 1 on the maximize button (the frame box with a large square in it).
The window menu button is the frame box with a horizontal bar in it.
To pull down the window menu, press button 1. While pressing, drag the pointer
on the menu to your selection, then release the button when your selection
is highlighted. Pressing button 3 in the title bar or resize border handles
also posts the window menu. Alternately, you can click button 1 to pull down
the menu and keep it posted; then position the pointer and select. You can
also post the window menu by pressing
The following table lists the contents of the window menu.
tab(); lw(1.803823i) lw(1.062374i) lw(2.633803i). SelectionAcceleratorDescription RestoreT{ Restores the window to its size before minimizing or maximizing. T} MoveT{ Allows the window to be moved with keys or mouse. T} SizeAllows the window to be resized. MinimizeTurns the window into an icon. MaximizeMakes the window fill the screen. LowerT{ Moves window to bottom of window stack. T} CloseAlt+F4Causes client to terminate.
To change the size of a window, move the pointer over a resize border handle (the cursor changes), press button 1, and drag the window to a new size. When the button is released, the window is resized. While dragging is being done, a rubber-band outline is displayed to indicate the new window size.
An optional matte decoration can be added between the client area and the window frame (see the matteWidth resource). A matte is not actually part of the window frame. There is no functionality associated with a matte.
Icons are small graphic representations of windows. A window can be minimized (iconified) using the minimize button on the window frame. Icons provide a way to reduce clutter on the screen.
Pressing mouse button 1 when the pointer is over an icon causes the icon's window menu to pop up. Releasing the button (press + release without moving mouse = click) causes the menu to stay posted. The menu contains the following selections:
tab(); lw(0.913000i) lw(1.144000i) lw(3.443000i). SelectionAcceleratorDescription RestoreOpens the associated window. MoveT{ Allows the icon to be moved with keys. T} SizeInactive (not an option for icons). MinimizeInactive (not an option for icons). MaximizeT{ Opens the associated window and makes it fill the screen. T} LowerMoves icon to bottom of icon stack. CloseAlt+F4T{ Removes client from mwm management. T}
Note that pressing button 3 over an icon also causes the icon's window menu to pop up. To make a menu selection, drag the pointer over the menu and release button 3 when the desired item is highlighted.
Double-clicking button 1 on an icon invokes the f.restore_and_raise function and restores the icon's associated window to its previous
state. For example, if a maximized window is iconified, double-clicking button
1 restores it to its maximized state. Double-clicking button 1 on the icon
box's icon opens the icon box and allows access to the contained icons. (In
general, double-clicking a mouse button is a quick way to perform a function.)
Pressing
When icons begin to clutter the screen, they can be packed into an icon box. (To use an icon box, mwm must be started with the icon box configuration already set.) The icon box is a mwm window that holds client icons. It includes one or more scroll bars when there are more window icons than the icon box can show at the same time.
Icons in the icon box can be manipulated with the mouse. The following table summarizes the behavior of this interface. Button actions apply whenever the pointer is on any part of the icon. Note that double-clicking an icon in the icon box invokes the f.restore_and_raise function.
tab(); lw(0.841046i) lw(1.051308i) lw(3.607646i). ButtonActionDescription Button 1clickSelects the icon. Button 1double-clickT{ Normalizes (opens) the associated window. Raises an already open window to the top of the stack. T} Button 1dragMoves the icon. Button 3pressT{ Causes the menu for that icon to pop up. T} Button 3dragT{ Highlights items as the pointer moves across the menu. T}
Pressing mouse button 3 when the pointer is over an icon causes the menu for that icon to pop up.
tab(); lw(0.885312i) lw(1.062374i) lw(3.552314i). SelectionAcceleratorDescription RestoreT{ Opens the associated window (if not already open). T} MoveT{ Allows the icon to be moved with keys. T} SizeInactive. MinimizeInactive. MaximizeT{ Opens the associated window (if not already open) and maximizes its size. T} LowerInactive. CloseAlt+F4T{ Removes client from mwm management. T}
To pull down the window menu for the icon box itself, press button 1 with the pointer over the menu button for the icon box. The window menu of the icon box differs from the window menu of a client window: The "Close" selection is replaced with the "PackIcons Shift+Alt+F7" selection. When selected, PackIcons packs the icons in the box to achieve neat rows with no empty slots.
You can also post the window menu by pressing
The mwm window manager supports (by default) a keyboard input focus policy of explicit selection. This means when a window is selected to get keyboard input, it continues to get keyboard input until the window is withdrawn from window management, another window is explicitly selected to get keyboard input, or the window is iconified. Several resources control the input focus. The client window with the keyboard input focus has the active window appearance with a visually distinct window frame.
The following tables summarize the keyboard input focus selection behavior:
tab(); lw(0.880482i) lw(0.844298i) lw(1.350877i) lw(2.424342i). ButtonActionObjectFunction Description Button 1pressWindow / window frameKeyboard focus selection. Button 1pressIconKeyboard focus selection.
tab(); lw(1.394366i) lw(4.105634i). Key ActionFunction Description [Alt][Tab]T{ Move input focus to next window in window stack (available only in explicit focus mode). T} [Alt][Shift][Tab]T{ Move input focus to previous window in window stack (available only in explicit focus mode). T}
There are two types of window stacks: global window stacks and an application's local family window stack.
The global stacking order of windows may be changed as a result of setting the keyboard input focus, iconifying a window, or performing a window manager window stacking function. When keyboard focus policy is explicit the default value of the focusAutoRaise resource is True. This causes a window to be raised to the top of the stack when it receives input focus, for example, by pressing button 1 on the title bar. The key actions defined in the previous table will thus raise the window receiving focus to the top of the stack.
In pointer mode, the default value of focusAutoRaise is False, that is, the window stacking order is not changed when a window receives keyboard input focus. The following key actions can be used to cycle through the global window stack.
tab(); lw(1.567982i) lw(3.932018i). Key ActionFunction Description [Alt][ESC]T{ Place top window on bottom of stack. T} [Alt][Shift][ESC]T{ Place bottom window on top of stack. T}
By default, a window's icon is placed on the bottom of the stack when the window is iconified; however, the default can be changed by the lowerOnIconify resource.
Transient windows (secondary windows such a dialog boxes) stay above their parent windows by default; however, an application's local family stacking order may be changed to allow a transient window to be placed below its parent top-level window. The following arguments show the modification of the stacking order for the f.lower function.
Lowers the transient window within the family (staying above the parent) and lowers the family in the global window stack.
Lowers the transient window within the family (staying above the parent) but does not lower the family in the global window stack.
Lowers the window free from its family stack (below the parent), but does not lower the family in the global window stack.
The arguments within and freeFamily can also be used with f.raise and f.raise_lower.
The window manager is an X Session Management Protocol aware client. It responds to SaveYourself (and other associated messages) by saving the geometries of its clients to a state file. mwm can then be restarted by the XSMP session manager. The default location for the state file is $HOME/.mwmclientdb. This location can be overridden with the resource sessionClientDB.
The mwm command is configured from its resource database. This database is built from the following sources. They are listed in order of precedence, low to high:
/etc/X11/app-defaults/Mwm
$HOME/Mwm
RESOURCE_MANAGER root window property or $HOME/.Xdefaults
XENVIRONMENT variable or $HOME/.Xdefaults-host
mwm command line options
The file names /etc/X11/app-defaults/Mwm and $HOME/Mwm represent customary locations for these files. The actual location of the system-wide class resource file may depend on the XFILESEARCHPATH environment variable and the current language environment. The actual location of the user-specific class resource file may depend on the XUSERFILESEARCHPATH and XAPPLRESDIR environment variables and the current language environment.
Entries in the resource database may refer to other resource files for specific types of resources. These include files that contain bitmaps, fonts, and mwm specific resources such as menus and behavior specifications (for example, button and key bindings).
Mwm is the resource class name of mwm and mwm is the default resource name used by mwm to look up resources. the -screens command line option specifies resource names, such as "mwm_b+w" and "mwm_color".) In the following discussion of resource specification, "Mwm" and "mwm" (and the aliased mwm resource names) can be used interchangeably, but "mwm" takes precedence over "Mwm".
The mwm command uses the following types of resources:
These resources specify appearance attributes of window manager user interface components. They can be applied to the appearance of window manager menus, feedback windows (for example, the window reconfiguration feedback window), client window frames, and icons.
These resources specify mwm appearance and behavior (for example, window management policies). They are not set separately for different mwm user interface components. They apply to all screens and workspaces.
These resources specify the appearance and behavior of mwm elements that are settable on a per-screen basis.
These mwm resources can be set for a particular client window or class of client windows. They specify client-specific icon and client window frame appearance and behavior.
Resource identifiers can be either a resource name (for example, foreground) or a resource class (for example, Foreground). If the value of a resource is a filename and if the filename is prefixed by "~/", then it is relative to the path contained in the HOME environment variable (generally the user's home directory).
The syntax for specifying component appearance resources that apply to window manager icons, menus, and client window frames is Mwm* resource_id
For example, Mwm*foreground is used to specify the foreground color for mwm menus, icons, client window frames, and feedback dialogs.
The syntax for specifying component appearance resources that apply to a particular mwm component is Mwm*[menu|icon|client|feedback] *resource_id
If menu is specified, the resource is applied only to mwm menus; if icon is specified, the resource is applied to icons; and if client is specified, the resource is applied to client window frames. For example, Mwm*icon*foreground is used to specify the foreground color for mwm icons, Mwm*menu*foreground specifies the foreground color for mwm menus, and Mwm*client*foreground is used to specify the foreground color for mwm client window frames.
The appearance of the title area of a client window frame (including window management buttons) can be separately configured. The syntax for configuring the title area of a client window frame is Mwm*client*title* resource_id
For example, Mwm*client*title*foreground specifies the foreground color for the title area. Defaults for title area resources are based on the values of the corresponding client window frame resources.
The appearance of menus can be configured based on the name of the menu. The syntax for specifying menu appearance by name is Mwm*menu* menu_name*resource_id
For example, Mwm*menu*my_menu*foreground specifies the foreground color for the menu named my_menu. The user can also specify resources for window manager menu components, that is, the gadgets that comprise the menu. These may include for example, a menu title, title separator, one or more buttons, and separators. If a menu contains more than one instance of a class, such as multiple PushButtonGadgets, the name of the first instance is "PushButtonGadget1", the second is "PushButtonGadget2", and so on. The following list identifies the naming convention used for window manager menu components:
Menu Title LabelGadget - "TitleName"
Menu Title SeparatorGadget - "TitleSeparator"
CascadeButtonGadget - "CascadeButtonGadget
PushButtonGadget - "PushButtonGadget
SeparatorGadget - "SeparatorGadget
Refer to the man page for each class for a list of resources that can be specified.
The following component appearance resources that apply to all window manager parts can be specified:
tab(); lw(1.802521i) lw(1.571429i) lw(1.178571i) lw(0.947479i). NameClassValue TypeDefault backgroundBackgroundcolorvaries\(dg backgroundPixmapBackgroundPixmapstring\(dg\(dgvaries\(dg bottomShadowColorForegroundcolorvaries\(dg bottomShadowPixmapForegroundstring\(dg\(dgvaries\(dg fontListFontListT{ string\(dg\(dg\(dg T}"fixed" foregroundForegroundcolorvaries\(dg saveUnderSaveUnderT/FF topShadowColorBackgroundcolorvaries\(dg topShadowPixmapTopShadowPixmapstring\(dg\(dgvaries\(dg
\(dgThe default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen. \(dg\(dgImage name. See XmInstallImage(3). \(dg\(dg\(dgX11 X Logical Font Description
This resource specifies the background color. Any legal X color may be specified. The default value is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
This resource specifies the background Pixmap of the mwm decoration when the window is inactive (does not have the keyboard focus). The default value is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
This resource specifies the bottom shadow color. This color is used for the lower and right bevels of the window manager decoration. Any legal X color may be specified. The default value is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
This resource specifies the bottom shadow Pixmap. This Pixmap is used for the lower and right bevels of the window manager decoration. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
This resource specifies the font used in the window manager decoration. The character encoding of the font should match the character encoding of the strings that are used. The default is "fixed."
This resource specifies the foreground color. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
This is used to indicate whether "save unders" are used for mwm components. For this to have any effect, save unders must be implemented by the X server. If save unders are implemented, the X server saves the contents of windows obscured by windows that have the save under attribute set. If the saveUnder resource is True, mwm will set the save under attribute on the window manager frame of any client that has it set. If saveUnder is False, save unders will not be used on any window manager frames. The default value is False.
This resource specifies the top shadow color. This color is used for the upper and left bevels of the window manager decoration. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
This resource specifies the top shadow Pixmap. This Pixmap is used for the upper and left bevels of the window manager decoration. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.