Window Manager Testing
April 2022
I remember using blackbox as a window manager on Windows XP (using bb4win) back around 2006 and liked the minimal design. Now I want to explore some other lightweight window managers on my Linux installs. Two I am trying are Fluxbox and Openbox. Both are derived from blackbox code.
Fluxbox is the closest to the original blackbox code and looks very similar. Fluxbox configuration options can be set through the main menu. It comes with a set of themes called styles whereby one can change the look. Selecting one of the styles, which are listed in the main menu, immediately applies it with no further configuration needed. You can also create your own style. A panel is provided that can be placed at the top or bottom of the screen. This is a simple and appealing WM without a lot of frills.
Openbox is also derived from blackbox but rewritten to add functionality. Configuration is through .xml files or with a tool called obconf. It is very minimal visually, providing only a solid color desktop background with neither icons nor panel. The main menu is accessed by a right click on the desktop.