herbstluftwm arranges windows through a manual tiling window manager for the X window system.
awesomewm
Awesome is a highly configurable and extensible window manager for X, described as fast and framework-based.
awesomewmawesomewm.orgVisit siteAbout awesomewm
awesome is a configurable framework window manager for the X window system. The site presents it as fast, small, and extensible using the Lua programming language, and notes that it is licensed under the GNU GPLv2 license. The homepage refers to version 4.3 as stable and links to documentation and concepts.
On the site you can read documentation for the stable release and the latest git version, review the documented API and source code, and learn about concepts such as tags, layouts, and multihead setups. The manager supports keyboard-only operation, per-screen tags, XRandR multihead support, several Freedesktop standards, and D-Bus. It also supports Lua extensions for features such as dynamic tagging, widgets, tabs, and layouts.
It is primarily targeted at power users, developers, and people doing everyday computing tasks who want fine-grained control over their graphical environment. Use of the Lua API and keyboard-driven workflow suits readers comfortable editing configuration files.
Key features
- Configurable framework window manager for X using Lua
- Keyboard-only operation without requiring a mouse
- Per-screen tags with XRandR multihead support
- Documented API and source code for configuration
- Supports Freedesktop standards including EWMH and System Tray
- Lua extensions for tagging, widgets, tabs and layouts
Best for: Power users and developers who want keyboard-driven, fine-grained control of an X environment benefit most.
Good for
- Small codebase with focus on speed
- Documented API and source code
- Keyboard can control all functions
- Tag system for grouping windows
Watch out for
- Requires X window system
- Configuration relies on Lua programming
- Targeted at power users rather than beginners
awesomewm at a glance
- Website
- awesomewm.org
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Desktop Customization
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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awesomewm FAQ
What is awesome window manager?
It is a configurable framework window manager for X that uses Lua for extension and configuration. The site provides documentation and API details.
How do I configure awesome?
You configure behavior through its documented Lua API and extensions. The site links to stable and git version docs and concepts.
Does awesome require a mouse?
No, everything can be performed with the keyboard according to the site. It also uses tags instead of workspaces.
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