1.1 What is Window Maker?

Window Maker is an elegant X11 window manger that emulates the OpenStep desktop with some noticeable enhancements. Look here and here for example screenshots.


1.2 Where can I get Window Maker?

The official site to get new developmental versions from is ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/beta/srcs/.

NOTE: See here for the latest Stable and Development versions.

The development versions are usually very stable themselves, so if you want to have all the newest features, you can rather safetly go with the development versions. Just remember to save any unsaved data before you go playing around with the config files. Also, remember they are developmental versions, so your mileage may vary, don't get angry if they crash.

Mirrors


1.3 Where are the mailing lists and archives?

Phillip Smith from Netplex, our wonderful host of windowmaker.org, has set up some new lists from the domain. Please read the information on the web pages at http://www.windowmaker.org/lists.html for information on how to subscribe, the posting guidelines, and how to access the web archives.

http://windowmaker.org/lists/wm-user/ is the user archive.

http://windowmaker.org/lists/wm-dev/ is the developer archive.

Many thanks to Ed Orcutt who hosted the original lists from his own machine for many years and Caldera who graciously allowed Ed to continue hosting from them when he moved to his new position with them. Ed provided a very valuable service for many years and we are sad to see him go.


1.4 Where is more documentation on configuring Window Maker?

Besides the mailing list archives, there are nice documents in ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/docs/, here on my download page and here in the online user-guide.


1.5. How can I get a question added to the FAQ?

Right now, the only method is to mail Chris Green <sprout@dok.org> or myself <largo@current.nu> the question or post it on the Window Maker Mailing list, and see if enough people have the same problem.

If you are a developer and would like to be able to edit the official FAQ on Chris's site, let him know.

He is currently pondering writing a front end that allows everyone to add entries and only require a moderator approval before being posted.


1.6. How do I report bugs?

You can look at the BUGFORM file in your tarball of Window Maker. Alternatively, you can use the Window Maker Bugtracker at http://windowmaker.org/cgi-bin/bugs.


1.7. Is there an anomymous cvs server?

Yes there is. To check out from cvs, first 
export CVSROOT=":pserver:anoncvs@cvs.net-community.com:/gnustep"
            cvs login
'anoncvs' is the password.

Then issue the command. "wm" is the name of the module. 

cvs -z3 checkout -d WindowMaker wm
To update your source tree, cd to the WindowMaker directory and type 

cvs -z3 update
inside the WindowMaker directory.




1.8. Where is the Window Maker IRC channel?

You can find large groups of Window Maker users on both 'EFnet' and 'the Open Projects Network' in the #WindowMaker channel.

Some irc servers you can use include:

for EFnet: for the Open Projects Network:


1.9 What is an appicon?

An appicon is the icon (without the tiny titlebar a minimized application icon has) produced by most applications that initially is in the bottom left corner of the screen while an application is running. For an example, run xterm and notice the icon in the corner. (Make sure that you use xterm and not a default older rxvt because older versions of rxvt do not properly set their window attributes.)

For a more indepth discussion of how an appicon relates to Window Maker, see question 1.10.


1.10. What is the difference between an appicon, a miniwindow, and a minimized application?

Thanks to Jim Knoble <jmknoble@pobox.com> for this answer.

Many window managers are capable of turning large windows into smaller `icons' which represent the window yet don't take as much screen real estate. We're all familiar with that model.

Window Maker has two kinds of these icons. One kind is created when an application---technically, a window group---is started. It represents the entire application and is called an `appicon'. Such icons are square tiles containing only the picture which represents the application; they have no titles.

The second kind of icon in Window Maker is created when a particular window (possibly one belonging to an application displaying more than one window) is `miniaturized' (which is the same action as `minimizing' or `iconifying' in other window management models) using the miniaturization button on the window's titlebar. These miniaturized windows are called `miniwindows' and can normally be distinguished from appicons by their small titlebar at the top of the tile.


1.11. Where can I find the FAQ in different languages?

There is now a French Translation of this FAQ by <Guillaume.Duwelz-Rebert@bsf.alcatel.fr> available at http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~grapeape/wmfaq-fr.html.

There is a Japaneese Translation at http://www.nurs.or.jp/~gen56/wmaker/wmfaq_j.html that is maintained by Seiji Eto <seto@slip.net>.

There is a Thai version at http://www.maliwan.org/wmfaq.html

There is a Portuguese verion maintained by Ricardo Sartori <sartori@inf.ufsc.br> at http://www.inf.ufsc.br/~sartori/wmfaq_pt.htm.

There is a German version maintained by Helmut Semmelmayer <h.semmelmayer@kabsi.at> at http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~grapeape/wmfaq-de.html

There is a Turkish version maintained by Kaya Oguz <kayaoguz@yahoo.com> at http://www.geocities.com/kayaoguz/windowmaker/wmfaq-tr.html