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 Customized FVWM desktop | |
| Developer(s) | Robert Nation |
|---|---|
| Repository | |
| Written in | C,Perl,Unix Shell |
| Operating system | Unix-like |
| Type | Window manager |
| License | GNU GPL v2, FVWM included inOpenBSD:BSD License[1] |
| Website | www |
TheF Virtual Window Manager (FVWM) is avirtual window manager for theX Window System. Originally atwm derivative, FVWM is now a window manager forUnix-like systems.
In 1993, during his work analyzing acoustic signatures for theUnited States Department of Defense, Robert Nation beganhackingtwm with the intent of simultaneously reducing memory usage and adding support forvirtual desktops.[2]
Already known for hisrxvtterminal emulator, Nation worked on reducing the memory consumption of his new window manager. Deciding to test FVWM's reception, on June 1, 1993, he bundled it with an rxvt release.
In 1994, Rob Nation stopped developing FVWM and made Charles Hines the maintainer. Rob Nation's last release of FVWM was fvwm-1.24r. The post-Rob Nation version of FVWM uses a different configuration file format and has a significantly different architecture. Many Linux distributions, as a result, distributed both fvwm-1.24r and later releases of FVWM as separate programs. As of 2009[update], fvwm-1.24r still compiles and runs on a modern Linux system without any problems. A small number of users continue to use the older FVWM release. In late 1998 the office of FVWM maintainer was abolished and a group of volunteers conducted further development.
Manywindow managers in use today have been influenced by FVWM, notablyAfterstep,Xfce,Enlightenment, andMetisse.
Originally, FVWM was named theFeeble Virtual Window Manager, as stated by Robert Nation in a 1997Linux Journal interview with, who claimed the name had been chosen because original releases had almost no user-selectable features.[2] WhenGoogle published the old newsgroup archives acquired fromDejaNews, the original origin of the name was re-discovered. However, when Chuck Hine was answering questions for the official FVWM Frequently Asked Questions, Chuck had never agreed with the 'feeble' explanation and added alternate possible meanings ofF (as in the name of the window manager) to the FAQ, with many entries coming from mailing list messages.[3]
Many of these features can be disabled at runtime or compile time, or dynamically for specific windows, among many other options. FVWM provides the ability to configure the desktop to work, look, and behave the way the user wants it to.
