The XFce Desktop Environment
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# Window Manager

XFwm is the window manager that comes with XFce. It is fully integrated into the environment, providing a homogeneous interface with all XFce applications. Moreover, XFwm is able to handle the most common window hints shared by popular applications such as Motif, SUN Openwindows, KDE and GNOME applications.

Most user options are handled through XFce setup and do not require any script customization. However, if you want access to the full power of xfwm configuration you can read all about it in Part II. Advanced XFwm configuration.

Without any specific customization XFwm provides several builtin menus and functions.

Main menu

  The main menu can be obtained by clicking on the root window with the left mouse button or by pressing [Alt+F2]. This menu provides an access to the most common operations.

Window menu

  The window menu can be obtained by clicking on the root window with the middle mouse button (or both left and right button, if you have only 2 mouse buttons) or by pressing [Alt+F1]. This provides access to functions acting on windows.

Window list

  The window list is obtained by clicking on the root window with the right mouse button. It shows all running applications.

A number of default keyboard shortcuts and mouse bindings for xfwm are defined. These can only be altered through editing the configuration file (see Part II).

Table 4-1. XFwm default keyboard shortcuts

Key | Action
--- | ---
Alt-Tab | Switch application (Next window)
Alt-Tab | Switch application (Previous window)
Alt-Tab | Switch application (Previous window)
Shift-Alt-arrow | Move pointer (fast)
Shift-Ctrl-arrow | Move pointer (slow)
Alt-F1 | Open window menu
Alt-F2 | Open main menu
Alt-F3 | Lower window
Alt-F4 | Close window
Alt-F5 | Next window
Alt-F7 | Move window
Alt-F8 | Resize window
Alt-F9 | Iconfify window
Alt-F10 | Maximize window
Ctrl-F1 to F10 | Switch to desktop 1 to 10

Figure 4-1. Title bar buttons

By default xfwm has 6 buttons on the title bar; three on the left and three on the right. They are numbered from outside to inside, alternating left and right. This means button 1 is the first from the left, button 2 the first from the right, button 3 the second from the left, etc.

Table 4-2. XFwm default mouse bindings

Mouse button | Click | Context | Action
--- | --- | --- | ---
Left or Right | Single | Button 1 | Open window operations menu
Left or Right | Double | Button 1 | Close window
Left or Right | Single | Button 3 | (Un)Stick window
Left or Right | Single | Button 5 | (UnShade) window
Left or Right | Single | Button 6 | Iconify window
Left or Right | Single | Button 4 | (Un)Maximize window
Left or Right | Single | Button 2 | Close window
Left or Right | Single+Shift key | Button 2 | Destroy window
Left | Single | Title bar | Raise/move window
Right | Single | Title bar | (Un)Shade window
Middle | Single | Title bar | Raise/Lower window
Left | Double | Title bar | (Un)Maximize window
Left | Single | Root window | Open main menu
Middle | Single | Root window | Open window operations menu
Right | Single | Root window | Display list of running applications
Middle | Single | Window border | Move window
Right | Single + Shift key | Window border | Move window

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