Unleash Your Desktop: The Best Fluxbox Alternatives
Fluxbox is a highly regarded window manager for X, renowned for its incredible lightness on resources and swift performance. Based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code, it offers a full-featured yet incredibly fast desktop experience. Built with C++ and licensed under the MIT license, it's a solid choice for many. However, for users seeking different functionalities, more modern approaches, or simply a change of pace, exploring a Fluxbox alternative is a worthwhile endeavor. This article delves into some of the top contenders that offer similar benefits while introducing new possibilities for your desktop environment.
Top Fluxbox Alternatives
Whether you're looking for a tiling masterpiece, a highly configurable experience, or something new in the Wayland ecosystem, these Fluxbox alternatives offer compelling reasons to make the switch.
i3
i3 is a dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C. It's a fantastic Fluxbox alternative for users who prefer a keyboard-driven workflow and automatic window arrangement. Being Free and Open Source, it's available for Linux and BSD, offering features like Tiling Window Manager, Lightweight, Tiling, and X server support.
Openbox
Openbox is a highly configurable, next-generation window manager with extensive standards support. For those who appreciate Fluxbox's configurability but desire even more control, Openbox is a superb Fluxbox alternative. It's Free and Open Source, running on Linux and BSD, providing a minimalist yet powerful base for your desktop.
awesome
awesome is a dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages. It's an excellent Fluxbox alternative if you're looking for an extensible window manager with powerful scripting capabilities. Being Free and Open Source, it's available for Linux and BSD, featuring Extensible window manager, Tiling, and X server support.
Xmonad
xmonad is a dynamically tiling X11 window manager that is written and configured in Haskell. If you spend half your time aligning and searching for windows in a normal WM, xmonad offers a refreshing change as a Fluxbox alternative. It's Free and Open Source, available for Mac and Linux, and boasts features like an Extensible window manager, Tiling, and X server support.
dwm
dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts, all of which can be applied dynamically, optimising your workspace. As a Lightweight Fluxbox alternative, dwm provides a highly efficient and minimal window management experience. It's Free and Open Source, available for Linux and BSD, and features X server support.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a tiling window manager for Mac similar to the xmonad tiling window manager popular on Linux. Written in Objective-C, Amethyst is a great Fluxbox alternative for Mac users seeking a tiling experience. It's Free and Open Source, available for Mac, and includes features like Tiling Layouts, Support for Keyboard Shortcuts, and Tiling.
Sway
Sway is a tiling Wayland compositor and a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager for X11. For those transitioning to Wayland, Sway offers a compelling Fluxbox alternative, maintaining the efficient tiling workflow. It's Free and Open Source, available for Linux, and provides Tiling, Tiling Layouts, and Tiling Window Manager features.
Bluetile
Bluetile is a tiling window manager for Linux, designed to integrate with the GNOME desktop environment. It provides both a traditional, stacking layout mode as well as tiling. As a Fluxbox alternative, Bluetile offers a blend of traditional and tiling window management. It's Free and Open Source, available for Linux, and includes a Snap windows feature.
herbstluftwm
herbstluftwm is a manual tiling window manager for X11 using Xlib and Glib. If you appreciate granular control over your window layouts, herbstluftwm is a powerful Fluxbox alternative. It's Free and Open Source, available for Linux and BSD.
Lumina Desktop Environment
Lumina is a lightweight, BSD licensed, standards-compliant desktop environment based upon Qt and Fluxbox. Developed on PC-BSD, Lumina is a unique Fluxbox alternative that expands upon its core window management capabilities into a full desktop environment. It's Free and Open Source, available for Linux, BSD, and PC-BSD, offering a complete Desktop Environment.
Ultimately, the best Fluxbox alternative depends on your individual needs and preferences. Whether you prioritize tiling, extensibility, a complete desktop environment, or specific platform support, there's a compelling option waiting for you to explore. Experiment with these alternatives to find the perfect fit for your ideal desktop experience.