# bxwm
A very basic X window manager, a.k.a Brett's X window manager.
## Yet Another Window Manager?
I went down the path of minimalist window managers a very long time
ago. I used [dwm](https://dwm.suckless.org/) for many years. I briefly
tried out both [i3](https://i3wm.org/) and [bspwm](https://github.com/baskerville/bspwm). I've relied on [cwm](https://cvsweb.openbsd.org/xenocara/app/cwm/) for the most recent several years.
One day when I should've been working, I daydreamed about a window
manager that did nothing more nor less than what I needed a window
manager to do. That matched my worflow without tweaking or patching
or scripting or hacking.
Dreaming led to finding minimal window manager source code, then
learning to read C code, then designing, then roadmapping, then
stumbling along writing C code, a lot of trial and error. And voila.
Here is yet another window manager. My window manager. __bxwm__.
A stacking window manager that is purposely opinionated regarding
window placement and sizing, provides a straight forward work
environment, and prefers simplicity and tranquility.
In addition to being the window manager I use every day, __bxwm__
also serves as my primary project for transitioning from writing
shell scripts for automating workflow to writing robust, maintainable
C programs that adhere to my values of minimalism, the Unix
philosophy, and clean, readable API design.
## Dependencies
- Xlib
- A C compiler compliant with the C11 standard (e.g. cproc or gcc).
- bxhkd, basic X hotkey daemon (required for managing key commands).
## Build
To build __bxwm__ from source.
```
make
```
## Install
Install the binary and man page. Note that root privileges are not required as the default desination is `$HOME/.local/`.
```
make install
```
## Uninstall
Remove the binary and man page.
```
make uninstall
```
## Configuration
__bxwm__ is configured at compile-time by editing config.def.h. After making changes, the program must be recompiled and reinstalled. See bxwm(1) for details.
## Design & Functionality
__bxwm__ is built around a set of opinionated primitives:
- Window Sizing & Placement
- New windows are opened at a golden ratio dimension, centered on the screen
- Windows can be moved and resized to
- centered half the width of the screen and full height
- right half of the screen and full height
- left half of the screen and full height
- maximized to full screen height and width, and,
- back to a small screen centered at a golden ratio dimension.
- Stacking
- Windows are maintained in a stack
- The focus follows the stack order, allowing for rapid movement between the “top” and “bottom” windows.
- Workspaces
- There are 10 distinct workspaces available to organize your environment.
- Windows can be moved between workspaces, and navigation is persistent.
Window management commands via hotkeys are sent to __bxwm__ via __bxhkd__.
To start __bxwm__, add the following line to your `~/.xinitrc`:
```
exec bxwm 2> ~/.local/var/log/bxwm.log
```
