FVWM3 — MotifCentral

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FVWM3

A maintained, highly configurable X11 window manager in the wider Motif ecosystem.

Role: related X11 window manager. FVWM3 is the successor to FVWM2, providing a configurable environment for managing X windows. Its configuration language and modules support extensively customised desktops. Project website, source and project documentation

FVWM3 belongs here because it can manage Motif applications and is part of the continuing X11 desktop ecosystem. Its window-manager core is not built on the Motif widget toolkit.

FVWM3 desktop managing Motif and Athena examples and an X terminal, with a panel at the right.
FVWM3 using its bundled default configuration, managing the site’s Motif and Athena examples alongside XTerm. Captured locally. FVWM3’s appearance is configurable; the Motif widgets belong to the example application. View full size.

Maintenance and documentation

The project website lists FVWM3 1.1.5 as of September 2026 review. The release history records ongoing changes, while the repository carries current build instructions and issue reporting.

Use the FVWM website as the starting point for manuals and configuration examples. When adapting an older FVWM2 configuration, consult the project’s migration guidance.

Compare MWM and EMWM for window managers in the Motif Window Manager lineage.

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Ready. libXm / Xt / Xlib