mwm(1X)
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## Name

mwm(1X) — mwm--The Motif Window Manager mwmwindow manager

## Synopsis

mwm [ `options` ]

## DESCRIPTION

mwm is an X Window System client that provides window management functionality and some session management functionality. It provides functions that facilitate control (by the user and the programmer) of elements of window state such as placement, size, icon/normal display, and input-focus ownership. It also provides session management functions such as stopping a client.

### Options

-display `display` |  | This option specifies the display to use; see X(1).
-xrm `resourcestring` |  | This option specifies a resource string to use.
-multiscreen |  | This option causes mwm to manage all screens on the display. The default is to manage only a single screen.
-name `name` |  | This option causes mwm to retrieve its resources using the specified name, as in `name*resource`.
-screens `name [name [...]]` |  | This option specifies the resource names to use for the screens managed by mwm. If mwm is managing a single screen, only the first name in the list is used. If mwm is managing multiple screens, the names are assigned to the screens in order, starting with screen 0. Screen 0 gets the first name, screen 1 the second name, and so on.

### Appearance

The following sections describe the basic default behaviors of windows, icons, the icon box, input focus, and window stacking. The appearance and behavior of the window manager can be altered by changing the configuration of specific resources. Resources are defined under the heading "X DEFAULTS."

### Screens

By default, mwm manages only the single screen specified by the -display option or the DISPLAY environment variable (by default, screen 0). If the -multiscreen option is specified or if the multiScreen resource is True, mwm tries to manage all the screens on the display.

When mwm is managing multiple screens, the -screens option can be used to give each screen a unique resource name. The names are separated by blanks, for example, -screens mwm0 mwm1. If there are more screens than names, resources for the remaining screens will be retrieved using the first name. By default, the screen number is used for the screen name.

### Windows

Default mwm window frames have distinct components with associated functions:

Title Area |  | In addition to displaying the client's title, the title area is used to move the window. To move the window, place the pointer over the title area, press button 1 and drag the window to a new location. By default, a wire frame is moved during the drag to indicate the new location. When the button is released, the window is moved to the new location.
Title Bar |  | The title bar includes the title area, the minimize button, the maximize button, and the window menu button. In shaped windows, such as round windows, the title bar floats above the window.
Minimize Button |  | To turn the window into an icon, click button 1 on the minimize button (the frame box with a `small` square in it).
Maximize Button |  | To make the window fill the screen or enlarge to the largest size allowed by the configuration files), click button 1 on the maximize button (the frame box with a `large` square in it).
Window Menu Button |  | The window menu button is the frame box with a horizontal bar in it. To pull down the window menu, press button 1. While pressing, drag the pointer on the menu to your selection, then release the button when your selection is highlighted. Pressing button 3 in the title bar or resize border handles also posts the window menu. Alternately, you can click button 1 to pull down the menu and keep it posted; then position the pointer and select. You can also post the window menu by pressing <Shift> <Esc> or <Alt> <Space>. Double-clicking button 1 with the pointer on the window menu button closes the window. The following table lists the contents of the window menu.

Selection | Accelerator | Description
Restore | Alt+F5 | Restores the window to its size before minimizing or maximizing
Move | Alt+F7 | Allows the window to be moved with keys or mouse
Size | Alt+F8 | Allows the window to be resized
Minimize | Alt+F9 | Turns the window into an icon
Maximize | Alt+F10 | Makes the window fill the screen
Lower | Alt+F3 | Moves window to bottom of window stack
Close | Alt+F4 | Causes client to terminate

Resize Border Handles |  | To change the size of a window, move the pointer over a resize border handle (the cursor changes), press button 1, and drag the window to a new size. When the button is released, the window is resized. While dragging is being done, a rubber-band outline is displayed to indicate the new window size.
Matte |  | An optional matte decoration can be added between the client area and the window frame. A matte is not actually part of the window frame. There is no functionality associated with a matte.

### Icons

Icons are small graphic representations of windows. A window can be minimized (iconified) using the minimize button on the window frame. Icons provide a way to reduce clutter on the screen.

Pressing mouse button 1 when the pointer is over an icon causes the icon's window menu to pop up. Releasing the button (press + release without moving mouse = click) causes the menu to stay posted. The menu contains the following selections:

Selection | Accelerator | Description
Restore | Alt+F5 | Opens the associated window
Move | Alt+F7 | Allows the icon to be moved with keys
Size | Alt+F8 | Inactive (not an option for icons)
Minimize | Alt+F9 | Inactive (not an option for icons)
Maximize | Alt+F10 | Opens the associated window and makes it fill the screen
Lower | Alt+F3 | Moves icon to bottom of icon stack
Close | Alt+F4 | Removes client from mwm management

Note that pressing button 3 over an icon also causes the icon's window menu to pop up. To make a menu selection, drag the pointer over the menu and release button 3 when the desired item is highlighted.

Double-clicking button 1 on an icon invokes the f.restore_and_raise function and restores the icon's associated window to its previous state. For example, if a maximized window is iconified, then double-clicking button 1 restores it to its maximized state. Double-clicking button 1 on the icon box's icon opens the icon box and allows access to the contained icons. (In general, double-clicking a mouse button is a quick way to perform a function.) Pressing <Shift> <Esc> or <Menu> (the pop-up menu key) causes the icon window menu of the currently selected icon to pop up.

### Icon Box

When icons begin to clutter the screen, they can be packed into an icon box. (To use an icon box, mwm must be started with the icon box configuration already set.) The icon box is a mwm window that holds client icons. It includes one or more scroll bars when there are more window icons than the icon box can show at the same time.

Icons in the icon box can be manipulated with the mouse. The following table summarizes the behavior of this interface. Button actions apply whenever the pointer is on any part of the icon. Note that double-clicking an icon in the icon box invokes the f.restore_and_raise function.

Button Action | Description
Button 1 click | Selects the icon
Button 1 double-click | Normalizes (opens) the associated window Raises an already open window to the top of the stack
Button 1 drag | Moves the icon
Button 3 press | Causes the menu for that icon to pop up
Button 3 drag | Highlights items as the pointer moves across the menu

Pressing mouse button 3 when the pointer is over an icon causes the menu for that icon to pop up.

Selection | Accelerator | Description
Restore | Alt+F5 | Opens the associated window (if not already open)
Move | Alt+F7 | Allows the icon to be moved with keys
Size | Alt+F8 | Inactive
Minimize | Alt+F9 | Inactive
Maximize | Alt+F10 | Opens the associated window (if not already open) and maximizes its size
Lower | Alt+F3 | Inactive
Close | Alt+F4 | Removes client from mwm management

To pull down the window menu for the icon box itself, press button 1 with the pointer over the menu button for the icon box. The window menu of the icon box differs from the window menu of a client window: The "Close" selection is replaced with the "PackIcons Shift+Alt+F7" selection. When selected, PackIcons packs the icons in the box to achieve neat rows with no empty slots.

You can also post the window menu by pressing <Shift> <Esc> or <Alt> <Space>. Pressing <Menu> (the pop-up menu key) causes the icon window menu of the currently selected icon to pop up.

### Input Focus

mwm supports by default a keyboard input focus policy of explicit selection. This means when a window is selected to get keyboard input, it continues to get keyboard input until the window is withdrawn from window management, another window is explicitly selected to get keyboard input, or the window is iconified. Several resources control the input focus. The client window with the keyboard input focus has the active window appearance with a visually distinct window frame.

The following tables summarize the keyboard input focus selection behavior:

Button Action | Object | Function Description
Button 1 press | Window / window frame | Keyboard focus selection
Button 1 press | Icon | Keyboard focus selection

Key Action | Function Description
[Alt][Tab] | Move input focus to next window in window stack (available only in explicit focus mode)
[Alt][Shift][Tab] | Move input focus to previous window in window stack (available only in explicit focus mode)

### Window Stacking

There are two types of window stacks: global window stacks and an application's local family window stack.

The global stacking order of windows may be changed as a result of setting the keyboard input focus, iconifying a window, or performing a window manager window stacking function. When keyboard focus policy is explicit the default value of the focusAutoRaise resource is True. This causes a window to be raised to the top of the stack when it receives input focus, for example, by pressing button 1 on the title bar. The key actions defined in the previous table will thus raise the window receiving focus to the top of the stack.

In pointer mode, the default value of focusAutoRaise is False, that is, the window stacking order is not changed when a window receives keyboard input focus. The following key actions can be used to cycle through the global window stack.

Key Action | Function Description
[Alt][ESC] | Place top window on bottom of stack
[Alt][Shift][ESC] | Place bottom window on top of stack

By default, a window's icon is placed on the bottom of the stack when the window is iconified; however, the default can be changed by the lowerOnIconify resource.

Transient windows (secondary windows such as dialog boxes) stay above their parent windows by default. However, an application's local family stacking order may be changed to allow a transient window to be placed below its parent top-level window.

The following parameters show the modification of the stacking order for the f.lower function.

f.lower |  | Lowers the transient window within the family (staying above the parent) and lowers the family in the global window stack.
f.lower [within] |  | Lowers the transient window within the family (staying above the parent) but does not lower the family in the global window stack.
f.lower [freeFamily] |  | Lowers the window free from its family stack (below the parent), but does not lower the family in the global window stack.

The parameters within and freeFamily can also be used with f.raise and f.raise_lower.

### X Defaults

mwm is configured from its resource database. This database is built from the following sources. They are listed in order of precedence, low to high:

/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Mwm

$HOME/Mwm

RESOURCE_MANAGER root window property or $HOME/.Xdefaults

XENVIRONMENT variable or $HOME/.Xdefaults-`host`

mwm command line options

The file names /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Mwm and $HOME/Mwm represent customary locations for these files. The actual location of the system-wide class resource file may depend on the XFILESEARCHPATH environment variable and the current language environment. The actual location of the user-specific class resource file may depend on the XUSERFILESEARCHPATH and XAPPLRESDIR environment variables and the current language environment.

Entries in the resource database may refer to other resource files for specific types of resources. These include files that contain bitmaps, fonts, and mwm specific resources such as menus and behavior specifications (for example, button and key bindings).

Mwm is the resource class name of mwm and mwm is the default resource name used by mwm to look up resources. the -screens command line option specifies resource names, such as "mwm_b+w" and "mwm_color".) In the following discussion of resource specification, "Mwm" and "mwm" (and the aliased mwm resource names) can be used interchangeably, but "mwm" takes precedence over "Mwm".

mwm uses the following types of resources:

`Component Appearance Resources:`

These resources specify appearance attributes of window manager user interface components. They can be applied to the appearance of window manager menus, feedback windows (for example, the window reconfiguration feedback window), client window frames, and icons.

`General Appearance and Behavior Resources:`

These resources specify mwm appearance and behavior (for example, window management policies). They are not set separately for different mwm user interface components.

`Client Specific Resources:`

These mwm resources can be set for a particular client window or class of client windows. They specify client-specific icon and client window frame appearance and behavior.

Resource identifiers can be either a resource name (for example, foreground) or a resource class (for example, Foreground). If the value of a resource is a filename and if the filename is prefixed by "~/", then it is relative to the path contained in the HOME environment variable (generally the user's home directory).

### Component Appearance Resources

The syntax for specifying component appearance resources that apply to window manager icons, menus, and client window frames is

Mwm*`resource_id`

For example, Mwm*foreground is used to specify the foreground color for mwm menus, icons, client window frames, and feedback dialogs.

The syntax for specifying component appearance resources that apply to a particular mwm component is

Mwm*[menu|icon|client|feedback]*`resource_id`

If `menu` is specified, the resource is applied only to mwm menus; if `icon` is specified, the resource is applied to icons; and if `client` is specified, the resource is applied to client window frames. For example, Mwm*icon*foreground is used to specify the foreground color for mwm icons, Mwm*menu*foreground specifies the foreground color for mwm menus, and Mwm*client*foreground is used to specify the foreground color for mwm client window frames.

The appearance of the title area of a client window frame (including window management buttons) can be separately configured. The syntax for configuring the title area of a client window frame is

Mwm*client*title*`resource_id`

For example, Mwm*client*title*foreground specifies the foreground color for the title area. Defaults for title area resources are based on the values of the corresponding client window frame resources.

The appearance of menus can be configured based on the name of the menu. The syntax for specifying menu appearance by name is

Mwm*menu*`menu_name`*`resource_id`

For example, Mwm*menu*my_menu*foreground specifies the foreground color for the menu named my_menu. The user can also specify resources for window manager menu components, that is, the gadgets which comprise the menu. These may include for example, a menu title, title separator, one or more buttons, and separators. If a menu contains more than one instance of a class, such as multiple PushButtonGadgets, the name of the first instance is "PushButtonGadget1", the second is "PushButtonGadget2", and so on. The following list identifies the naming convention used for window manager menu components:

- Menu Title LabelGadget--"TitleName"

- Menu Title SeparatorGadget--"TitleSeparator"

- CascadeButtonGadget--"CascadeButtonGadget<n>"

- PushButtonGadget--"PushButtonGadget<n>"

- SeparatorGadget--"SeparatorGadget<n>"

Refer to the man page for each class for a list of resources which can be specified.

The following component appearance resources that apply to all window manager parts can be specified:

Name | Class | Value Type | Default
background | Background | color | varies1
backgroundPixmap | BackgroundPixmap | string2 | varies1
bottomShadowColor | Foreground | color | varies1
bottomShadowPixmap | BottomShadowPixmap | string2 | varies1
fontList | FontList | string3 | "fixed"
foreground | Foreground | color | varies1
saveUnder | SaveUnder | T/F | F
topShadowColor | Background | color | varies1
topShadowPixmap | TopShadowPixmap | string2 | varies1

background (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the background color. Any legal X color may be specified. The default value is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
backgroundPixmap (class BackgroundPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the background Pixmap of the mwm decoration when the window is inactive (does not have the keyboard focus). The default value is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
bottomShadowColor (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow color. This color is used for the lower and right bevels of the window manager decoration. Any legal X color may be specified. The default value is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
bottomShadowPixmap (class BottomShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow Pixmap. This Pixmap is used for the lower and right bevels of the window manager decoration. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
fontList (class FontList) |  | This resource specifies the font used in the window manager decoration. The character encoding of the font should match the character encoding of the strings that are used. The default is "fixed."
foreground (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the foreground color. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
saveUnder (class SaveUnder) |  | This is used to indicate whether "save unders" are used for mwm components. For this to have any effect, save unders must be implemented by the X server. If save unders are implemented, the X server saves the contents of windows obscured by windows that have the save under attribute set. If the saveUnder resource is True, mwm will set the save under attribute on the window manager frame of any client that has it set. If saveUnder is False, save unders will not be used on any window manager frames. The default value is False.
topShadowColor (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow color. This color is used for the upper and left bevels of the window manager decoration. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
topShadowPixmap ( class TopShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow Pixmap. This Pixmap is used for the upper and left bevels of the window manager decoration. The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.

The following component appearance resources that apply to frame and icons can be specified:

Name | Class | Value Type | Default
activeBackground | Background | color | varies1
activeBackgroundPixmap | BackgroundPixmap | string2 | varies1
activeBottomShadowColor | Foreground | color | varies1
activeBottomShadowPixmap | BottomShadowPixmap | string2 | varies1
activeForeground | Foreground | color | varies1
activeTopShadowColor | Background | color | varies1
activeTopShadowPixmap | TopShadowPixmap | string2 | varies1

activeBackground (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the background color of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
activeBackgroundPixmap (class ActiveBackgroundPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the background Pixmap of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
activeBottomShadowColor (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow color of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
activeBottomShadowPixmap (class BottomShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow Pixmap of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
activeForeground (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the foreground color of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
activeTopShadowColor (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow color of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.
activeTopShadowPixmap class TopShadowPixmap |  | This resource specifies the top shadow Pixmap of the mwm decoration when the window is active (has the keyboard focus). The default is chosen based on the visual type of the screen.

### General Appearance and Behavior Resources

The syntax for specifying general appearance and behavior resources is

Mwm*`resource_id`

For example, Mwm*keyboardFocusPolicy specifies the window manager policy for setting the keyboard focus to a particular client window.

The following general appearance and behavior resources can be specified:

Name | Class | Value Type | Default
autoKeyFocus | AutoKeyFocus | T/F | T
autoRaiseDelay | AutoRaiseDelay | millisec | 500
bitmapDirectory | BitmapDirectory | directory | /usr/include/\ X11/bitmaps
buttonBindings | ButtonBindings | string | "DefaultBut\ tonBindings"
cleanText | CleanText | T/F | T
clientAutoPlace | ClientAutoPlace | T/F | T
colormapFocusPolicy | ColormapFocusPolicy | string | keyboard
configFile | ConfigFile | file | .mwmrc
deiconifyKeyFocus | DeiconifyKeyFocus | T/F | T
doubleClickTime | DoubleClickTime | millisec. | multi-click time
enableWarp | enableWarp | T/F | T
enforceKeyFocus | EnforceKeyFocus | T/F | T
fadeNormalIcon | FadeNormalIcon | T/F | F
feedbackGeometry | FeedbackGeometry | string | center on screen
frameBorderWidth | FrameBorderWidth | pixels | varies
iconAutoPlace | IconAutoPlace | T/F | T
iconBoxGeometry | IconBoxGeometry | string | 6x1+0-0
iconBoxName | IconBoxName | string | iconbox
iconBoxSBDisplayPolicy | IconBoxSBDisplayPolicy | string | all
iconBoxTitle | IconBoxTitle | XmString | Icons
iconClick | IconClick | T/F | T
iconDecoration | IconDecoration | string | varies
iconImageMaximum | IconImageMaximum | wxh | 50x50
iconImageMinimum | IconImageMinimum | wxh | 16x16
iconPlacement | IconPlacement | string | left bottom
iconPlacementMargin | IconPlacementMargin | pixels | varies
interactivePlacement | InteractivePlacement | T/F | F
keyBindings | KeyBindings | string | "DefaultKey\ Bindings"
keyboardFocusPolicy | KeyboardFocusPolicy | string | explicit
limitResize | LimitResize | T/F | T
lowerOnIconify | LowerOnIconify | T/F | T
maximumMaximumSize | MaximumMaximumSize | wxh (pixels) | 2X screen w&h
moveThreshold | MoveThreshold | pixels | 4
moveOpaque | MoveOpaque | T/F | F
multiScreen | MultiScreen | T/F | F
passButtons | PassButtons | T/F | F
passSelectButton | PassSelectButton | T/F | T
positionIsFrame | PositionIsFrame | T/F | T
positionOnScreen | PositionOnScreen | T/F | T
quitTimeout | QuitTimeout | millisec. | 1000
raiseKeyFocus | RaiseKeyFocus | T/F | F
resizeBorderWidth | ResizeBorderWidth | pixels | varies
resizeCursors | ResizeCursors | T/F | T
screens | Screens | string | varies
showFeedback | ShowFeedback | string | all
startupKeyFocus | StartupKeyFocus | T/F | T
transientDecoration | TransientDecoration | string | menu title
transientFunctions | TransientFunctions | string | -minimize -maximize
useIconBox | UseIconBox | T/F | F
wMenuButtonClick | WMenuButtonClick | T/F | T
wMenuButtonClick2 | WMenuButtonClick2 | T/F | T

autoKeyFocus (class AutoKeyFocus) |  | This resource is available only when the keyboard input focus policy is explicit. If autoKeyFocus is given a value of True, then when a window with the keyboard input focus is withdrawn from window management or is iconified, the focus is set to the previous window that had the focus. If the value given is False, there is no automatic setting of the keyboard input focus. It is recommended that both autoKeyFocus and startupKeyFocus be True to work with tear off menus. The default value is True.
autoRaiseDelay (class AutoRaiseDelay) |  | This resource is available only when the focusAutoRaise resource is True and the keyboard focus policy is pointer. The autoRaiseDelay resource specifies the amount of time (in milliseconds) that mwm will wait before raising a window after it gets the keyboard focus. The default value of this resource is 500 (ms).
bitmapDirectory (class BitmapDirectory) |  | This resource identifies a directory to be searched for bitmaps referenced by mwm resources. This directory is searched if a bitmap is specified without an absolute pathname. The default value for this resource is /usr/include/X11/bitmaps. The directory /usr/include/X11/bitmaps represents the customary locations for this directory. The actual location of this directory may vary on some systems. If the bitmap is not found in the specified directory, XBMLANGPATH is searched.
buttonBindings (class ButtonBindings) |  | This resource identifies the set of button bindings for window management functions. The named set of button bindings is specified in the mwm resource description file. These button bindings are `merged` with the built-in default bindings. The default value for this resource is "DefaultButtonBindings".
cleanText (class CleanText) |  | This resource controls the display of window manager text in the client title and feedback windows. If the default value of True is used, the text is drawn with a clear (no stipple) background. This makes text easier to read on monochrome systems where a backgroundPixmap is specified. Only the stippling in the area immediately around the text is cleared. If False, the text is drawn directly on top of the existing background.
clientAutoPlace (class ClientAutoPlace) |  | This resource determines the position of a window when the window has not been given a program- or user-specified position. With a value of True, windows are positioned with the top left corners of the frames offset horizontally and vertically. A value of False causes the currently configured position of the window to be used. In either case, mwm will attempt to place the windows totally on-screen. The default value is True.
colormapFocusPolicy (class ColormapFocusPolicy) |  | This resource indicates the colormap focus policy that is to be used. If the resource value is explicit, a colormap selection action is done on a client window to set the colormap focus to that window. If the value is pointer, the client window containing the pointer has the colormap focus. If the value is keyboard, the client window that has the keyboard input focus has the colormap focus. The default value for this resource is keyboard.
configFile (class ConfigFile) |  | The resource value is the pathname for an mwm resource description file. If the pathname begins with "~/", mwm considers it to be relative to the user's home directory (as specified by the HOME environment variable). If the LANG environment variable is set, mwm looks for $HOME/$LANG/`configFile`. If that file does not exist or if LANG is not set, mwm looks for $HOME/`configFile`. If the configFile pathname does not begin with ~/, mwm considers it to be relative to the current working directory. If the configFile resource is not specified or if that file does not exist, mwm uses several default paths to find a configuration file. If the LANG environment variable is set, mwm looks for the configuration file first in $HOME/$LANG/.mwmrc. If that file does not exist or if LANG is not set, mwm looks for $HOME/.mwmrc. If that file does not exist and if LANG is set, mwm next looks for the file system.mwmrc in the $LANG subdirectory of an implementation-dependent directory. (The default for this directory, if not changed by the implementation, is /usr/lib/X11.) If that file does not exist or if LANG is not set, mwm looks for the file system.mwmrc in the same implementation-dependent directory.
deiconifyKeyFocus (class DeiconifyKeyFocus) |  | This resource applies only when the keyboard input focus policy is explicit. If a value of True is used, a window receives the keyboard input focus when it is normalized (deiconified). True is the default value.
doubleClickTime (class DoubleClickTime) |  | This resource is used to set the maximum time (in ms) between the clicks (button presses) that make up a double-click. The default value of this resource is the display's multi-click time.
enableWarp (class EnableWarp) |  | The default value of this resource, True, causes mwm to warp the pointer to the center of the selected window during keyboard-controlled resize and move operations. Setting the value to False causes mwm to leave the pointer at its original place on the screen, unless the user explicitly moves it with the cursor keys or pointing device.
enforceKeyFocus (class EnforceKeyFocus) |  | If this resource is given a value of True, the keyboard input focus is always explicitly set to selected windows even if there is an indication that they are "globally active" input windows. (An example of a globally active window is a scroll bar that can be operated without setting the focus to that client.) If the resource is False, the keyboard input focus is not explicitly set to globally active windows. The default value is True.
fadeNormalIcon (class FadeNormalIcon) |  | If this resource is given a value of True, an icon is grayed out whenever it has been normalized (its window has been opened). The default value is False.
feedbackGeometry (class FeedbackGeometry) |  | This resource sets the position of the move and resize feedback window. If this resource is not specified, the default is to place the feedback window at the center of the screen. The value of the resource is a standard window geometry string with the following syntax: [=]{+-}`xoffset`{+-}`yoffset`]
frameBorderWidth (class FrameBorderWidth) |  | This resource specifies the width (in pixels) of a client window frame border without resize handles. The border width includes the 3-D shadows. The default value is based on the size and resolution of the screen.
iconAutoPlace (class IconAutoPlace) |  | This resource indicates whether the window manager arranges icons in a particular area of the screen or places each icon where the window was when it was iconified. The value True indicates that icons are arranged in a particular area of the screen, determined by the iconPlacement resource. The value False indicates that an icon is placed at the location of the window when it is iconified. The default is True.
iconBoxGeometry (class IconBoxGeometry) |  | This resource indicates the initial position and size of the icon box. The value of the resource is a standard window geometry string with the following syntax: [=][`width`x`height`][{+-}`xoffset`{+-}`yoffset`] If the offsets are not provided, the iconPlacement policy is used to determine the initial placement. The units for width and height are columns and rows. The actual screen size of the icon box window depends on the iconImageMaximum (size) and iconDecoration resources. The default value for size is (6 * iconWidth + padding) wide by (1 * iconHeight + padding) high. The default value of the location is +0 -0.
iconBoxName (class IconBoxName) |  | This resource specifies the name that is used to look up icon box resources. The default name is "iconbox".
iconBoxSBDisplayPolicy (class IconBoxSBDisplayPolicy) |  | This resource specifies the scroll bar display policy of the window manager in the icon box. The resource has three possible values: all, vertical, and horizontal. The default value, "all", causes both vertical and horizontal scroll bars always to appear. The value "vertical" causes a single vertical scroll bar to appear in the icon box and sets the orientation of the icon box to horizontal (regardless of the iconBoxGeometry specification). The value "horizontal" causes a single horizontal scroll bar to appear in the icon box and sets the orientation of the icon box to vertical (regardless of the iconBoxGeometry specification).
iconBoxTitle (class IconBoxTitle) |  | This resource specifies the name that is used in the title area of the icon box frame. The default value is "Icons".
iconClick (class IconClick) |  | When this resource is given the value of True, the system menu is posted and left posted when an icon is clicked. The default value is True.
iconDecoration (class IconDecoration) |  | This resource specifies the general icon decoration. The resource value is label (only the label part is displayed) or image (only the image part is displayed) or label image (both the label and image parts are displayed). A value of activelabel can also be specified to get a label (not truncated to the width of the icon) when the icon is selected. The default icon decoration for icon box icons is that each icon has a label part and an image part (label image). The default icon decoration for stand alone icons is that each icon has an active label part, a label part, and an image part (activelabel label image).
iconImageMaximum (class IconImageMaximum) |  | This resource specifies the maximum size of the icon `image`. The resource value is `width`x`height` (for example, 64x64). The maximum supported size is 128x128. The default value of this resource is 50x50.
iconImageMinimum class IconImageMinimum |  | This resource specifies the minimum size of the icon `image`. The resource value is `width`x`height` (for example, 32x50). The minimum supported size is 16x16. The default value of this resource is 16x16.
iconPlacement (class IconPlacement) |  | This resource specifies the icon placement scheme to be used. The resource value has the following syntax:
    primary_layout  secondary_layout  [tight]
The layout values are one of the following:

Value | Description
top | Lay the icons out top to bottom.
bottom | Lay the icons out bottom to top.
left | Lay the icons out left to right.
right | Lay the icons out right to left.

|  | A horizontal (vertical) layout value should not be used for both the `primary_layout` and the `secondary_layout` (for example, don't use top for the `primary_layout` and bottom for the `secondary_layout`). The `primary_layout` indicates whether, when an icon placement is done, the icon is placed in a row or a column and the direction of placement. The `secondary_layout` indicates where to place new rows or columns. For example, top right indicates that icons should be placed top to bottom on the screen and that columns should be added from right to left on the screen. The default placement is left bottom (icons are placed left to right on the screen, with the first row on the bottom of the screen, and new rows added from the bottom of the screen to the top of the screen). A `tight` value places icons with zero spacing in between icons. This value is useful for aesthetic reasons, as well as X-terminals with small screens.
iconPlacementMargin (class IconPlacementMargin) |  | This resource sets the distance between the edge of the screen and the icons that are placed along the edge of the screen. The value should be greater than or equal to 0. A default value (see below) is used if the value specified is invalid. The default value for this resource is equal to the space between icons as they are placed on the screen (this space is based on maximizing the number of icons in each row and column).
interactivePlacement (class InteractivePlacement) |  | This resource controls the initial placement of new windows on the screen. If the value is True, the pointer shape changes before a new window is placed on the screen to indicate to the user that a position should be selected for the upper-left hand corner of the window. If the value is False, windows are placed according to the initial window configuration attributes. The default value of this resource is False.
keyBindings (class KeyBindings) |  | This resource identifies the set of key bindings for window management functions. If specified, these key bindings `replace` the built-in default bindings. The named set of key bindings is specified in mwm resource description file. The default value for this resource is "DefaultKeyBindings".
keyboardFocusPolicy (class KeyboardFocusPolicy) |  | If set to pointer, the keyboard focus policy is to have the keyboard focus set to the client window that contains the pointer (the pointer could also be in the client window decoration that mwm adds). If set to explicit, the policy is to have the keyboard focus set to a client window when the user presses button 1 with the pointer on the client window or any part of the associated mwm decoration. The default value for this resource is explicit.
limitResize (class LimitResize) |  | If this resource is True, the user is not allowed to resize a window to greater than the maximum size. The default value for this resource is True.
lowerOnIconify (class LowerOnIconify) |  | If this resource is given the default value of True, a window's icon appears on the bottom of the window stack when the window is minimized (iconified). A value of False places the icon in the stacking order at the same place as its associated window. The default value of this resource is True.
maximumMaximumSize (class MaximumMaximumSize) |  | This resource is used to limit the maximum size of a client window as set by the user or client. The resource value is `width`x`height` (for example, 1024x1024) where the width and height are in pixels. The default value of this resource is twice the screen width and height.
moveOpaque (class MoveOpaque) |  | This resource controls whether the actual window is moved or a rectangular outline of the window is moved. A default value of False displays a rectangular outline on moves.
moveThreshold (class MoveThreshold) |  | This resource is used to control the sensitivity of dragging operations that move windows and icons. The value of this resource is the number of pixels that the locator is moved with a button down before the move operation is initiated. This is used to prevent window/icon movement when you click or double-click and there is unintentional pointer movement with the button down. The default value of this resource is 4 (pixels).
multiScreen (class MultiScreen) |  | This resource, if True, causes mwm to manage all the screens on the display. If False, mwm manages only a single screen. The default value is False.
passButtons (class PassButtons) |  | This resource indicates whether or not button press events are passed to clients after they are used to do a window manager function in the client context. If the resource value is False, the button press is not passed to the client. If the value is True, the button press is passed to the client window. The window manager function is done in either case. The default value for this resource is False.
passSelectButton (class PassSelectButton) |  | This resource indicates whether or not to pass the select button press events to clients after they are used to do a window manager function in the client context. If the resource value is False, then the button press will not be passed to the client. If the value is True, the button press is passed to the client window. The window manager function is done in either case. The default value for this resource is True.
positionIsFrame (class PositionIsFrame) |  | This resource indicates how client window position information (from the WM_NORMAL_HINTS property and from configuration requests) is to be interpreted. If the resource value is True, the information is interpreted as the position of the MWM client window frame. If the value is False, it is interpreted as being the position of the client area of the window. The default value of this resource is True.
positionOnScreen (class PositionOnScreen) |  | This resource is used to indicate that windows should initially be placed (if possible) so that they are not clipped by the edge of the screen (if the resource value is True). If a window is larger than the size of the screen, at least the upper-left corner of the window is on-screen. If the resource value is False, windows are placed in the requested position even if totally off-screen. The default value of this resource is True.
quitTimeout (class QuitTimeout) |  | This resource specifies the amount of time (in milliseconds) that mwm will wait for a client to update the WM_COMMAND property after mwm has sent the WM_SAVE_YOURSELF message. The default value of this resource is 1000 (ms). (Refer to the f.kill function description for additional information.)
raiseKeyFocus (class RaiseKeyFocus) |  | This resource is available only when the keyboard input focus policy is explicit. When set to True, this resource specifies that a window raised by means of the f.normalize_and_raise function also receives the input focus. The default value of this resource is False.
resizeBorderWidth (class ResizeBorderWidth) |  | This resource specifies the width (in pixels) of a client window frame border with resize handles. The specified border width includes the 3-D shadows. The default value is based on the size and resolution of the screen.
resizeCursors (class ResizeCursors) |  | This is used to indicate whether the resize cursors are always displayed when the pointer is in the window size border. If True, the cursors are shown, otherwise the window manager cursor is shown. The default value is True.
screens (class Screens) |  | This resource specifies the resource names to use for the screens managed by mwm. If mwm is managing a single screen, only the first name in the list is used. If mwm is managing multiple screens, the names are assigned to the screens in order, starting with screen 0. Screen 0 gets the first name, screen 1 the second name, and so on. The default screen names are 0, 1, and so on.
showFeedback (class ShowFeedback) |  | This resource controls whether or not feedback windows or confirmation dialogs are displayed. A feedback window shows a client window's initial placement and shows position and size during move and resize operations. Confirmation dialogs can be displayed for certain operations. The value for this resource is a list of names of the feedback options to be enabled or disabled; the names must be separated by a space. If an option is preceded by a minus sign, that option is excluded from the list. The `sign` of the first item in the list determines the initial set of options. If the sign of the first option is minus, mwm assumes all options are present and starts subtracting from that set. If the sign of the first decoration is plus (or not specified), mwm starts with no options and builds up a list from the resource. The names of the feedback options are shown below:

Name | Description
all | Show all feedback (Default value)
behavior | Confirm behavior switch
kill | Confirm on receipt of KILL signal
move | Show position during move
none | Show no feedback
placement | Show position and size during initial placement
quit | Confirm quitting mwm
resize | Show size during resize
restart | Confirm mwm restart

|  | The following command line illustrates the syntax for showFeedback: Mwm*showFeedback: placement resize behavior restart
|  | This resource specification provides feedback for initial client placement and resize, and enables the dialog boxes to confirm the restart and set behavior functions. It disables feedback for the move function. The default value for this resource is all.
startupKeyFocus (class StartupKeyFocus) |  | This resource is available only when the keyboard input focus policy is explicit. When given the default value of True, a window gets the keyboard input focus when the window is mapped (that is, initially managed by the window manager). It is recommended that both autoKeyFocus and startupKeyFocus be True to work with tear off menus. The default value is True.
transientDecoration (class TransientDecoration) |  | This controls the amount of decoration that mwm puts on transient windows. The decoration specification is exactly the same as for the clientDecoration (client specific) resource. Transient windows are identified by the WM_TRANSIENT_FOR property, which is added by the client to indicate a relatively temporary window. The default value for this resource is menu title (that is, transient windows have frame borders and a titlebar with a window menu button). An application can also specify which decorations mwm should apply to its windows. If it does so, mwm applies only those decorations indicated by both the application and the transientDecoration resource. Otherwise, mwm applies the decorations indicated by the transientDecoration resource. For more information see the description of XmNmwmDecorations on the VendorShell(3X) reference page.
transientFunctions (class TransientFunctions) |  | This resource is used to indicate which window management functions are applicable (or not applicable) to transient windows. The function specification is exactly the same as for the clientFunctions (client specific) resource. The default value for this resource is -minimize -maximize. An application can also specify which functions mwm should apply to its windows. If it does so, mwm applies only those functions indicated by both the application and the transientFunctions resource. Otherwise, mwm applies the functions indicated by the transientFunctions resource. For more information see the description of XmNmwmFunctions on the VendorShell(3X) reference page.
useIconBox (class UseIconBox) |  | If this resource is given a value of True, icons are placed in an icon box. When an icon box is not used, the icons are placed on the root window (default value).
wMenuButtonClick (class WMenuButtonClick) |  | This resource indicates whether a click of the mouse when the pointer is over the window menu button posts and leaves posted the window menu. If the value given this resource is True, the menu remains posted. True is the default value for this resource.
wMenuButtonClick2 (class WMenuButtonClick2) |  | When this resource is given the default value of True, a double-click action on the window menu button does an f.kill function.

### Client Specific Resources

The syntax for specifying client specific resources is

Mwm*`client_name_or_class`*`resource_id`

For example, Mwm*mterm*windowMenu is used to specify the window menu to be used with mterm clients. The syntax for specifying client specific resources for all classes of clients is

Mwm*`resource_id`

Specific client specifications take precedence over the specifications for all clients. For example, Mwm*windowMenu is used to specify the window menu to be used for all classes of clients that don't have a window menu specified.

The syntax for specifying resource values for windows that have an unknown name and class (that is, windows that do not have a WM_CLASS property associated with them) is

Mwm*defaults*`resource_id`

For example, Mwm*defaults*iconImage is used to specify the icon image to be used for windows that have an unknown name and class.

The following client specific resources can be specified:

Name | Class | Value Type | Default
clientDecoration | ClientDecoration | string | all
clientFunctions | ClientFunctions | string | all
focusAutoRaise | FocusAutoRaise | T/F | varies
iconImage | IconImage | pathname | (image)
iconImageBackground | Background | color | icon background
iconImageBottomShadowColor | Foreground | color | icon bottom shadow
iconImageBottomShadowPixmap | BottomShadow- Pixmap | color | icon bottom shadow pixmap
iconImageForeground | Foreground | color | varies
iconImageTopShadowColor | Background | color | icon top shadow color
iconImageTopShadowPixmap | TopShadow- Pixmap | color | icon top shadow pixmap
matteBackground | Background | color | background
matteBottomShadowColor | Foreground | color | bottom shadow color
matteBottomShadowPixmap | BottomShadow- Pixmap | color | bottom shadow pixmap
matteForeground | Foreground | color | foreground
matteTopShadowColor | Background | color | top shadow color
matteTopShadowPixmap | TopShadow- Pixmap | color | top shadow pixmap
matteWidth | MatteWidth | pixels | 0
maximumClientSize | MaximumClientSize | wxh vertical horizontal | fill the screen
useClientIcon | UseClientIcon | T/F | F
usePPosition | UsePPosition | string | nonzero
windowMenu | WindowMenu | string | "Default- Window- Menu"

clientDecoration (class ClientDecoration) |  | This resource controls the amount of window frame decoration. The resource is specified as a list of decorations to specify their inclusion in the frame. If a decoration is preceded by a minus sign, that decoration is excluded from the frame. The `sign` of the first item in the list determines the initial amount of decoration. If the sign of the first decoration is minus, mwm assumes all decorations are present and starts subtracting from that set. If the sign of the first decoration is plus (or not specified), then mwm starts with no decoration and builds up a list from the resource. An application can also specify which decorations mwm should apply to its windows. If it does so, mwm applies only those decorations indicated by both the application and the clientDecoration resource. Otherwise, mwm applies the decorations indicated by the clientDecoration resource. For more information see the description of XmNmwmDecorations on the VendorShell(3X) reference page.

Name | Description
all | Include all decorations (default value)
border | Window border
maximize | Maximize button (includes title bar)
minimize | Minimize button (includes title bar)
none | No decorations
resizeh | Border resize handles (includes border)
menu | Window menu button (includes title bar)
title | Title bar (includes border)

|  | Examples: Mwm*XClock.clientDecoration: -resizeh -maximize This removes the resize handles and maximize button from XClock windows. Mwm*XClock.clientDecoration: menu minimize border This does the same thing as above. Note that either menu or minimize implies title.

clientFunctions (class ClientFunctions) |  | This resource is used to indicate which mwm functions are applicable (or not applicable) to the client window. The value for the resource is a list of functions. If the first function in the list has a minus sign in front of it, then mwm starts with all functions and subtracts from that set. If the first function in the list has a plus sign in front of it, then mwm starts with no functions and builds up a list. Each function in the list must be preceded by the appropriate plus or minus sign and separated from the next function by a space. An application can also specify which functions mwm should apply to its windows. If it does so, mwm applies only those functions indicated by both the application and the clientFunctions resource. Otherwise, mwm applies the functions indicated by the clientFunctions resource. For more information see the description of XmNmwmFunctions on the VendorShell(3X) reference page.

The table below lists the functions available for this resource:

Name | Description
all | Include all functions (default value)
none | No functions
resize | f.resize
move | f.move
minimize | f.minimize
maximize | f.maximize
close | f.kill

focusAutoRaise (class FocusAutoRaise) |  | When the value of this resource is True, clients are raised when they get the keyboard input focus. If the value is False, the stacking of windows on the display is not changed when a window gets the keyboard input focus. The default value is True when the keyboardFocusPolicy is explicit and False when the keyboardFocusPolicy is pointer.
iconImage (class IconImage) |  | This resource can be used to specify an icon image for a client (for example, "Mwm*myclock*iconImage"). The resource value is a pathname for a bitmap file. The value of the (client specific) useClientIcon resource is used to determine whether or not user supplied icon images are used instead of client supplied icon images. The default value is to display a built-in window manager icon image.
iconImageBackground (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the background color of the icon image that is displayed in the image part of an icon. The default value of this resource is the icon background color (that is, specified by "Mwm*background or Mwm*icon*background).
iconImageBottomShadowColor (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow color of the icon image that is displayed in the image part of an icon. The default value of this resource is the icon bottom shadow color (that is, specified by Mwm*icon*bottomShadowColor).
iconImageBottomShadowPixmap (class BottomShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow Pixmap of the icon image that is displayed in the image part of an icon. The default value of this resource is the icon bottom shadow Pixmap (that is, specified by Mwm*icon*bottomShadowPixmap).
iconImageForeground (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the foreground color of the icon image that is displayed in the image part of an icon. The default value of this resource varies depending on the icon background.
iconImageTopShadowColor (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow color of the icon image that is displayed in the image part of an icon. The default value of this resource is the icon top shadow color (that is, specified by Mwm*icon*topShadowColor).
iconImageTopShadowPixmap (class TopShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow Pixmap of the icon image that is displayed in the image part of an icon. The default value of this resource is the icon top shadow pixmap (that is, specified by Mwm*icon*topShadowPixmap).
matteBackground (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the background color of the matte, when matteWidth is positive. The default value of this resource is the client background color (that is, specified by "Mwm*background or Mwm*client*background).
matteBottomShadowColor (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow color of the matte, when matteWidth is positive. The default value of this resource is the client bottom shadow color (that is, specified by "Mwm*bottomShadowColor or Mwm*client*bottomShadowColor).
matteBottomShadowPixmap (class BottomShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the bottom shadow Pixmap of the matte, when matteWidth is positive. The default value of this resource is the client bottom shadow pixmap (that is, specified by "Mwm*bottomShadowPixmap or Mwm*client*bottomShadowPixmap).
matteForeground (class Foreground) |  | This resource specifies the foreground color of the matte, when matteWidth is positive. The default value of this resource is the client foreground color (that is, specified by "Mwm*foreground or Mwm*client*foreground).
matteTopShadowColor (class Background) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow color of the matte, when matteWidth is positive. The default value of this resource is the client top shadow color (that is, specified by "Mwm*topShadowColor or Mwm*client*topShadowColor).
matteTopShadowPixmap (class TopShadowPixmap) |  | This resource specifies the top shadow pixmap of the matte, when matteWidth is positive. The default value of this resource is the client top shadow pixmap (that is, specified by "Mwm*topShadowPixmap or Mwm*client*topShadowPixmap).
matteWidth (class MatteWidth) |  | This resource specifies the width of the optional matte. The default value is 0, which effectively disables the matte.
maximumClientSize (class MaximumClientSize) |  | This resource is either a size specification or a direction that indicates how a client window is to be maximized. The resource value can be specified as a size specification `width`x`height`. The width and height are interpreted in the units that the client uses (for example, for terminal emulators this is generally characters). Alternately, "vertical" or "horizontal" can be specified to indicate the direction in which the client maximizes. If this resource is not specified, the maximum size from the WM_NORMAL_HINTS property is used if set. Otherwise the default value is the size where the client window with window management borders fills the screen. When the maximum client size is not determined by the maximumClientSize resource, the maximumMaximumSize resource value is used as a constraint on the maximum size.
useClientIcon (class UseClientIcon) |  | If the value given for this resource is True, a client-supplied icon image takes precedence over a user-supplied icon image. The default value is False, giving the user-supplied icon image higher precedence than the client-supplied icon image.
usePPosition (class UsePPosition) |  | This resource specifies whether Mwm honors program specified position PPosition specified in the WM_NORMAL_HINTS property in the absence of an user specified position. Setting this resource to on, causes mwm to always honor program specified position. Setting this resource to off, causes mwm to always ignore program specified position. Setting this resource to the default value of nonzero cause mwm to honor program specified position other than (0,0).
windowMenu (class WindowMenu) |  | This resource indicates the name of the menu pane that is posted when the window menu is popped up (usually by pressing button 1 on the window menu button on the client window frame). Menu panes are specified in the MWM resource description file. Window menus can be customized on a client class basis by specifying resources of the form Mwm*`client_name_or_class`*windowMenu (see "Mwm Resource Description File Syntax"). The default value of this resource is "DefaultWindowMenu".

### Resource Description File

The MWM resource description file is a supplementary resource file that contains resource descriptions that are referred to by entries in the defaults files (.Xdefaults, app-defaults/Mwm). It contains descriptions of resources that are to be used by mwm, and that cannot be easily encoded in the defaults files (a bitmap file is an analogous type of resource description file). A particular mwm resource descriptionfile can be selected using the configFile resource.

The following types of resources can be described in the mwm resource description file:

Buttons |  | Window manager functions can be bound (associated) with button events.
Keys |  | Window manager functions can be bound (associated) with key press events.
Menus |  | Menu panes can be used for the window menu and other menus posted with key bindings and button bindings.

### mwm Resource Description File Syntax

The mwm resource description file is a standard text file that contains items of information separated by blanks, tabs, and newline characters. Blank lines are ignored. Items or characters can be quoted to avoid special interpretation (for example, the comment character can be quoted to prevent it from being interpreted as the comment character). A quoted item can be contained in double quotes ("). Single characters can be quoted by preceding them by the backslash character (\). All text from an unquoted # to the end of the line is regarded as a comment and is not interpreted as part of a resource description. If ! is the first character in a line, the line is regarded as a comment. If a line ends in a backslash character (\), the next line is considered a continuation of that line.

Window manager functions can be accessed with button and key bindings, and with window manager menus. Functions are indicated as part of the specifications for button and key binding sets, and menu panes. The function specification has the following syntax:

    function =function_name [function_args]

    function_name = window manager function
    function_args = {quoted_item | unquoted_item}

The following functions are supported. If a function is specified that isn't one of the supported functions, then it is interpreted by mwm as `f.nop`.

f.beep |  | This function causes a beep.
f.circle_down [icon | window] |  | This function causes the window or icon that is on the top of the window stack to be put on the bottom of the window stack (so that it no longer obscures any other window or icon). This function affects only those windows and icons that obscure other windows and icons, or that are obscured by other windows and icons. Secondary windows (that is, transient windows) are restacked with their associated primary window. Secondary windows always stay on top of the associated primary window and there can be no other primary windows between the secondary windows and their primary window. If an icon function argument is specified, the function applies only to icons. If a window function argument is specified, the function applies only to windows.
f.circle_up [icon | window] |  | This function raises the window or icon on the bottom of the window stack (so that it is not obscured by any other windows). This function affects only those windows and icons that obscure other windows and icons, or that are obscured by other windows and icons. Secondary windows (that is, transient windows) are restacked with their associated primary window. If an `icon` function argument is specified, the function applies only to icons. If a `window` function argument is specified, the function applies only to windows.
f.exec or ! |  | This function causes `command` to be executed (using the value of the MWMSHELL environment variable if it is set, otherwise the value of the SHELL environment variable if it is set, otherwise `/bin/sh`). The ! notation can be used in place of the f.exec function name.
f.focus_color |  | This function sets the colormap focus to a client window. If this function is done in a root context, the default colormap (set up by the `X Window System` for the screen where MWM is running) is installed and there is no specific client window colormap focus. This function is treated as `f.nop` if colormapFocusPolicy is not explicit.
f.focus_key |  | This function sets the keyboard input focus to a client window or icon. This function is treated as `f.nop` if keyboardFocusPolicy is not explicit or the function is executed in a root context.
f.kill |  | This function is used to terminate a client. If the WM_DELETE_WINDOW protocol is set up, the client is sent a client message event, indicating that the client window should be deleted. If the WM_SAVE_YOURSELF protocol is set up, the client is sent a client message event, indicating that the client needs to prepare to be terminated. If the client does not have the WM_DELETE_WINDOW or WM_SAVE_YOURSELF protocol set up, this function causes a client's X connection to be terminated (usually resulting in termination of the client). Refer to the description of the quitTimeout resource and the WM_PROTOCOLS property.
f.lower [-`client` | within | freeFamily] |  | This function lowers a primary window to the bottom of the global window stack (where it obscures no other window) and lowers the secondary window (transient window or dialog box) within the client family. The arguments to this function are mutually exclusive. The `client` argument indicates the name or class of a client to lower. If the `client` argument is not specified, the context that the function was invoked in indicates the window or icon to lower. Specifying within lowers the secondary window within the family (staying above the parent) but does not lower the client family in the global window stack. Specifying freeFamily lowers the window to the bottom of the global windows stack from its local family stack.
f.maximize |  | This function causes a client window to be displayed with its maximum size.
f.menu |  | This function associates a cascading (pull-right) menu with a menu pane entry or a menu with a button or key binding. The `menu_name` function argument identifies the menu to be used.
f.minimize |  | This function causes a client window to be minimized (iconified). When a window is minimized when no icon box is used, its icon is placed on the bottom of the window stack (so that it obscures no other window). If an icon box is used, the client's icon changes to its iconified form inside the icon box. Secondary windows (that is, transient windows) are minimized with their associated primary window. There is only one icon for a primary window and all its secondary windows.
f.move |  | This function causes a client window to be interactively moved.
f.next_cmap |  | This function installs the next colormap in the list of colormaps for the window with the colormap focus.
f.next_key [icon | window | transient] |  | This function sets the keyboard input focus to the next window/icon in the set of windows/icons managed by the window manager (the ordering of this set is based on the stacking of windows on the screen). This function is treated as `f.nop` if keyboardFocusPolicy is not explicit. The keyboard input focus is moved only to windows that do not have an associated secondary window that is application modal. If the transient argument is specified, transient (secondary) windows are traversed (otherwise, if only window is specified, traversal is done only to the last focused window in a transient group). If an icon function argument is specified, the function applies only to icons. If a window function argument is specified, the function applies only to windows.
f.nop |  | This function does nothing.
f.normalize |  | This function causes a client window to be displayed with its normal size. Secondary windows (that is, transient windows) are placed in their normal state along with their associated primary window.
f.normalize_and_raise |  | This function causes the corresponding client window to be displayed with its normal size and raised to the top of the window stack. Secondary windows (that is, transient windows) are placed in their normal state along with their associated primary window.
f.pack_icons |  | This function is used to relayout icons (based on the layout policy being used) on the root window or in the icon box. In general this causes icons to be "packed" into the icon grid.
f.pass_keys |  | This function is used to enable/disable (toggle) processing of key bindings for window manager functions. When it disables key binding processing, all keys are passed on to the window with the keyboard input focus and no window manager functions are invoked. If the `f.pass_keys` function is invoked with a key binding to disable key-binding processing, the same key binding can be used to enable key-binding processing.
f.post_wmenu |  | This function is used to post the window menu. If a key is used to post the window menu and a window menu button is present, the window menu is automatically placed with its top-left corner at the bottom-left corner of the window menu button for the client window. If no window menu button is present, the window menu is placed at the top-left corner of the client window.
f.prev_cmap |  | This function installs the previous colormap in the list of colormaps for the window with the colormap focus.
f.prev_key [icon | window | transient] |  | This function sets the keyboard input focus to the previous window/icon in the set of windows/icons managed by the window manager (the ordering of this set is based on the stacking of windows on the screen). This function is treated as `f.nop` if keyboardFocusPolicy is not explicit. The keyboard input focus is moved only to windows that do not have an associated secondary window that is application modal. If the `transient` argument is specified, transient (secondary) windows are traversed (otherwise, if only `window` is specified, traversal is done only to the last focused window in a transient group). If an `icon` function argument is specified, the function applies only to icons. If an `window` function argument is specified, the function applies only to windows.
f.quit_mwm |  | This function terminates mwm (but NOT the X window system).
f.raise [-`client` | within | freeFamily] |  | This function raises a primary window to the top of the global window stack (where it is obscured by no other window) and raises the secondary window (transient window or dialog box) within the client family. The arguments to this function are mutually exclusive. The `client` argument indicates the name or class of a client to lower. If the `client` is not specified, the context that the function was invoked in indicates the window or icon to lower. Specifying within raises the secondary window within the family but does not raise the client family in the global window stack. Specifying freeFamily raises the window to the top of its local family stack and raises the family to the top of the global window stack.
f.raise_lower [within | freeFamily] |  | This function raises a primary window to the top of the global window stack if it is partially obscured by another window; otherwise, it lowers the window to the bottom of the window stack. The arguments to this function are mutually exclusive. Specifying within raises a secondary window within the family (staying above the parent window), if it is partially obscured by another window in the application's family; otherwise, it lowers the window to the bottom of the family stack. It has no effect on the global window stacking order. Specifying freeFamily raises the window to the top of its local family stack, if obscured by another window, and raises the family to the top of the global window stack; otherwise, it lowers the window to the bottom of its local family stack and lowers the family to the bottom of the global window stack.
f.refresh |  | This function causes all windows to be redrawn.
f.refresh_win |  | This function causes a client window to be redrawn.
f.resize |  | This function causes a client window to be interactively resized.
f.restore |  | This function restores the previous state of an icon's associated window. If a maximized window is iconified, then f.restore restores it to its maximized state. If a normal window is iconified, then f.restore restores it to its normalized state.
f.restore_and_raise |  | This function restores the previous state of an icon's associated window and raises the window to the top of the window stack. If a maximized window is iconified, then f.restore_and_raise restores it to its maximized state and raises it to the top of the window stack. If a normal window is iconified, then f.restore_and_raise restores it to its normalized state and raises it to the top of the window stack.
f.restart |  | This function causes mwm to be restarted (effectively terminated and re-executed).
f.screen [next | prev | back `screen_number`] |  | This function causes the pointer to be warp to a specific screen number or to the next, previous, or last visited (back) screen. The arguments to this function are mutually exclusive. The `screen_number` argument indicates the screen number that the pointer is to be warped. Screens are numbered starting from screen 0. Specifying next cause the pointer to warp to the next managed screen (skipping over any unmanaged screens). Specifying prev cause the pointer to warp to the previous managed screen (skipping over any unmanaged screens). Specifying back cause the pointer to warp to the last visited screen.
f.send_msg `message_number` |  | This function sends a client message of the type _MOTIF_WM_MESSAGES with the `message_type` indicated by the `message_number` function argument. The client message is sent only if `message_number` is included in the client's _MOTIF_WM_MESSAGES property. A menu item label is grayed out if the menu item is used to do `f.send_msg` of a message that is not included in the client's _MOTIF_WM_MESSAGES property.
f.separator |  | This function causes a menu separator to be put in the menu pane at the specified location (the label is ignored).
f.set_behavior |  | This function causes the window manager to restart with the default behavior (if a custom behavior is configured) or revert to the custom behavior. By default this is bound to <Shift> <Ctrl> <Meta> <Key>!.
f.title |  | This function inserts a title in the menu pane at the specified location.

Each function may be constrained as to which resource types can specify the function (for example, menu pane) and also what context the function can be used in (for example, the function is done to the selected client window). Function contexts are

root |  | No client window or icon has been selected as an object for the function.
window |  | A client window has been selected as an object for the function. This includes the window's title bar and frame. Some functions are applied only when the window is in its normalized state (for example, `f.maximize`) or its maximized state (for example, `f.normalize`).
icon |  | An icon has been selected as an object for the function.

If a function's context has been specified as icon|window and the function is invoked in an icon box, the function applies to the icon box, not to the icons inside.

If a function is specified in a type of resource where it is not supported or is invoked in a context that does not apply, the function is treated as `f.nop`. The following table indicates the resource types and function contexts in which window manager functions apply.

Function | Contexts | Resources
f.beep | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.circle_down | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.circle_up | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.exec | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.focus_color | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.focus_key | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.kill | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.lower | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.maximize | icon, window(normal) | button, key, menu
f.menu | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.minimize | window | button, key, menu
f.move | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.next_cmap | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.next_key | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.nop | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.normalize | icon, window(maximized) | button, key, menu
f.normalize_and_raise | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.pack_icons | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.pass_keys | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.post_wmenu | root, icon, window | button, key
f.prev_cmap | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.prev_key | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.quit_mwm | root, icon, window | button, key, menu (root only)
f.raise | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.raise_lower | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.refresh | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.refresh_win | window | button, key, menu
f.resize | window | button, key, menu
f.restore | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.restore_and_raise | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.restart | root, icon, window | button, key, menu (root only)
f.screen | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.send_msg | icon, window | button, key, menu
f.separator | root, icon, window | menu
f.set_behavior | root, icon, window | button, key, menu
f.title | root, icon, window | menu

### Window Manager Event Specification

Events are indicated as part of the specifications for button and key-binding sets, and menu panes.

Button events have the following syntax:

    button = [modifier_list]<button_event_name>

    modifier_list = modifier_name {modifier_name}

All modifiers specified are interpreted as being exclusive (this means that only the specified modifiers can be present when the button event occurs). The following table indicates the values that can be used for `modifier_name`.*F The [Alt] key is frequently labeled [Extend] or [Meta]. Alt and Meta can be used interchangeably in event specification.

Modifier | Description
<Ctrl> | Control Key
<Shift> | Shift Key
<Alt> | Alt/Meta Key
<Meta> | Meta/Alt Key
<Lock> | Lock Key
<Mod1> | Modifier1
<Mod2> | Modifier2
<Mod3> | Modifier3
<Mod4> | Modifier4
<Mod5> | Modifier5

The following table indicates the values that can be used for `button_event_name`.

Button | Description
Btn1Down | Button 1 Press
Btn1Up | Button 1 Release
Btn1Click | Button 1 Press and Release
Btn1Click2 | Button 1 Double-Click
Btn2Down | Button 2 Press
Btn2Up | Button 2 Release
Btn2Click | Button 2 Press and Release
Btn2Click2 | Button 2 Double-Click
Btn3Down | Button 3 Press
Btn3Up | Button 3 Release
Btn3Click | Button 3 Press and Release
Btn3Click2 | Button 3 Double-Click
Btn4Down | Button 4 Press
Btn4Up | Button 4 Release
Btn4Click | Button 4 Press and Release
Btn4Click2 | Button 4 Double-Click
Btn5Down | Button 5 Press
Btn5Up | Button 5 Release
Btn5Click | Button 5 Press and Release
Btn5Click2 | Button 5 Double-Click

Key events that are used by the window manager for menu mnemonics and for binding to window manager functions are single key presses; key releases are ignored. Key events have the following syntax:

    key = [modifier_list]<Key>key_name
    modifier_list = modifier_name {modifier_name}

All modifiers specified are interpreted as being exclusive (this means that only the specified modifiers can be present when the key event occurs). Modifiers for keys are the same as those that apply to buttons. The `key_name` is an X11 keysym name. Keysym names can be found in the keysymdef.h file (remove the `XK_` prefix).

### Button Bindings

The buttonBindings resource value is the name of a set of button bindings that are used to configure window manager behavior. A window manager function can be done when a button press occurs with the pointer over a framed client window, an icon, or the root window. The context for indicating where the button press applies is also the context for invoking the window manager function when the button press is done (significant for functions that are context sensitive).

The button binding syntax is

Buttons `bindings_set_name`
{
`button` `context` `function`
`button` `context` `function`
.
.
`button` `context` `function`
}

The syntax for the `context` specification is

`context` = `object`[ | `context`]

`object` = root | icon | window | title | frame | border | app

The context specification indicates where the pointer must be for the button binding to be effective. For example, a context of window indicates that the pointer must be over a client window or window management frame for the button binding to be effective. The frame context is for the window management frame around a client window (including the border and titlebar), the border context is for the border part of the window management frame (not including the titlebar), the title context is for the title area of the window management frame, and the app context is for the application window (not including the window management frame).

If an `f.nop` function is specified for a button binding, the button binding is not done.

### Key Bindings

The keyBindings resource value is the name of a set of key bindings that are used to configure window manager behavior. A window manager function can be done when a particular key is pressed. The context in which the key binding applies is indicated in the key binding specification. The valid contexts are the same as those that apply to button bindings.

The key binding syntax is

Keys `bindings_set_name`
{
`key` `context` `function`
`key` `context` `function`
.
.
`key` `context` `function`
}

If an `f.nop` function is specified for a key binding, the key binding is not done. If an `f.post_wmenu` or `f.menu` function is bound to a key, mwm will automatically use the same key for removing the menu from the screen after it has been popped up.

The `context` specification syntax is the same as for button bindings. For key bindings, the frame, title, border, and app contexts are equivalent to the window context. The context for a key event is the window or icon that has the keyboard input focus (root if no window or icon has the keyboard input focus).

### Menu Panes

Menus can be popped up using the `f.post_wmenu` and `f.menu` window manager functions. The context for window manager functions that are done from a menu is `root`, `icon` or `window` depending on how the menu was popped up. In the case of the `window` menu or menus popped up with a key binding, the location of the keyboard input focus indicates the context. For menus popped up using a button binding, the context of the button binding is the context of the menu.

The menu pane specification syntax is

Menu `menu_name`
{
`label` [`mnemonic`] [`accelerator`] `function`
`label` [`mnemonic`] [`accelerator`] `function`
.
.
`label` [`mnemonic`] [`accelerator`] `function`
}

Each line in the `Menu` specification identifies the label for a menu item and the function to be done if the menu item is selected. Optionally a menu button mnemonic and a menu button keyboard accelerator may be specified. Mnemonics are functional only when the menu is posted and keyboard traversal applies.

The `label` may be a string or a bitmap file. The label specification has the following syntax:

    label =
    text | bitmap_file
    bitmap_file =
    @file_name
    text =
    quoted_item | unquoted_item

The string encoding for labels must be compatible with the menu font that is used. Labels are greyed out for menu items that do the `f.nop` function or an invalid function or a function that doesn't apply in the current context.

A `mnemonic` specification has the following syntax

    mnemonic =_character

The first matching `character` in the label is underlined. If there is no matching `character` in the label, no mnemonic is registered with the window manager for that label. Although the `character` must exactly match a character in the label, the mnemonic does not execute if any modifier (such as Shift) is pressed with the character key.

The `accelerator` specification is a key event specification with the same syntax as is used for key bindings to window manager functions.

### Environment

mwm uses the environment variable HOME specifying the user's home directory.

mwm uses the environment variable LANG specifying the user's choice of language for the mwm message catalog and the mwm resource description file.

mwm uses the environment variables XFILESEARCHPATH, XUSERFILESEARCHPATH, XAPPLRESDIR, XENVIRONMENT, LANG, and HOME in determining search paths for resource defaults files. mwm may also use XBMLANGPATH to search for bitmap files.

mwm reads the $HOME/.motifbind file if it exists to install a virtual key bindings property on the root window. For more information on the content of the .motifbind file, see VirtualBindings(3X).

mwm uses the environment variable MWMSHELL (or SHELL, if MWMSHELL is not set), specifying the shell to use when executing commands via the `f.exec` function.

## Files

/usr/lib/X11/$LANG/system.mwmrc

/usr/lib/X11/system.mwmrc

/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Mwm

$HOME/Mwm

$HOME/.Xdefaults

$HOME/$LANG/.mwmrc

$HOME/.mwmrc

$HOME/.motifbind

## RELATED INFORMATION

VendorShell(3X), VirtualBindings(3X), X(1), and XmInstallImage(3X).

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