9wm(1)							      General Commands Manual							    9wm(1)

NAME

       9wm - 8-1/2-like Window Manager for X

SYNOPSIS

       9wm [ -grey ] [ -version ] [ -font fname ] [ -term termprog ] [ exit|restart ]

DESCRIPTION

       9wm is a window manager for X which attempts to emulate the window management policies of Plan 9's 8-1/2 window manager.

       The  -grey  option makes the background light grey, as does 8-1/2.  Use this option for maximum authenticity.  -font fname sets the font in
       9wm's menu to fname, overriding the default.  -term termprog specifies an alternative program to run when the New menu  item  is  selected.
       -version prints the current version on standard error, then exits.

       To make 9wm exit, you have to run 9wm exit on the command line.	There is no ``exit'' menu item.

       9wm is click-to-type: it has a notion of the current window, which is usually on top, and always has its border darkened.  Characters typed
       at the keyboard go to the current window, and mouse clicks outside the current window are swallowed up by 9wm.  To make another window  the
       current	one,  click  on it with button 1.  Unlike other X window managers, 9wm implements `mouse focus': mouse events are sent only to the
       current window.

       A menu of window operations is available by pressing button 3 outside the current window.  The first of these, New,  attempts  to  spawn  a
       9term  process  (or xterm if 9term is not available).  The new 9term will request that its outline be swept using button 3 of the mouse, by
       changing the cursor.  (xterm defaults to a fixed size, and thus wants to be dragged; pressing button 3 places it.)

       The next four menu items are Reshape, Move, Delete, and Hide.  All of the operations change the cursor into a target, prompting the user to
       click button 3 on one of the windows to select it for the operation.  At this stage, clicking button 1 or 2 will abort the operation.  Oth-
       erwise, if the operation was Resize, the user is prompted to sweep out the new outline with button 3.  If it was Move, the user should keep
       the  button held down after the initial click that selected the window, and drag the window to the right place before releasing.  In either
       case, button 1 or 2 will abort the operation.

       If the Delete operation is selected, the window will be deleted when the button is released.  This typically kills the client that owns the
       window.	 The  Hide operation just makes the window invisible.  While hidden, the window's name appears on the bottom of the button 3 menu.
       Selecting that item brings the window back (unhides it).  This operation replaces the iconification feature provided by other  window  man-
       agers.

BUGS

       Is not completely compatible with 8-1/2.

       There is a currently a compiled-in limit of 32 hidden windows.

SEE ALSO

       9term(1), xterm(1).

																	    9wm(1)