Fluxbox provides configurable window decorations, a root menu to launch applications and a toolbar that shows the current workspace name, the focused application name and the current time. There is also a workspace menu to add or remove workspaces. The `slit' can be used to dock small applications, e.g. most of the bbtools can use the slit.

Fluxbox will iconify windows to the toolbar, in addition to adding the window to the `Icons' submenu of the workspace menu. One click and they reappear. A double-click on the titlebar of a window click and they reappear. A double-click on the titlebar of a window will shade it i.e. the window will disappear, only the titlebar will shade it i.e. the window will disappear, only the titlebar stays visible.

Fluxbox uses its own graphics class to render its images on the fly. By using style files, you can determine at a great level how your desktop looks like. Fluxbox styles are compatible with those of Blackbox, so users migrating can still use their current favourite themes.

Currently KDE WM hints are not supported, but Fluxbox is already prepared to support the new window manager specification that is now being developed for both Gnome and KDE2.0.

-help

Display command line options , then exit.

-version

Display version info and exit.

-rc rcfile

Use another rcfile than the default ~/.fluxbox/init.

-display display

Start Fluxbox on the specified display. Programs started by Fluxbox will have the DISPLAY environment variable set to this value, too.

-info

Display some useful information (defaults and compiled-in features) and exit.

-log filename

Log output to the specified file.

exec fluxbox

as the last executed command of the script. When Fluxbox terminates, the X session will terminate too.

When started, Fluxbox will try to find a default menufile in /usr/share/fluxbox/menu. You can provide a system-wide menu for your users here.

On exit or restart, Fluxbox will save user defaults in the file ~/.fluxbox/init in the user's home directory. Some resources in this file can be edited by hand.

Left clicking (button 1) on an application in the Workspaces menu will bring you to that workspace and raise/focus that application; middle clicking (button 2) will warp the application to the current workspace.

The contents can be configured in fluxbox init-file in the entry

session.screen0.toolbar.tools: clock, iconbar, workspacename

or the toolbar can be turned off by

session.screen0.toolbar.visible: false

Clicking the workspace name brings up the toolbar menu. Using the wheel on workspace name or the clock switches the workspace, this could also be enabled for the whole desktop in the fluxbox menu.

When desktop warping is enabled, dragging a window outside the desktop will change to the next desktop.

Using the toolbar menu you can enter a name for the current workspace (when finished, press Enter). One can choose the toolbar's position, in which layer it should be see LAYERs below and if it should hide when the mouse leaves it. The iconbar mode is also set via this menu: None, Icons -- Icons from all workspaces, Workspace Icons, Workspace -- all windows from Workspace, All Windows -- from all workspaces.

Send To... (in 0.9.7)

Send window to another workspace. When you select the workspace with the middle button, Fluxbox will send you along with the application to the selected workspace

Shade

Shade the window (display titlebar only)

Shade the window (display titlebar only)

Iconify

Iconify window. The `icon' can be found in the `Icons' submenu of the workspace menu as well as in the toolbar.

Maximize

(Un)Maximize window. Depending on toolbar and slit configuration maximize does cover slit and toolbar or not.

Button1

(usually left button) Maximize Normal, i.e. Vertical and Horizontal

Button2

(Un)Maximize window only vertically.

Button3

(Un)Maximize window only horizontal.

Raise

Raise window

Lower

Lower window

Stick

(Un)Stick window. A stuck window will always be displayed in the current workspace

Next Client

Activate next client in this window's group.

Prev Client

Activate prev client in this window's group.

Layer ...

Change the layer of this window.

Remember ...

Specify which window settings should be stored in the apps file.

Close

Close the application cleanly

When you doubleclick on the titlebar of a window, it will

When you doubleclick on the titlebar of a window, it will `shade', so that only the titlebar stays visible. Another double `shade', so that only the titlebar stays visible. Another double click will redisplay the window contents.

session.titlebar.left:  Stick
session.titlebar.left:  Stick
session.titlebar.right: Minimize Maximize Close
session.titlebar.right: Minimize Maximize Close

Clicking the minimize button with any button causes the window to be iconified. Clicking the close button with any button closes the application. The maximize button (if present) maximizes the window in three ways: Button 1 causes full screen maximization, button 2 maximizes the window only vertically, and button 3 only horizontally. The Sticky button sets has the same meaning as the (Un)Stick window menu option.

This can be disabled in the resource file ~/.fluxbox/init with

session.useMod1: true or false

session.menuFile:       ~/.fluxbox/menu

For this change to take effect, Fluxbox has to be restarted. Be sure that your menu is usable, then choose `Restart' from the default Fluxbox root menu. If only the contents of the menu file changed, only reload config is needed.

A menu reload can also be forced by sending SIGUSR2.

session.screen0.menuMode: can be either Click or Delay (default: Delay)

session.screen0.menuDelay: in msec (default: 0 )

session.screen0.menuDelayClose: in msec (default: 0 )

[tag] (label or filename) {command or filename} <icon filename>

The supported tags are as follows:

[begin] (label for root menu)

This tells Fluxbox to start parsing the menu file. This tag is required for Fluxbox to parse your menu file. If it cannot find it, the system default menu is used instead.

[end]

This tells Fluxbox that it is at the end of a menu. This can either be a submenu or the main root menu. There must be at least one of these tags in your menu to correspond to the required [begin] tag.

[exec] (label for command) {shell command}

Inserts a command item into the menu. When you select the menu item from the menu, Fluxbox runs `shell command.'

[exit] (label for exit)

Inserts an item that shuts down and exits Fluxbox. Any open windows are reparented to the root window before Fluxbox exits.

[include] (filename)

Reads the file filename into the current menu. The file has to start with [begin] and end with [end]. The filename can be the full path to a file or it can begin with ~/, which will be expanded into your home directory (e.g.

[include] (~/fluxbox/stylesmenu)

will include /home/yourusername/fluxbox/stylesmenu in my menu). If the parameter to include directive is a directory, every file in this path will be included.

[nop] (label - optional)

Insert a non-operational item into the current menu. This can be used to help format the menu into blocks or sections if so desired. [nop] does accept a label, but it is not required, and a blank item will be used if none is supplied.

[separator]

will create a nice separator line.

[style] (label) {filename}

This tells Fluxbox to insert an item that, when selected, reads style file named filename and apply the new textures, colors and fonts to the current running session.

[stylesdir] (directory name)

Reads all filenames from the specified directory, assuming that they are all valid style files (directories are ignored), and creates menu items in the current menu for every filename, that, when selected by the user, apply the selected style file to the current session. The labels that are created in the menu are the filenames of the style files.

[stylesmenu] (label) {directory name}

Creates a submenu entry with label (that is also the title of the new submenu), and inserts in that submenu all title of the new submenu), and inserts in that submenu all filenames in the specified directory, assuming that they are all valid style files (directories are ignored) in the same way as the [stylesdir] command does.

Both [stylesdir] and [stylesmenu] commands make it possible to install style files without editing your menu file.

[submenu] (label) {title for menu - optional}

[submenu] (label) {title for menu - optional}

This tells Fluxbox to create and parse a new menu. This menu is inserted as a submenu into the parent menu. These menus are parsed recursively, so there is no limit to the number of levels or nested submenus you can have. The title for the new menu is optional, if submenus you can have. The title for the new menu is optional, if none is supplied, the new menu's title is the same as the item none is supplied, the new menu's title is the same as the item label. An [end] tag is required to end the submenu.

[reconfig] (label)

When selected, this item rereads the current style and menu files and apply any changes. This is useful for creating a new style or theme, as you don't have to constantly restart Fluxbox every time you save your style. However, Fluxbox automagically rereads the menu whenever it changes.

[restart] (label) {shell command - optional}

This tells Fluxbox to restart. If `shell command' is supplied, it shuts down and runs the command (which is commonly the name of another window manager). If the command is omitted, Fluxbox restarts itself.

[config] (label)

Inserts a Fluxbox native submenu item, containing numerous configuration options concerning window placement, focus style, window moving style etc.

[workspaces] (label)

This tells Fluxbox to insert a link to the workspaces menu directly into your menu. This is handy for those users who can't access the workspace menu directly (e.g. if you don't have a 3 button mouse, it's rather hard to middle click to show the workspace menu).

Any line that starts with a `#' is considered a comment and ignored by Fluxbox. Also, in the labels/commands/filenames fields, you can escape any character like so:

[exec] (\(my cool\) \{XTERM\}) {xterm -T \"cool XTERM\"}

Using `\\' inserts a literal back-slash into the label/command/filename field.

# Fluxbox menu file
[begin] (Fluxbox)
  [exec] (rxvt) {rxvt -ls} </usr/X11R6/share/icons/terminal.xpm>
  [exec] (netscape) {netscape -install}
  [exec] (The GIMP) {gimp}
  [exec] (XV) {xv}
  [exec] (Vim) {rxvt -geometry 132x60 -name VIM -e screen vim}
  [exec] (Mutt) {rxvt -name mutt -e mutt}
  [submenu] (mozilla)
    [exec] (browser) {mozilla -browser}
    [exec] (news) {mozilla -news}
    [exec] (mail) {mozilla -mail}
    [exec] (edit) {mozilla -edit}
    [exec] (compose) {mozilla -compose}
  [end]
  [submenu] (Window Manager)
    [exec] (Edit Menus) {nedit ~/.fluxbox/menu}
    [submenu] (Style) {Which Style?}
      [stylesdir] (~/.fluxbox/styles)
      [stylesmenu] (Fluxbox Styles) {/usr/share/fluxbox/styles}
    [end]
    [config] (Config Options)
    [reconfig] (Reconfigure)
    [restart] (Restart)
  [end]
  [exit] (Log Out)
[end]
# end of menu file

The default installation of Fluxbox provides some of these style files. See fluxstyle(1) to accomodate the growing number of style components.

<modifier> <key> [...] :<operation>

In the example below, Mod1 is the 'Alt' key on the PC keyboard and Mod4 is one of the three extra keys on a pc104 branded with a sickening corporate logo.

# Fluxbox keys file.
# Any line starting with a # is a comment.
Mod1 Tab :NextWindow
Mod1 F1 :Workspace 1
Mod1 F2 :Workspace 2
Mod1 F3 :Workspace 3
Mod1 F4 :Workspace 4
Mod1 F5 :Workspace 5
Mod1 F6 :Workspace 6
Mod1 F7 :Workspace 7
Mod1 F8 :Workspace 8
Mod1 F9 :Workspace 9
Mod4 b :PrevWorkspace
Mod4 c :Minimize
Mod4 r :ExecCommand rxvt
Mod4 v :NextWorkspace
Mod4 x :Close
Mod4 m :RootMenu
Control n Mod1 n :NextTab

As you can see from the last line, keybinds can be chained in a fashion similar to emacs keybindings.

Commands are caseinsensitive, workspace numbering starts at "1", some commands have synonyms, the space between the last key and the :Command is mandatory. Possible Operations:

window manager commands

Restart argument
Quit
Reconfigure
SetStyle argument
ExecCommand, Execute or Exec command

commands to currently focused window

Minimize, MinimizeWindow or Iconify
Maximize, MaximizeWindow
Fullscreen
MaximizeVertical
MaximizeHorizontal
ResizeTo width height
Resize delta-width delta-height
ResizeHorizontal delta-width
ResizeVertical delta-height
MoveTo x y
Move delta-x delta-y
MoveRight delta-x
MoveLeft delta-x
MoveUp delta-y
MoveDown delta-y
Raise
Lower
Close
Shade, ShadeWindow
Stick, StickWindow
ToggleDecor
SendToWorkspace number : Sends the current window and takes you with it.
KillWindow
NextTab
PrevTab
MoveTabLeft
MoveTabRight
DetachClient

workspace commands

NextWorkspace
PrevWorkspace
RightWorkspace by-number
LeftWorkspace by-number
Workspace number
NextWindow by-number
PrevWindow by-number
NextGroup by-number
PrevGroup by-number
ArrangeWindows
ShowDesktop - Iconifies all windows.
RootMenu
WorkspaceMenu
WindowMenu
WorkspaceNameDialog - edit workspaces name dialog (old SetWorkspaceName)
SetWorkspaceName name

Prev/NextWindow Parameter NextWindow and PrevWindow take an integer parameter.

0 or unspecified = Default/current behavior - no skipping
1 = Skip lower tabs
2 = Skip stuck windows
3 = Skip lower tabs/stuck windows
4 = Skip shaded windows
5 = Skip lower tabs/shaded windows
6 = Skip stuck windows/shaded windows
7 = Skip lower tabs/stuck windows/shaded windows

special commands

MacroCmd
ReloadStyle
SetResourceValue resourcename resource value
BindKey key string : action   - this will append key string and
    action to your keys file and bind the key

<app1> <app2> <app3> ... <appN>

where elements can be found with this command:

xprop WM_CLASS

Just launch this command in a terminal and click on the desired app after. It will tell you what to write as element. Each line forms a different group, e.g:

Navigator nedit
xterm

This will create two groups, one with netscape and nedit, and one with xterm. The new window will only group itself to other windows on the same workspace and to the last window that was focused.

Most dockable applications use the -w option to run in the slit. For example, you could put in your ~/.xinitrc:

bbmail -w &
bbpager -w &
exec fluxbox

Of course to use the slit you must have slit support compiled in.

A simple procedure for getting the slit sequences the way you like it is:

1) Run fluxbox with no pre-loaded dockapps.
2) Run dockapps individually in the order you want them.
3) Re-add dockapps to your auto-run script, e.g. .xinitrc or .xsession. Order doesn't matter here!

This sequence will be saved by default to ~/.fluxbox/slitlist and will be maintained in future fluxbox sessions.

Users are free to manually edit the slitlist file. It is a simple list of window names, one per dockapp. Similar to the init file it should be edited while not running fluxbox. Otherwise changes may get overwritten.

The user also has the option of choosing a different path for the slit list file. The following example init file entry changes the path:

session.slitlistFile: /home/me/etc/slitsort

Sloppy Window Grouping

This option allows you to drop a window-title anywhere on the

This option allows you to drop a window-title anywhere on the target window to group it, instead of only on the target window's window-title. window-title.

Maximize Over Slit

This option makes maximized windows cover the Slit when they get maximized. Turn this option off if you want your slit to stay visible at all times.

session.menuFile:

This tells Fluxbox where to look for its menu file.

session.menuFile: /home/myself/.fluxbox/menu

session.keyFile:

This tells Fluxbox where to find the file describing the keybindings.

session.keyFile: /home/myself/.fluxbox/keys

session.styleFile:

This tells Fluxbox where to find the style (theme) file for this session.

session.styleFile: /usr/share/fluxbox/styles/Flux

session.groupFile:

This tells Fluxbox where to find the file for the autogrouping feature.

session.groupFile: /home/myself/.fluxbox/groups

session.slitlistFile:

This tells Fluxbox where to find the file that contains the order in which the apps are loaded in the slit.

session.slitlistFile: /home/myself/.fluxbox/slitlist

session.screen0.toolbar.tools:

This specifies the tools plugged into the toolbar. Possible tools: workspacename, prevworkspace, nextworkspace, iconbar, systemtray, prevwindow, nextwindow, clock e.g. :

session.screen0.toolbar.tools: clock, iconbar, workspacename

session.screen0.strftimeFormat:

This adjusts the way the current time is displayed in the toolbar. The (3) format is used. The default value is: %I:%M %p.

session.screen0.rootCommand:

This overrides the style's rootCommand. When this value is set, it will keep your background the same, regardless of what any style would like your background to be.

session.autoRaiseDelay:

Adjusts the delay (in ms) before focused windows will raise when using the Autoraise option. The default value is: 250.

session.doubleClickInterval:

Adjust the delay (in ms) between mouse clicks for Fluxbox to consider a double click. Default value is: 250.

session.screen0.edgeSnapThreshold:

When moving a window across your screen, Fluxbox is able to have it `snap' to the edges of the screen for easy placement. This variable tells Fluxbox the distance (in pixels) at which the window will jump to the edge. Default value is: 0.

session.cacheMax:

This tells Fluxbox how much memory (in Kb) it may use to store cached pixmaps on the X server. If your machine runs short of memory, you may lower this value. Default value is 200.

session.cacheLife:

This tells Fluxbox how long (in minutes) unused pixmaps may stay in the X server's memory. Default value is 5.

session.opaqueMove:

When moving a window, setting this to True will draw the window contents as it moves (nasty on slow systems), if False it will only draw an outline of the window border.

session.imageDither:

True or False to, respectively, enable or disable dithering of images. Only necessary on systems with small colour depths (8bpp or less)

session.colorsPerChannel:

This tells Fluxbox how many colors to take from the X server on pseudocolor displays. A channel would be red, green, or blue. Fluxbox will allocate this variable ^ 3 colors and make them always available. Value must be between 2 and 6. When you run Fluxbox on an 8-bit display, you must set this resource to 4. Default value is 4.

session.iconbar: True or False to enable or disable Fluxbox using the toolbar to display iconified windows.

session.*.iconbar.alignment:

LEFT, RELATIVEor RIGHT can be changed in the iconbar mode menu. If LEFT or RIGHT is specified the iconbar buttons have a fixed with and are left/right aligned.

session.*.iconbar.clientWidth:

Integer is used to specify the iconbar button width for LEFT/RIGHT alignment.

session.*.iconbar.wheelMode:

On, Offor Screen

On     - enable mousewheeling on the iconbuttons
Off    - disables mousewheeling on the iconbuttons
Screen - uses the settings of desktopWheeling

session.*.iconbar.deiconifyMode:

Current, Followor SemiFollow

      Current    - deiconifies the window on current workspace
      Follow     - deiconifies the window on the workspace it
                   was iconified from and jumps to that workspace
      SemiFollow - acts as 'Current' for windows that were actually
                   iconified, and as 'follow' for the others

session.tabs: True or False to enable/disable Fluxbox's PWM-like window tabs. Tabs let you group windows together, they will take up identical desktop space (windows smaller or larger than the existing group size get resized automatically) and can be moved as a group around the desktop or to a different workspace. Default value is True.

session.screen0.toolbar.onTop: False
session.screen0.toolbar.autoHide: True
session.screen0.toolbar.placement: BottomCenter
session.screen0.toolbar.widthPercent: 42
session.screen0.slit.onTop: False
session.screen0.slit.autoHide: True
session.screen0.slit.placement: TopLeft
session.screen0.slit.direction: Vertical
session.screen0.strftimeFormat: %I:%M %p
session.screen1.toolbar.onTop: True
session.screen1.toolbar.autoHide: False
session.screen1.toolbar.placement: BottomCenter
session.screen1.toolbar.widthPercent: 69
session.screen1.slit.onTop: True
session.screen1.slit.autoHide: False
session.screen1.slit.placement: CenterRight
session.screen1.slit.direction: Vertical
session.screen1.strftimeFormat: %a %d %R [%s]