A month after its previous 3.5 release, IceWM, the lightweight window manager for the X Window System, favored by many for its minimal resource usage and high configurability, has released its latest version, 3.6.
This update introduces new features to improve user interaction and window management, alongside several important bug fixes and updates to improve overall stability and usability.
IceWM 3.6 Highlights
To streamline user interactions, IceWM 3.6 now supports composing characters in the address bar using the X input method, a welcome addition for users who handle multiple languages.
Another intuitive feature is the ability to double-click the border of a window to maximize just that side. This feature also extends to window corners, where users can double-click to maximize or restore the window’s position, making window resizing more fluid and precise.
Moreover, the new version includes several fixes that enhance the system’s responsiveness and prevent redundancy. Notably, IceWM now ignores duplicate requests from GNOME to move or resize windows, which previously led to unnecessary system calls.
Additionally, the update restores the functionality of moving windows by dragging the right mouse button, a feature that enhances the user’s control over window placement.
IceWM 3.6 also focuses on preventing errors related to window management. Changes include avoiding the construction of invalid work areas and ensuring that events are not dispatched to already destroyed windows.
These adjustments prevent crashes and improve the window manager’s resilience in diverse operating conditions. Moreover, IceWM has ceased installing mouse bindings and creating window handles for destroyed or orphaned windows, prioritizing system integrity and resource management.
Lastly, IceWM 3.6 also improves localization with updated Kazakh and Georgian translations.
Check out the changelog for more details and the complete list of all novelties. If you’re betting on it, some rolling distros like Arch already offer the new version in their repositories.
