IceWM, the lightweight window manager for the X Window System, renowned for its simplicity and effectiveness, especially on older or resource-constrained computers, has launched its latest update, version 3.5.0. The new release introduces several new features and improvements aimed at enhancing user experience and functionality.
IceWM 3.5.0 Key New Features
The version 3.5.0 update boasts several additions:
- Theme Installation: Users can now easily install themes with the new
-i
or--install
option, allowing for quick customization of the desktop environment. - Address Bar Enhancements: The address bar now supports file argument completion, streamlining file navigation. Additionally, the inclusion of
cd
andpwd
commands directly in the address bar further simplifies users’ experience. - User Login Name Expansion: The update improves tilde expansion for user login names, enhancing the user interface’s responsiveness to system variables.
- Enhanced Keyboard Support: IceWM 3.5.0 documents 22 address bar editing keys, providing users with more control over their interactions.
And no, the image below isn’t a throwback to the era of Windows 95. It’s actually the brand-new IceWM 3.5.0 window manager, sporting a default theme that strikingly resembles it. Pretty charming, isnโt it?
Furthermore, the new release also addresses several critical issues and makes noteworthy changes:
- NetBSD Compatibility: IceWM 3.5.0 has fixed compatibility issues with NetBSD 10, ensuring smoother operations on this platform.
- Focus and Urgency Management: Modifications in window focus behaviors include stopping flashing and clearing urgency flags when a window gains focus, which helps manage user attention and system alerts more effectively.
- Window and Focus Ordering: Key modifications now ensure that lowering a window frame adjusts its position in the focus order, creating a more intuitive user experience.
- Keyboard Layout Enhancements: Longer keyboard layout icon names are now supported, accommodating more diverse language inputs.
Lastly, IceWM 3.5.0 also brings localization improvements, with updated Swedish, Catalan, Turkish, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, and Japanese translations. This enhancement broadens IceWM’s appeal, making it more accessible to a global audience.
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.