UWM (computing)

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In computing, the name uwm can refer to two different X window managers: most commonly the very early Ultrix Window Manager, released in 1985, which was the standard window manager for the X Window System from X10R3 through to X11R3; and the later UDE Window Manager, released in 1998.

1 Ultrix Window Manager
2 UDE Window Manager
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Ultrix Window Manager

The Ultrix Window Manager was first released in 1985 by the Digital Equipment Corporation. Shortly thereafter, it became included as part of the base X Window System distribution, beginning with X10R3. Initially, two other window managers (xwm and xnwm) were also included with X, but only uwm was ported to the X11 protocol. It was the standard window manager for X11R1 through X11R3, after which it was replaced by twm.

Unlike more recent window managers, uwm was not re-parenting, and did not place frames or title bars on windows. Instead, all window management functionality was accessed either by clicking on the root window to bring up a menu or by holding down the Meta key while clicking or dragging within windows. It was possible to configure the key and mouse button bindings and the contents of the menus by using a configuration file, a feature inherited by many later window managers.

Tom LaStrange, author of twm, describes uwm as follows: "I had been using X10R6 (around 1986) for awhile and the only window manager available was called uwm. It was a non-reparenting window manager (no window titlebars), which meant you had to remember Ctrl/Shift mouse button combinations to move a window, iconify, etc."

twm replaced uwm as the standard X window manager with X11R4 in 1989. uwm has not been updated since.

Descendants of uwm include awm (the Ardent Window Manager) and Tekwm (the Tektronix Window Manager).