Guide to linux configuration files/Window Managers

Here are a list of config files for various Window managers

In many cases are global config files, and local config files.

• Global config files
  • Apply to all users
  • Usually located in /etc
• Local config files
  • Applies to a specific user
  • Stored in the users home dir, as ~/.example or ~/.config/example
  • AKA dot files

Locations of config files change name and location over time and different Linux Distributions, so the files listed here may not match your Linux installation, but the are generally close.

For example

• bashrc may be located in /etc/bash/bashrc or /etc/bashrc
• kdmrc may be located in /usr/share/config/kdm/kdmrc, /usr/local/share/config/kdm/kdmrc, or /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc

For other linux config file See: Guide to linux configuration files

to be added

• CTWM, wm2/wmx, AmiWM, SCWM, Metacity, Beryl, Compiz, SithWM, Whim, Karmen, Integrity, QuarkWM, BadWM, XIGE, WWM, Stumpwm, TrsWM, Kahakai, PyWM, XWEM, MIWM, Framer, Mavosxwm, WindowLab, Hackedbox, Waimea, Clementine, Interface WM, ZWM, HaZe, aewm++, NovaWM, Golem, Oroborus, Treewm, GwML, Heliwm, 5dwm, Mosquito, Maewm, QLWM, Phluid, Alloywm, Amaterus, Perlwm, Efsane II, 3Dwm, Swm, Puppet, YAWM, w9wm, larswm, PWM, PLWM, EPIwm, wmG, aewm, B4step, flwm, lwm, mlvwm, qvwm, mwm 2.0, GWM, 9wm, OSWM, awm, rtl, dxwm, hpwm, tekwm, m_swm, pswm, swm, tvtwm, mvwm, NCDwm, XDSwm, vuewm, 4Dwm, piewm, pmwm, uwm, wm, xwm

BlackBox

• ~/.blackboxrc
• /usr/share/blackbox/menu - global menu file
• ~/.blackbox/menu - local menu file
• ~/.blackbox/Backgrounds/ - backgrounds directory
• ~/.blackbox/Styles/ - styles dir
• ~/.bbkeysrc - bbkeys configuration file [1]

References: [2]

Gnome

There are allot of config files for Gnome, that are located in the following directories and files

• ~/.esd_auth - Enlightened Sound Daemon (ESD) authentication cookie.
• ~/gconf/ - User preferences stored here.
• ~/.gconfd/ - gconfd daemon information stored here. CORBA IOR and object info.
• ~/.gnome/ - User info not held in .gconf. i.e. mime type info.
• ~/.gnome2/ - ser info not held in .gconf. i.e. Window location, keyboard shortcut info, ...
• ~/.gnome-desktop/ (older RH 8/9) - Desktop icons and application launchers.
• ~/.nautilus/ - Nautilus file manager data.
• ~/.metacity/ - Metacity window manager data.
• ~/.themes/ - Theme options, window frame options, ...
• ~/.screensaver/ - Screensaver configuration data.

• References: [3] [4]

KDE

There are allot of config files for KDE, that are located in the following directories

• ~/.kde4/

XFCE

There are allot of config files for XFCE, that are located in the following directories

• /etc/xdg/xfce4/
• ~/.config/xfce4/

• References: [5]

Xmonad

• ~/.xmonad/xmonad.hs

wmii

• /etc/wmii/wmiirc
• ~/.wmii/wmiirc

spectrwm

/etc/spectrwm.conf ~/.spectrwm.conf

Snapwm

• ~/.snapwmrc

Musca

• ~/.musca_start

Mosterwm

• config.h

i3

• ~/.i3/config
• /etc/i3/config

echinus

~/.echinus/echinusrc

Catwm

• config.h

WMFS

• /etc/xdg/wmfs/wmfsrc
• ~/.config/wmfs/wmfsrc

subtle

• $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/subtle/subtle.rb

ratpoison

• ~/.ratpoisonrc

Ion

• /etc/ion3/ - Global config dir
• ~/.ion3/ - Local config dir
  • Config files
    • cfg_ion.lua
    • cfg_bindings.lua
    • cfg_menus.lua
    • cfg_ionws.lua
    • look.lua

Herbstluftwm

• ~/.config/herbstluftwm/autostart

Sawfish

• ~/.sawfish/custom

PekWM

• ~/.pekwm/config
• ~/.pekwm/menu
• ~/.pekwm/keys
• ~/.pekwm/mouse
• ~/.pekwm/start

Pawm

• /etc/pawm.conf

JWM

• /etc/system.jwmrc
• ~/.jwmrc

evilwm

• ~/.evilwmrc

Enlightenment

• ~/.e16/
• ~/.e16/bindings.conf - key bindings

Fluxbox

• /usr/share/fluxbox/ - Global config dir
• ~/.fluxbox/ - Local config dir
  • Config files
    • menu
    • init
    • keys
    • backgrounds
    • startup
    • styles
    • overlay
    • apps
    • windowmenu

fvwm

• ~/.fvwmrc - Local configuration file for fvwm window manager

fvwm2

• ~/.fvwm2rc - Local configuration file for fvwm2 window manager

OpenBox

• ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml - General config, local
• ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml - Menu, local
• ~/.config/openbox/autostart.sh - Execute at start of OpenBox

Examples: http://dotfiles.org/.config/openbox/rc.xml

Examples: http://dotfiles.org/.config/openbox/menu.xml

Fvwm95

• ~/.fvwm95rc

Motif Window Manager

• ~/.mwmrc

OpenLook Window Manager

• ~/.olwmrc

OpenLook Virtual Window Manager

• ~/.olvwmrc

Tab Window Manager (TWM)

• ~/.twmrc

Tab Virtual Window Manager

• ~/.tvtwmrc

Window Maker

• ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker

QVWM

• ~/.qvwmrc
• ~/.qvwm-theme

Awsome

• ~/.config/awesome/rc.lua
• ~/.config/awesome/themes/default

Matchbox

• ~/.matchbox/session and /etc/matchbox/session

~/.matchbox/kdbconfig

IceWM

• ~/.icewm/
• ~/.icewm/theme - Currently selected theme
• ~/.icewm/preferences - General settings - paths, colors, fonts...
• ~/.icewm/prefoverride - Settings that should override the themes.
• ~/.icewm/menu - Menu of startable applications. Usually customized by the user.
• ~/.icewm/programs - Automatically generated menu of startable applications (this should be used for wmconfig, menu or similar packages, perhaps as a part of the login or X startup sequence).
• ~/.icewm/winoptions - Application window options
• ~/.icewm/keys - Global keybindings to launch applications (not window manager related)
• ~/.icewm/toolbar - Quick launch application icons on the taskbar.

PMWM

• ~/.pmwmrc

AfterStep

~/.afterstep - /usr/local/share/afterstep