How to Switch to the Window Maker Desktop in Ubuntu

Window Maker is a light-weight window manager for Linux that is made to reproduce the look of the NEXTSTEP desktop. It is a good choice for those who want a window manager that is less resource intensive than GNOME or KDE for older hardware or prefer quick performance over looks.

How to install:

The easiest way to install is through the terminal using APT. To install Window Maker onto your computer type in and run the following:

sudo apt-get install wmaker

This will install the base wmaker window manager. I also recommend installing a few other packages.

wmclock - a clock and date
wmmount - easy to see disk space and mount/unmount drives
wmmon - monitor processor and memory usage
docker - allows you to run and display system tray icons and notifications
wmakerconf - A better configuration tool for Window Maker
pcmanfm - A simpler GNOME file manager. It works very well under Window Maker

You can install all these at once by running the following command:

sudo apt-get install wmaker wmclock wmmount wmmon wmakerconf pcmanfm

You can also do any of these individually. If you prefer a graphical interface, you can run the Synaptic Package Manager and do a quick search for "window maker" (without quotes) and the packages listed above (with the exception of docker), as well as others, will be listed.

Running Window Maker

Now that Window Maker is installed you can run Window Maker by first logging out. At the login screen click on the "Options" button, select "Sessions", and then "Window Maker." After entering in your user name and password you will be asked if you want to use Window Maker this one time, or set it as the default. No matter what you choose you can also boot back into GNOME or any other Window Manager with Sessions.

After starting Window Maker for the first time you are presented with a desktop and a few icons. You can start additional programs by right clicking on the desktop. Running programs will appear in the lower-left corner. This is also where they will appear when they are minimized. If you wish for an icon to stay permanently, drag it over to the right edge of the screen or next to the clip in the upper-left corner. You can also start up some of the extra programs listed above if you installed them. Most of them will appear under Applications -> System. To set program's icons, run command, and start-up option, simply right-click on the icon and select settings.

Now you have a fully-functional Window Maker desktop. You can switch back to GNOME any time under Sessions on log-in. Window Maker also supports running GNOME and KDE programs right inside Window Maker, including gnome-panel. Any services such as the Network Manager that you start in Window Maker will appear in the docker application if you have it installed and running.