Editing X window manager (section)

{{short description|Type of window manager}}
{{one source|date=November 2011}}
[[File:Schema of the layers of the graphical user interface.svg|thumb|300px|The [[windowing system]] based on the X11 protocol keeps [[display server]] and [[window manager]] as separate components.]]

An '''X window manager''' is a [[window manager]] that runs on top of the [[X Window System]], a windowing system mainly used on [[Unix-like]] systems.

Unlike [[classic Mac OS|MacOS Classic]], [[macOS]], and [[Microsoft Windows]] platforms (excepting Microsoft Windows [[explorer.exe]] [[Windows shell replacement|shell replacements]]), which have historically provided a vendor-controlled, fixed set of ways to control how windows and [[Paned window (computing)|pane]]s display on a [[Computer display|screen]], and how the user may interact with them, window management for the X Window System was deliberately kept separate from the software providing the graphical display. The user can choose between various third-party window managers, which differ from one another in several ways, including:

* customizability of appearance and functionality:
** textual [[Menu (computing)|menus]] used to start programs and/or change options
** [[Dock (computing)|docks]] and other graphical ways to start programs
** [[multiple desktops]] and [[virtual desktop]]s (desktops larger than the physical monitor size), and [[pager (GUI)|pagers]]<ref name="EWMH">{{Cite web|url=http://standards.freedesktop.org/wm-spec/wm-spec-latest.html#id2504750|title=Extended Window Manager Hints|website=standards.freedesktop.org|access-date=2018-09-16|archive-date=2008-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225000427/http://standards.freedesktop.org/wm-spec/wm-spec-latest.html#id2504750|url-status=dead}}</ref> to switch between them
* consumption of memory and other system resources
* degree of integration with a [[desktop environment]], which provides a more complete interface to the operating system, and provides a range of integrated utilities and applications.