The resource-saving window manager IceWM for the window system X11 is primarily suitable for older PCs and notebooks. Following their own slogan of more simplicity ("simplicity") and user-friendliness ("not getting in the user’s way"), version 1.8.3 has once again increased efficiency.

Slim working environment for professionals and retro PC

As a slim alternative to complete working environments in the form of large desktops such as KDE Plasma or Gnome, the window manager IceWM is primarily aimed at users who want to - or even need to - focus on the essentials, as well as those that want to accelerate their already aged system.

Debian 10 (Buslter) with IceWM

IceWM 1.8.3 Window manager

IceWM itself runs under free operating systems based on Linux and BSD and can usually be installed via package management and repositories as well as all known distributions.

Historical system requirements and numerous changes

The system requirements can be described as "almost ridiculous" with an i386 processor, as it was at the end of the 1980s. But the "window manager" is accordingly performant in everyday life.

With the now introduced version 1.8.3 further optimizations are to be added:

• Fix for autohide taskbar not wanting to hide.
• Support TaskBarAutoHide for TaskBarKeepBelow.
• Check if filedescriptor is valid and fix off-by-one allocation error.
• Fix issue bbidulock/icewm#491 for F11 fullscreen key on GTK terminals.
• The taskbar only has struts if it is exactly at the top or bottom of the screen.
• Postpone taskbar app status updates until idle, for faster event response.
• Don’t send synthetic ConfigureNotify events for resizing unless required.
• Do send synthetic ConfigureNotify events for positioning when required.
• Support icesh "iconic" and "normal" commands for WM_CHANGE_STATE.
• Only send window position updates to the client if it really has moved.
• Reflect layer changes in the _NET_WM_STATE ABOVE and BELOW flags.
• Send at most one synthetic ConfigureNotify message per resize.
• Add WinStateFullscreen to the visible _WIN_STATE bits.
• Make switch icons opaque for 32-bit visuals.
• Support "icesh toggleState Fullscreen"
• Fix for "icesh -last".

As usual, the developers have summarized further information in the release notes and the official user manual of the window manager.