Powerful Features

Everything you need for a productive desktop experience, without the bloat.

Window Management

DWN provides flexible window management that adapts to your workflow, whether you prefer the precision of tiling or the freedom of floating windows.

☷ Tiling Layout

Master-stack tiling with configurable master area ratio. Windows automatically organize into a primary area and a stack, maximizing screen real estate.

  • Adjustable master area ratio (0.1 - 0.9)
  • Multiple windows in master area
  • Smart stack arrangement
  • Configurable gaps between windows

❏ Floating Layout

Traditional floating window management with drag-and-drop positioning. Perfect for workflows that need overlapping windows or free-form arrangement.

  • Click and drag to move windows
  • Resize from any edge or corner
  • Window snapping support
  • Respect minimum size hints

☐ Monocle Layout

Full-screen single window mode for focused work. Each window takes up the entire workspace, perfect for presentations or deep concentration.

  • Maximize focused window
  • Quick window cycling
  • Ideal for single-task focus
  • Works great on small screens
Pro Tip

Switch layouts instantly with Super + Space. Your window arrangement is preserved when switching back.

Virtual Workspaces

Nine virtual desktops give you unlimited room to organize your work. Each workspace maintains its own window state and layout preferences.

1-9

9 Workspaces

Quick access via F1-F9 keys. Organize projects, contexts, or tasks across dedicated spaces.

↔

Window Transfer

Move windows between workspaces with Shift+F1-F9. Quick and keyboard-driven.

📈

Per-Workspace State

Each workspace remembers its layout mode, window positions, and focused window.

👁

Visual Indicators

Panel shows active and occupied workspaces at a glance with color coding.

Panels & System Tray

Built-in panels provide essential information and quick access to common functions without needing external tools or status bars.

Top Panel

The top panel contains your main controls and information:

  • Workspace Indicators - Click or use shortcuts to switch
  • Taskbar - Shows windows on current workspace
  • System Tray - Battery, volume, WiFi indicators

Bottom Panel

Optional bottom panel for additional information:

  • Clock Display - Time and date
  • Status Messages - System notifications
  • Customizable - Can be hidden in config

System Tray Features

🔋 Battery Monitor

Shows current battery percentage with color-coded status:

  • Red when below 20%
  • Blue when charging
  • Auto-hides on desktops

🔊 Volume Control

Full audio control at your fingertips:

  • Click for volume slider
  • Scroll to adjust
  • Right-click to mute

📶 WiFi Manager

Network management made simple:

  • Click for network list
  • Signal strength indicators
  • Current SSID display

Notification System

Built-in D-Bus notification daemon following freedesktop.org standards. No need for external notification tools like dunst or notify-osd.

Standards Compliant

Implements the org.freedesktop.Notifications D-Bus interface. Works seamlessly with any application that sends desktop notifications.

Customizable Appearance

Configure notification colors and positioning through the config file. Notifications match your overall color scheme automatically.

Capacity

DWN can display up to 32 notifications simultaneously, with automatic queuing and timeout management.

AI Integration

Optional AI features powered by OpenRouter API and Exa semantic search. Control your desktop with natural language and get intelligent assistance.

🤖 AI Command Palette

Press Super + Shift + A and type natural language commands like "open firefox" or "launch terminal".

Learn More

🔍 Semantic Web Search

Search the web semantically with Exa integration. Find relevant content based on meaning, not just keywords.

Learn More

🎓 Context Analysis

AI analyzes your current workspace to understand what you're working on and provides relevant suggestions.

Learn More

Standards Compliance

DWN implements EWMH and ICCCM protocols for maximum compatibility with X11 applications.

EWMH Support

Extended Window Manager Hints for modern application features:

  • _NET_WM_STATE (fullscreen, maximized, etc.)
  • _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW
  • _NET_CLIENT_LIST and _NET_CLIENT_LIST_STACKING
  • _NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP and _NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS
  • _NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE

ICCCM Compliance

Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual support:

  • WM_STATE management
  • WM_PROTOCOLS (WM_DELETE_WINDOW, WM_TAKE_FOCUS)
  • WM_NORMAL_HINTS (size hints)
  • WM_CLASS for window matching
  • WM_NAME and _NET_WM_NAME

Technical Specifications

Specification Value
Language ANSI C (C99)
Maximum Clients 256 windows
Workspaces 9 virtual desktops
Monitor Support Up to 8 monitors (Xinerama/Xrandr)
Notifications 32 concurrent
Keybindings 64 configurable shortcuts
Memory Usage < 5MB typical
Configuration INI-style (~/.config/dwn/config)

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