Installation

OXWM is available in the Arch User Repository (AUR).

You can install it using an AUR helper like yay or paru:

yay -S oxwm-git

This package pulls the latest git version, ensuring you have the newest features and fixes.

Manual installation

Install dependencies first:

sudo pacman -S rust cargo libx11 libxft freetype2 fontconfig pkg-config

Then follow the Manual Build instructions.

The repository provides a Flake with a NixOS module.

Example flake.nix configuration:

{
  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
    oxwm = {
      url = "github:tonybanters/oxwm";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };
  };

  outputs = inputs@{ self, nixpkgs, oxwm, ... }: {
    nixosConfigurations.hostname = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
      system = "x86_64-linux";
      modules = [
        oxwm.nixosModules.default
        {
          services.xserver = {
            enable = true;
            windowManager.oxwm.enable = true;
          };
        }
      ];
    };
  };
}

After rebuilding with sudo nixos-rebuild switch, OXWM will be available in your display manager's session list.

If your distribution isn't listed, you can build OXWM from source.

Install dependencies

You'll need Rust, Cargo, and X11 development libraries:

libx11, libxft, freetype2, fontconfig, pkg-config

Clone and build

git clone https://github.com/tonybanters/oxwm
cd oxwm
cargo build --release

Install

sudo cp target/release/oxwm /usr/local/bin/

Or use the justfile:

just install

Setting up OXWM

Without a display manager (startx)

Add the following to your ~/.xinitrc:

exec oxwm

Then start X with:

startx

With a display manager

If using a display manager (LightDM, GDM, SDDM), OXWM should appear in the session list after installation.

First launch

On first launch, your initial config file will be automatically created at ~/.config/oxwm/config.lua. Edit it and reload with Mod+Shift+R.