Openbox

Spec sheet

Purpose

It lets users run modern applications outside a full desktop environment and can also run inside GNOME or KDE.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Product

Openbox is a minimalistic, highly configurable window manager with extensive standards support.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Support

The site provides documentation, FAQs, bug-report links, and community resources; bug reports should explain how to reproduce the problem.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Community documentation

The documentation site invites community members to improve articles by submitting pull requests to its GitHub repository.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Compatibility

The project says Openbox works with applications following supported standards and can run under GNOME and KDE.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Configuration

Users can customize per-application properties such as borders, geometry, workspace presence, and window layering.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Configuration tool

ObConf is a graphical interface intended to make Openbox configuration easier for new users.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Customization

Users can customize most aspects of desktop interaction, including mouse behavior, key bindings, themes, and per-window settings.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Desktop integration

Openbox can run applications outside a full desktop environment or inside GNOME and KDE.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Download

The download page lists Openbox 3.6.1 source archives and links to its current Git repository.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Installation

The installation guide describes building Openbox from source and lists development dependencies including Xlib, Glib, LibXML, and Pango.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Intended use

The project describes Openbox as suitable both for people who want a simple default setup and for users who want extensive desktop customization.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Key and mouse bindings

Users can bind actions to keyboard keys and mouse buttons.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Languages

The feature list states that Openbox has translations to over 20 languages.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Licensing

Openbox is open source software distributed under the GNU General Public License.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Limit

Openbox.org source and Debian packages do not include the Debian menu in the root menu; the FAQ says Debian provides that integration.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Menus

Openbox supports dynamically built menus through pipe menus, including cached pipe menus.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Release and source

The download page lists Openbox 3.6.1 and provides source archives, signatures, build instructions, and access to the Git repository.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Standards

Openbox aims to follow ICCCM and the freedesktop.org EWMH window-manager specification.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Themes

Openbox uses the *box visual style and provides theme options for developers.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Transparency

Openbox supports true 32-bit transparent windows; the FAQ says this requires the X server Composite extension and a composite manager.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Window management

Features include dynamic desktops, focus cycling across desktops, synchronized window resizing, and animated minimize and restore.Read 9 Oct 2026 · openbox.org

Where Specifiction places it

• Window Management Software#53 of 657.0