Ratpoison

Spec sheet

Product

Ratpoison is a simple window manager modeled largely after GNU Screen.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Support

The site points users to a mailing list for bugs and development, documentation, a FAQ, a wiki, and the #ratpoison IRC channel on Libera.Chat.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

License

The manual states that Ratpoison is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Automation

Users can attach scripts to Ratpoison events using hooks.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Command line

Ratpoison commands can be invoked non-interactively, including through its command-line interface.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Compatibility limit

The manual notes that some programs are difficult to use under Ratpoison because they are tailored to particular window management paradigms.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Customization

The manual describes visual customization options for the status bar, including its font and position.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Dependencies and interface

The official site describes Ratpoison as having no large library dependencies, fancy graphics, or window decorations.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Downloads

The official site lists version 1.4.9 as the current stable release and links to source archives and Git.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Frame layout

Frames can be split horizontally or vertically, and each frame can show at most one window.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Frames

The screen can be split into non-overlapping frames, with windows kept maximized inside them.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Keyboard control

All interaction with the window manager is done through keystrokes, using a prefix map.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Multiple screens

Commands let users switch among X11 screens and navigate across screens.Read 5 Oct 2026 · nongnu.org

Plans and prices

Every Ratpoison plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Window Management Software#40 of 657.3