Installation
Are they available for your distribution?
With the exception of fvwm3, all the window managers featured in this Roundup are available in the software repositories of a host of distributions, and it’s recommended that you install them using the software manager.
The i3 project provides instructions on how you can get the latest version on Debian and Ubuntu. Enlightenment provides terse instructions on how you can build it from source, but because the project has a large number of components, it’s advisable to install it from your distro’s software repositories.
Likewise, Awesome window manager advises you only install it using your distro’s software management utility. The project’s website states that this is because many users have complained about problems they’re experienced when compiling from source.
Although ICEWM is available in the repositories of most distributions, it still provides comprehensive and complete instructions on installing it from source should you decide to do so.
The fvwm2 project is now in maintenance mode, which means it won’t receive any new updates but only critical security fixes. The project’s development has shifted to version 3 and we’ve installed the latest stable release from source. Unfortunately, while ICEWM provides thorough instructions for the same, fvwm3 doesn’t. The incomplete instructions keep the project out of reach of novice and inexperienced Linux users, which is unfortunate. Even apart from incomplete installation instructions, the project also doesn’t include a .desktop file, meaning you have to create one manually in the /usr/share/xsessions directory before you can choose to boot into your fvwm3 session using the login manager.