Best up-to-date low-resource Window-Manager for small screen laptops?
 

OK-good morning everyone!
Well, still working on my Slackware 12.2 minimal install to my Toshiba 7000CT laptop.
Thought I'd just install Blackbox and Fluxbox, but now I'm not sure as there are Many WM's I didn't know about-Matchbox, Sawfish, and XD640 to name a few.
Now, among all the WM's, some are seriously out of date-such as Blackbox.
Why is Blackbox included in Slack12.2 when it is so out of date?
I like the looks of LXDE, Matchbox, Sawfish, Openbox, and XD640 but don't know how easy they are to configure for Slack12.2?
There is a huge dropoff it seems between KDE/Gnome/XFCE4/LXDE and the others like Fluxbox/Blackbox/Openbox/JWM etc.
The top ones (kde,etc) have mega-usability and are resource heavy-whereas the others seem to have limited functionality(like displaying mounted USB's on the Desktop).
I really like JWM but have no idea how to set it up so it looks and acts similarly to the JWM in Puppy Linux.
I have been reading alot of stuff about how to configure JWM, Blackbox, etc. , but some of it is "out-of-reach" for a newbie with limited programming experience.
So, I was wondering what others here use for a WM besides the Big 4 (Gnome/KDE/XFCE4/LXDE)?
Can any WM be implemented into Slackware 12.2?
Are their any new WM's made for small screens-like Matchbox/XD640?
Can Matchbox/XD640 be installed to 12.2?
Thanks!

See you already discounted my response..

I use LXDE on my Acer Aspire One Netbook (9"screen) Low resource usage and it works well for my needs. I haven't bothered looking at anything else that might be more lightweight since performance has not been an issue with the current setup.

Need to work on your post formatting a bit.. Break it up into paragraphs or somthing, and make sure the question you are asking is easy to determine.. it's rather difficult to read your posts, and many will just skip over them depriving you of responses from some people you may want to hear from...

Best of luck in your search.

OK-more directly, Can almost any WM be installed to Slackware 12.2?
Estimated RAM/resource consumption of the light-weight WM's-which ones are the best for low-ram, but don't need lots of libs or any connection to Gnome/KDE?
Most importantly-How do you add a WM to the xwmconfig so you can choose it?
And, once installed via installpkg, will it operate without issues or must it be configured?

The wikipedia Desktop Environment article might be a good place to start..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...p_environments



and to switch window managers in Slackware xwmconfig

I do not answer directly to your questions but you can launch sbopkg (last version) then Search for "window manager" as "String". This will give you a list of all package with "window manager" in their description.

This way I noticed that following window managers are available as SlackBuilds @ http://slackbuilds.org:
afterstep
enlightenment
icewm
matchbox-window-manager
openbox
oroborus
pekwm
ratpoison
wmii

Why wouldn't you try a few ones, then tell us what you think of it ?

For installation, read the respective READMEs

=========your post=========
OK-more directly, (1) Can almost any WM be installed to Slackware 12.2?
(2) Estimated RAM/resource consumption of the light-weight WM's-which ones are the best for low-ram, but don't need lots of libs or any connection to Gnome/KDE?
(3) Most importantly-How do you add a WM to the xwmconfig so you can choose it?
(4) And, once installed via installpkg, will it operate without issues or must it be configured?
=========quoted============

linux72:

To the four (4) questions:

(1) Theoretically, WMs intended for Linuxes can be installed under slack 12.2 but consider the work needed to fit them into this version. To note, even dropline to day has not yet come up with Gnome version for Slackware 12.2. I have faced the same dilemma before, and the concession must be had: To go for Slack 12.2 we must admit only to the choices offered by the xwmconfig and that which are found in Absolute 12.2.1; if you go for another WM you have to give up Slackware 12.2 for another version if you are not prepared to hurdle the big hacking.

(2) I'd go for Fluxbox which is complete enough to be productive, or Blackbox if you go slimmer.

(3) To add another manager into the slack 12.2 xwmconfig list you need to do a little hacking of xwmconfig binary (I think you will need Patrick V.'s permission) and you need to place your xxxxxxrc into the xinit folder. Go examine the install script in your disk: "/source/x/x11-skel/scripts/setup.xwmconfig"
Another way is easier. You can launch your wm manually at rc3, or via script at rc.d if you want it automated running rc4.

(4) This, honestly I cannot answer. But who knows you may succeed where I have tried and failed. Go on. And whatever good things you come up check back post them that others may enjoy it too.

Can you post here how much ram, space and processor speed you have? We might be useful to you more if you can make it clear the size of your need.

Finally, I maintain my recommendation: Try Absolute Linux 12.2.1. It will serve you even at 32mb.

Hope this helps.