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Sawfish is an X11 window manager whose high-level behavior can be customized and extended in Lisp. It manages application windows, but it is not a complete desktop environment: backgrounds, docks, and pagers typically come from other applications. Its appeal is deep control over window behavior; the trade-off is that you may need to configure or install the rest of your desktop stack yourself.
What Sawfish is—and what it is not
Debian describes Sawfish as “a lisp-extensible window manager for X11,” while the project describes it as a highly configurable X11 window manager. A window manager controls how application windows are placed, focused, moved, resized, decorated, and switched between. Sawfish keeps that role relatively focused while allowing users to redefine much of its policy.
Sawfish is not a full desktop environment. It does not aim to provide an entire desktop shell or all the services commonly bundled with one. The Sawfish FAQ and project README describe backgrounds, application docks, and pagers as responsibilities that can be handled by separate applications or a desktop environment.
How its Lisp-based design works
Sawfish separates ordinary customization from extending the window manager itself. You can change settings such as focus or workspace behavior, or write Lisp code that adds or redefines features. The project says its high-level window-management functions are implemented in Lisp, and its programming manual describes adding functionality through Lisp modules.
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That design makes Sawfish more adaptable than a window manager whose behavior is limited to a fixed set of options. It also means that advanced configuration may require learning Sawfish’s Lisp conventions and understanding how its startup files and modules are loaded.
Install Sawfish on Debian or Ubuntu
Installing the package provided by your distribution is usually the simplest route. Debian publishes a package named sawfish and a manual page. The package version captured in Debian’s package information is 1:1.11.90-1.2+b1; that is a Debian build identifier, not a universal upstream release number. Ubuntu and other distributions may package different versions, so check the package information for your own release.
After installation, select a Sawfish session from your display manager if one is offered. Session labels and integration depend on the distribution and desktop environment. If Sawfish is not listed, consult your distribution’s package and session documentation rather than assuming that a package version or session entry is identical across releases.
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The upstream source and build materials are in the Sawfish GitHub repository. Building from source is an alternative for users who need a version or configuration not supplied by their distribution, but it requires following the build instructions and dependencies for the source revision they choose.
Configure Sawfish with the GUI or Lisp
Sawfish offers two complementary configuration routes: a GTK-based configurator and hand-written Lisp. The configurator is useful for changing supported settings through a graphical interface. Explicit behavior changes and custom code belong in a personal Lisp startup file.
The FAQ recommends using the ~/.sawfish directory because it can hold customization data and user Lisp scripts. Common personal startup file locations are ~/.sawfish/rc and ~/.sawfishrc. Prefer the directory-based setup when following the FAQ’s recommendation; avoid maintaining competing startup files unless you have verified which one your installed version loads.
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- Start with the configurator. Use the Sawfish GTK configuration interface to change options it exposes. It writes customization data for those settings.
- Put deliberate behavior changes in your startup file. Add Lisp configuration to
~/.sawfish/rcwhen using the recommended directory, or use~/.sawfishrcif that is the convention used by your setup. - Reload or restart the window manager as appropriate. Configuration changes may need to be reloaded before they affect existing windows. The exact reload control can vary with the installed version and session setup.
Customizable areas include menus, interactive moving and resizing, virtual workspaces, iconification, focus and transient-window policies, key bindings, matching rules, and frame themes. For precise names and syntax, consult the documentation shipped with the installed version or the project’s official repository; Lisp forms and available options can differ across versions.
Window rules and key bindings
Sawfish’s window matching, key bindings, and hooks let you connect a user-defined action to a window or event. A window rule is useful when a particular application should receive consistent treatment—for example, a chosen workspace, focus behavior, or placement policy. Key bindings can invoke window-manager commands or functions, while hooks expose window and pointer events for custom behavior.
Because rule names and Lisp syntax are version-sensitive, do not copy an unverified snippet into a startup file and assume it will work. Check the programming manual and the documentation for the functions available in your installed build. Add one change at a time, then reload the configuration and inspect the result; a Lisp error in startup configuration can prevent the intended behavior from being applied.
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Can Sawfish replace a desktop environment?
Sawfish can serve as the window-management component of an X11 desktop session, but it does not replace all the services of a desktop environment by itself. If you use it without a full desktop environment, plan to supply any missing facilities you want.
- Background: use a separate application if you want a desktop wallpaper.
- Dock or panel: install a separate dock or panel if your workflow depends on one.
- Pager: use a separate pager if you want a visual workspace switcher.
- Other desktop services: determine which services your distribution’s session normally starts and arrange alternatives where needed.
The precise set of additional applications depends on your needs and session. Sawfish’s minimal scope is a design choice, not evidence that every desktop utility is included.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Control Sawfish with sawfish-client: security matters
The Sawfish FAQ documents sawfish-client, which can connect to a running window manager and evaluate Lisp forms. This is useful for interactive control and automation, but enabling its network-based server has a serious security consequence: anyone able to open windows on the X display may be able to execute Lisp code and, through it, run programs.
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Do not enable network access for convenience on a shared or untrusted display. Keep any evaluation server tightly restricted to trusted local access, and follow the security guidance for your installed version before exposing it beyond that boundary.
Maintenance and current version
Sawfish has an official source repository, and Linux distributions package it, but those facts do not identify one universal current release. The Debian package build noted above is distribution-specific; another distribution or upstream source checkout can have a different version. Check your distribution’s package listing for the version it supports, and consult the official repository for current project activity and release information rather than treating a distribution build number as the upstream release.
Who should choose Sawfish?
Sawfish is a good fit if you use X11 and want to define window-management behavior in Lisp, customize rules and bindings, or extend the manager with code. It is less suitable if you want a turnkey desktop with a built-in dock, background manager, and other shell components, or if you need a Wayland window manager: the project and Debian description identify Sawfish as an X11 window manager.
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