macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dwmlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install dwm with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix
Dynamic window manager. Version 6.8 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add dwmAlpine Linux edge package indexes · dwm · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install dwmDebian stable package indexes · dwm · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#dwmnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/dw/dwm/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Dynamic window manager
Project links
Commands and aliases
- dwm
history
Project history and usage
dwm is the suckless dynamic window manager for X. The official page describes tiled, monocle, and floating layouts, tag-based window grouping, a small status bar, and a design that is intentionally smaller, faster, and simpler than predecessors such as ion, larswm, and wmii.
Project history
The official git refs show dwm 0.1 tagged on 2006-07-14 by Anselm R. Garbe, followed by rapid 0.x and 1.x releases in 2006. By the 4.x and 5.x series it had settled into the small-C-source, edit-and-rebuild configuration style that became central to the suckless identity.
The official customisation page explains the distinctive model: dwm is configured by editing config.h, a C header included by dwm.c, and config.mk for build/install settings. The main page argues that source-code configuration is fast and secure because dwm does not process unknown runtime configuration input apart from window titles and status text.
Adoption history
dwm's own site says binary packages are somewhat beside the point because users are expected to customize source, while also acknowledging that some distributions provide packages. The batch input lists apk, Homebrew, Debian, Nix, and Ubuntu, showing the tension that makes dwm famous in packaging culture: it is widely packaged even though upstream thinks the most authentic install is local source customization.
How it is used
Users run dwm as an X window manager, arrange clients dynamically across tiled, monocle, and floating layouts, tag windows instead of placing them into conventional workspaces, and feed status text through the root window name. Customization usually means editing config.h, applying patches from the official patch collection, rebuilding, and carrying the local diff forward.
Why package nerds care
dwm is one of the canonical minimalist Unix desktop packages. It is tiny, patch-oriented, hostile to sprawling configuration layers, and influential far beyond its source size. For package nerds it is a touchstone in debates about source-as-config, downstream patch stacks, reproducible personal builds, and how far a package manager should go when upstream expects users to edit C.
Timeline
- 2006: dwm 0.1 tagged in the official git repository.
- 2007: 4.x releases continue rapid development of the early design.
- 2011: dwm 6.0 tagged.
- 2019: dwm 6.2 tagged after a slower mature-release cadence.
- 2026: dwm 6.8 released on 2026-01-30; official refs show master activity in March 2026.
Related projects
- The official page places dwm against ion, larswm, and wmii, points users to dmenu, and lists related or influenced projects including awesome, dvtm, dwl, i3, qtile, scrotwm, xmonad, and several dwm forks or ports.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 5 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
config.h
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
dwm | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version6.8
manager updated2026-06-25
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://dwm.suckless.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:dwm |
|---|---|
| Version | 6.8 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dwm |
| Homepage | https://dwm.suckless.org/ |
| Repository | https://git.suckless.org/dwm |
| Upstream docs | https://dwm.suckless.org/ |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://dl.suckless.org/dwm/dwm-6.8.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-25T13:37:39+02:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | dmenu, fontconfig, libx11, libxft, libxinerama |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | In order to use the Mac OS X command key for dwm commands, change the X11 keyboard modifier map using xmodmap (1). e.g. by running the following command from $HOME/.xinitrc xmodmap -e 'remove Mod2 = Meta_L' -e 'add Mod1 = Meta_L'& See also https://gist.github.com/311377 for a handful of tips and tricks for running dwm on Mac OS X. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | dwm |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
dwm 6.5-1
dynamic window manager
sudo apt install dwm- Section: x11
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 4 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dwm
Nix95%
dwm
nix profile install nixpkgs#dwm- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dwm
Ubuntu apt95%
dwm 6.4-1
dynamic window manager
sudo apt install dwm- Section: universe/x11
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 4 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dwm
apk95%
dwm 6.8-r0
dwm - dynamic window manager
sudo apk add dwm- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: dwm
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dwm
apk95%
dwm-doc 6.8-r0
dwm - dynamic window manager (documentation)
sudo apk add dwm-doc- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: dwm
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dwm
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment