FVWM-Crystal: features

Features

transparent elements of the interface: panels, menus, dialogs (pseudo-transparency, doesn't show windows underneath)
window decorations, panel/menu colorsets and desktop wallpaper changeable from the main menu; choice saved for next X sessions
flexible window decorations: can have different titlebar buttons layout, pixmaps, button functions
different "desktop layouts" (panel placement and functions, desktop functions, window icons/thumbnails), changeable from the menu
desktop manager using dual png icons from Ken's icons, with its own preferences sytem, which support any file browser you can think about, custom commands and partitions mounting/unmounting inclusive cloud partitions via webdav
advanced keyboard support: keybindings for controlling the desktop switching, window management (moving, resizing, focusing, basic operations like minimalization or closing) - nearly 100 different keybindings
support for controlling music players, using the keyboard or panel buttons and menus; currently MPD, XMMS, XMMS2, Quod Libet, AlsaPlayer, mplayer, audacious, cmus, mocp and cdcd are supported
advanced support of the terminal windows: special "QuakeConsole" terminal accessible by an Alt+` (grave) keystroke similar to the console found in FPP games; terminals can be opened using RMB on the desktop; terminal windows don't release focus for newly opened windows (by default)
a Python script for generating different panels and menus with installed applications - automatically finds programs in $PATH and creates specified menus and panels
support for nearly 400 different applications - icons, menu/panel database entries, window styles
support for FreeDesktop menu system - generation of FVWM-Crystal application menu from the desktop and icon files provided by the applications with automatic support for the additional categories
different language support using gettext
almost any application can be put in full screen, and the user can flow through the full screened applications and the desktop - this is another way, invented by the Amiga OS, to flow through the desktop space

Features for advanced users

all FVWM configuration divided into small files in a simple directory structure
special functions for loading configuration files - allows FVWM configuration files placed in different directories (for example system-wide and user-wide); user files are searched before system-wide files (directory structure must be preserved), first found file is loaded
simple and easy to use system of "user preferences", adds to the configuration files ability to remember different user choices and recall them at any moment, usually at the startup of X session
support for system-wide configuration in /etc/X11/fvwm/fvwm-crystal directory as well as user configuration in ~/.fvwm directory - changes in configuration files can be preserved between package updates
special files called "recipes" - similar to "standard" FVWM configuration model (one configuration - one file), allows for different configurations in the same package (for example different music players changeable during runtime)
support for different icon themes and sizes (similar to /usr/share/icons directory), included many icons in 22x22, 32x32 and 48x48 sizes
application type desktop files can be used to generate the menu entries and icons by running 'fvwm-crystal.generate-menu' (NEW in 3.0.5). This way, FVWM-Crystal application menu become FreeDesktop friendly. This menu support the additional FreeDesktop categories.