how to uninstall dwm?
- Step 1: Open a terminal with 'su' access and enter the command as shown below.
- apt-get remove dwm -y.
- Step 2: The command reads the package lists and proceeds with the uninstallation.
dwm is a dynamic window manager for Xorg. It manages windows in tiled, stacked, and full-screen layouts, as well as many others with the help of optional patches. Layouts can be applied dynamically, optimizing the environment for the application in use and the task being performed. dwm is extremely lightweight and fast, written in C and with a stated design goal of remaining under 2000 source lines of code. It provides multihead support for xrandr and Xinerama.
dwm can be installed with the packages dwmAUR or dwm-gitAUR. Make any required configuration changes before building and installing, see makepkg.
dwm is configured at compile-time by editing some of its source files, specifically config.h. For detailed information on these settings, see the included, well-commented config.def.h as well as the customisation section on the dwm website.
The official website has a number of patches that can add extra functionality to dwm. These patches primarily make changes to the dwm.c file but also make changes to the config.h file where appropriate. For information on applying patches, see the Patching packages article.
Select Dwm from the menu in a display manager of choice. Alternatively, to start dwm with startx append exec dwm to ~/.xinitrc and prepend other programs to execute them as well, for example:
See the dwm tutorial for information on basic dwm usage.
For more examples of status bars, see .
dwm reads the name of the root window and redirects it to the statusbar. The root window is the window within which all other windows are drawn and arranged by the window manager. Like any other window, the root window has a title/name, but it is usually undefined because the root window always runs in the background.
The information that you want dwm to show in the statusbar should be defined with xsetroot -name "" command in ~/.xinitrc or ~/.xprofile (if you are using a display manager). For example:
Dynamically updated information should be put in a loop which is forked to background - see the example below:
In this case the date is shown in RFC:3339 format and PCManFM is launched at startup.
Conky can be printed to the statusbar with xsetroot -name:
If you do not want to spawn too many PIDs by 'xsetroot' command, you can compile this C program:
Save this code to file dwm-setstatus.c, compile:
move 'dwm-setstatus' within your $PATH (/usr/local/bin, for example)
and run:
To do this, conky needs to be told to output text to the console only. The following is a sample conkyrc for a dual core CPU, displaying several usage statistics:
For icons and color options, see dzen.
To restart dwm without logging out or closing applications, change or add a startup script so that it loads dwm in a while loop, for example:
dwm can now be restarted without destroying other X windows by pressing the usual Mod-Shift-Q combination.
It is a good idea to place the above startup script into a separate file, ~/bin/startdwm for instance, and execute it through ~/.xinitrc. Consider running the script with exec to avoid security implications with remaining logged in after the X server is terminated; see Xinit#Autostart X at login for more information. From this point on, when you wish to end the X session, simply execute pkill dwm, or bind it to a convenient keybind. Alternatively, you could setup your dwm session script so that it relaunches dwm only if the binary changes. This could be useful in the case where you change a setting or update the dwm code base.
When using Mod4 (the Super/Windows Key) as the MODKEY, it may be equally convenient to have the right Alt key (Alt_R) act as Mod4. This will allow you to perform otherwise awkward keystrokes one-handed, such as zooming with Alt_R+Enter.
First, find out which keycode is assigned to Alt_R:
Then simply add the following to the startup script (e.g. ~/.xinitrc), changing the keycode 113 if necessary to the result gathered by the previous xmodmap command:
Reassign Alt_R to Super_L:
Make sure X keeps it out of the "mod1" group:
After doing so, any functions that are triggered by the Super_L key press will also be triggered by an Alt_R key press.
Use xmodmap to assign Alt_L as a secondary meta key in DWM (provided already using Mod1Mask (Alt_R))
By default, dwm's bar adds 2px around the size of the font. To change this, modify the following line:
To disable focus follows mouse behaviour, comment out the following line in definition of struct handler:
Note that this change can cause some difficulties; the first click on an inactive window will only bring the focus to it. To interact with window contents (buttons, fields etc), you need to click again. Also, if you have several monitors, you may notice that the keyboard focus does not switch to another monitor activated by clicking.
For some windows, such as preferences dialogs, it does not make sense for these windows to be tiled - they should be free-floating instead. For example, to make Firefox's preferences dialog float, add the following to your rules array in config.h:
Tilda works best when added to all tags, and configured to be floating. To do so, add the following to your rules array in config.h:
Launch tilda with -C option:
Now you can configure Tilda, the following options are provided as a recommendation:
It is important you enable the pulldown-animation, otherwise Tilda will keep jumping down each time you unhide it, must be a dwm issue.
Install the scrot package. Next create two scripts:
for making screenshots and
for making screenshots with a selection box. Give them executable permissions. In config.h add the following:
This maps taking screenshots to the print key and taking screenshots with a selection box to the shift + print keys.
Add to the top of config.h,
to use multimedia keys. Now we can map common tasks to these keys.
Install the pipewire package. Now in config.h we may add commands for mute and volume increase/decrease.
Install the brightnessctl package. Now in config.h we may add commands for dimming and brightening the screen.
A patch is available. It runs ~/.dwm/autostart_blocking.sh and ~/.dwm/autostart.sh & before entering the handler loop. One or both of these files can be omitted.
Try setting export _JAVA_AWT_WM_NONREPARENTING=1. Setting wmname "LG3D" using wmname may help too.
See also Java#Gray window, applications not resizing with WM, menus immediately closing.
If there are empty gaps of desktop space outside terminal windows, it is likely due to the terminal's font size. Either adjust the size until finding the ideal scale that closes the gap, or toggle resizehints to 0 in config.h.
This will cause dwm to ignore resize requests from all client windows, not just terminals. The downside to this workaround is that some terminals may suffer redraw anomalies, such as ghost lines and premature line wraps, among others.
Alternatively, if you use the st terminal emulator, you can apply the anysize patch and recompile st.
Windows users who do not know about processes in detail often think that dwm.exe is a virus. More often than not, this is thanks to issues with the file consuming a large number of resources and slowing down your computer. So, we put up this article to help you answer such questions as “Is dwm.exe safe?” and “what is dwm.exe?” and “why is dwm.exe using CPU?." Find out what dwm.exe is, why it’s using so much CPU, and whether or not you should remove it from your computer.
DWM.exe stands for Desktop Window Manager, and it is a core process that is tightly connected to the File Explorer process. It is an executable file as denoted by the .exe file extension. So, Dwm.exe runs the Desktop Windows Manager.
The genuine dwm.exe file is an important software component of Microsoft Windows, and it is a Windows core system file by Microsoft. It’s responsible for handling elements such as Windows Aero, and other visual effects like Windows Flip and Windows Flip3D.
This makes the DWM process an important part of your Windows system that should be running on your computer. However, this doesn’t mean that the process can’t cause issues, performance drops, or even carry malware.
Desktop Window Manager supports and manages the graphical user interface of different versions of Windows such as Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and now Windows 10. The main job of DWM.exe is to enable hardware acceleration that supports Windows’s graphical user interface or visual effects.
The Visual effects that DWM.exe supports include:
In addition, Desktop Window Manager can support other specific visual effects on desktops such as Windows Flip, transparent windows, and live taskbar thumbnails.
Some users have noted situations where Desktop window manager high CPU or Desktop windows manager high memory. This is a common error, especially in Windows 10. You can turn the Desktop Window Manager off or on through the Control Panel.
Dwm.exe is an essential Windows system component and an integral part of File Explorer.
The file information of DWM.exe is as follows:
Note: The dwm.exe is a digitally signed product by Microsoft, has no file information, and is not visible.
Simply put, DMW.exe file is not a virus. The true dmw.exe file is a safe software component from Microsoft and Windows system process. It is the file executable for Desktop Window Manager.
But any good file might be infected with malware to disguise itself and evade detection.
For example, writers of malware programs deliberately give their processes the same file name to evade detection. Some Viruses have the same file name, such as Artemis!A29094FF4DC2 (detected by McAfee) and Backdoor: Win32/Caphaw.H. Microsoft also detected a Trojan with the same name as dmw.exe called TrojanDownloader:Win32/Deewomz.A.
To ensure that no malicious dwm.exe is running on your PC, you need to scan your PC with quality antivirus software. Here at SoftwareKeep, we provide access to a variety of antivirus applications capable of detecting and disabling any virtual threat.
You cannot be sure if the dwm.exe process running on your computer is a virus unless you find out. You can recognize whether the dwm.exe is a virus using the following steps:
Alternatively, you can also scrutinize the dwm.exe file for malware infections under the following circumstances:
If the Desktop Windows Manager shows high CPU or uses lots of memory, you may think it is a virus. While it’s a possible scenario, usually, it isn’t a virus.
Malware, temporary explorer bug, bad driver, a bug in 3rd party software, or even a nefarious mdi264.dll are known causes of dwm.exe using high CPU or memory.
The dwm.exe CPU usage increases as you open more Windows programs, sometimes using several megabytes, which is normal. If you notice the Desktop window manager high CPU after closing most programs, you may need to take action.
Yes, you can disable dwm.exe in older Windows versions. But it is not advisable to delete or disable the dwm.exe file because of its importance to Windows systems.
If you’re trying to maximize the computer’s performance or are concerned about how much memory the dwm.exe process is using, you can disable it.
If you are using Windows Vista, you could disable dwm.exe, which will, in turn, turn off all the Windows visual effects (in Windows Vista. The process, however, becomes a more integral part of Windows, beginning with Windows 7, and disabling it on any OS beginning with Windows 7 can affect your graphical user interface.
Read: How to Install and Uninstall Applications in Windows 10
If you need to disable dwm.exe in Windows Vista or 7 you can use the following steps:
Note: If you opted to disable dwm.exe, you’d notice that it also disables all Windows themes. The classic Windows look is for some people, but for most, it’s a little dull. If you want to revert or enable dwm.exe, go back into services.msc and set the startup type to Automatic.
To remove dwm.exe from your computer, carry out the following steps one by one:
Note: This procedure will uninstall dwm.exe if it was part of the software installed on your computer.
Note that disabling dwm.exe also disables support for all Windows Vista themes, forcing you to use the classic theme. If you want to revert, you’ll need to re-enable dwm.exe by going back into Services and setting the startup type to Automatic.
If dmw.exe was using high memory and causing PC slowdown, removing it can help improve your PC speed.
Read: How to Speed up Windows 10
Disabling the dwm.exe service is not recommended or possible on systems released after Windows Vista. Because of this, troubleshooting errors and high resource usage related to the process requires different methods.
The procedures below will help you fix dwm.exe using high CPU or high memory. Some methods may require you to have administrative permissions to perform them.
Need help? Check out our How to make a local user an administrator in Windows 10 guide.
If the dwm.exe is using high CPU power or memory, it might be due to malware such as computer viruses, hidden crypto-currency miners, and spyware. In this case, you must use an antivirus application to scan your device and detect threats.
First, scan your computer using the built-in Windows Defender application on Windows 10.
You may also want to scan your computer using a good quality, premium antivirus application. After first scanning your PC using Windows Defender, use third-party antivirus software to conduct a full PC scan.
Read our Best antivirus software for Windows 10 article to help you decide which antivirus app is best for your unique needs.
You may need to scan your computer using a quality antivirus. You can first scan your PC using Windows Defender then use a third party AV software, such as Malwarebytes, to conduct a full PC scan.
Restarting the explorer.exe is a simple workaround to help stop dwm.exe using high RAM.
Use the following steps to restart explorer.exe:
If dwm.exe is using high RAM or CPU, updating display drivers can help sort the issue.
Use the following procedure to update graphics drivers:
It’s possible that your PC’s current performance settings affect the DWM. You can adjust your performance options to fix the DWM high CPU error using the following steps:
Read: How to Personalize Windows 10
If all those procedures fail to fix the dwm.exe error, you can run the SFC utility scan to repair damaged or missing system files.
To run the SFC and DISM scan, follow these steps:
We believe that you now have important information about the dwm.exe file. You now know it’s safe but not entirely because it can be infected by malware. In addition, when you notice dwm.exe using high CPU, you can use these detailed methods to fix the error.
If you need any further help with Windows or Windows applications, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team, available 24/7 to assist you. Return to our help center for more informative articles all related to productivity and modern-day technology!
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dwm is a dynamic window manager for Xorg. It manages windows in tiled, stacked, and full-screen layouts, as well as many others with the help of optional patches. Layouts can be applied dynamically, optimizing the environment for the application in use and the task being performed. dwm is extremely lightweight and fast, written in C and with a stated design goal of remaining under 2000 source lines of code. It provides multihead support for xrandr and Xinerama.
dwm can be installed with the packages dwmAUR or dwm-gitAUR. Make any required configuration changes before building and installing, see makepkg.
dwm is configured at compile-time by editing some of its source files, specifically config.h. For detailed information on these settings, see the included, well-commented config.def.h as well as the customisation section on the dwm website.
The official website has a number of patches that can add extra functionality to dwm. These patches primarily make changes to the dwm.c file but also make changes to the config.h file where appropriate. For information on applying patches, see the Patching packages article.
Select Dwm from the menu in a display manager of choice. Alternatively, to start dwm with startx append exec dwm to ~/.xinitrc and prepend other programs to execute them as well, for example:
See the dwm tutorial for information on basic dwm usage.
For more examples of status bars, see .
dwm reads the name of the root window and redirects it to the statusbar. The root window is the window within which all other windows are drawn and arranged by the window manager. Like any other window, the root window has a title/name, but it is usually undefined because the root window always runs in the background.
The information that you want dwm to show in the statusbar should be defined with xsetroot -name "" command in ~/.xinitrc or ~/.xprofile (if you are using a display manager). For example:
Dynamically updated information should be put in a loop which is forked to background - see the example below:
In this case the date is shown in RFC:3339 format and PCManFM is launched at startup.
Conky can be printed to the statusbar with xsetroot -name:
If you do not want to spawn too many PIDs by 'xsetroot' command, you can compile this C program:
Save this code to file dwm-setstatus.c, compile:
move 'dwm-setstatus' within your $PATH (/usr/local/bin, for example)
and run:
To do this, conky needs to be told to output text to the console only. The following is a sample conkyrc for a dual core CPU, displaying several usage statistics:
For icons and color options, see dzen.
To restart dwm without logging out or closing applications, change or add a startup script so that it loads dwm in a while loop, for example:
dwm can now be restarted without destroying other X windows by pressing the usual Mod-Shift-Q combination.
It is a good idea to place the above startup script into a separate file, ~/bin/startdwm for instance, and execute it through ~/.xinitrc. Consider running the script with exec to avoid security implications with remaining logged in after the X server is terminated; see Xinit#Autostart X at login for more information. From this point on, when you wish to end the X session, simply execute pkill dwm, or bind it to a convenient keybind. Alternatively, you could setup your dwm session script so that it relaunches dwm only if the binary changes. This could be useful in the case where you change a setting or update the dwm code base.
When using Mod4 (the Super/Windows Key) as the MODKEY, it may be equally convenient to have the right Alt key (Alt_R) act as Mod4. This will allow you to perform otherwise awkward keystrokes one-handed, such as zooming with Alt_R+Enter.
First, find out which keycode is assigned to Alt_R:
Then simply add the following to the startup script (e.g. ~/.xinitrc), changing the keycode 113 if necessary to the result gathered by the previous xmodmap command:
Reassign Alt_R to Super_L:
Make sure X keeps it out of the "mod1" group:
After doing so, any functions that are triggered by the Super_L key press will also be triggered by an Alt_R key press.
Use xmodmap to assign Alt_L as a secondary meta key in DWM (provided already using Mod1Mask (Alt_R))
By default, dwm's bar adds 2px around the size of the font. To change this, modify the following line:
To disable focus follows mouse behaviour, comment out the following line in definition of struct handler:
Note that this change can cause some difficulties; the first click on an inactive window will only bring the focus to it. To interact with window contents (buttons, fields etc), you need to click again. Also, if you have several monitors, you may notice that the keyboard focus does not switch to another monitor activated by clicking.
For some windows, such as preferences dialogs, it does not make sense for these windows to be tiled - they should be free-floating instead. For example, to make Firefox's preferences dialog float, add the following to your rules array in config.h:
Tilda works best when added to all tags, and configured to be floating. To do so, add the following to your rules array in config.h:
Launch tilda with -C option:
Now you can configure Tilda, the following options are provided as a recommendation:
It is important you enable the pulldown-animation, otherwise Tilda will keep jumping down each time you unhide it, must be a dwm issue.
Install the scrot package. Next create two scripts:
for making screenshots and
for making screenshots with a selection box. Give them executable permissions. In config.h add the following:
This maps taking screenshots to the print key and taking screenshots with a selection box to the shift + print keys.
Add to the top of config.h,
to use multimedia keys. Now we can map common tasks to these keys.
Install the pipewire package. Now in config.h we may add commands for mute and volume increase/decrease.
Install the brightnessctl package. Now in config.h we may add commands for dimming and brightening the screen.
A patch is available. It runs ~/.dwm/autostart_blocking.sh and ~/.dwm/autostart.sh & before entering the handler loop. One or both of these files can be omitted.
Try setting export _JAVA_AWT_WM_NONREPARENTING=1. Setting wmname "LG3D" using wmname may help too.
See also Java#Gray window, applications not resizing with WM, menus immediately closing.
If there are empty gaps of desktop space outside terminal windows, it is likely due to the terminal's font size. Either adjust the size until finding the ideal scale that closes the gap, or toggle resizehints to 0 in config.h.
First of all update your system with the command:
Ads
Above command will download the package lists for Ubuntu 16.04 on your system. This will update the list of newest versions of packages and its dependencies on your system.
After downloading the latest package list with the help of above you can run the installation process.
If dwm is not installed on your compter then the command 'dpkg -L dwm' will give followin error.
Installing dwm:
After system update use the following command to install dwm:
Above command will confirm before installing the package on your Ubuntu 16.04 Operating System. If you are not already logged in as su, installer will ask you the root password. After completion of the installation you can use the package on your system.
Now we will see the commands for uninstalling the dwm from Ubuntu 16.04. For uninstalling this package you can easily use the apt command and remove the package from Linux Operating System.
To remove the dwm following command is used:
Following command is used to remove the dwm package along with its dependencies:
This will remove dwm and all its dependent packages which is no longer needed in the system.
Completely removing dwm with all configuration files:
Following command should be used with care as it deletes all the configuration files and data:
or you can use following command also:
Above command will remove all the configuration files and data associated with dwm package. You can can't recover the delete data, so, use this command with care.
