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ICEWM-SESSION(1) User Commands ICEWM-SESSION(1)
NAME
icewm-session - X.Org session manager provider with IceWM
SYNOPSIS
icewm-session [OPTIONS]
DESCRIPTION
icewm-session is an implementation of a X.Org session manager and can be
run from a X11 session setup. It runs icewm as default window manager and
controls the life cycle of related support applications.
OPTIONS
SPECIFIC OPTIONS
-c, --config=FILE
Let IceWM load preferences from FILE.
-t, --theme=FILE
Let IceWM load the theme FILE.
-i, --icewm=FILE
Use FILE as the IceWM window manager.
-o, --output=FILE
Redirect all output to FILE. A leading tilde or environment variable
is expanded.
-a, --alpha
Use a 32-bit visual for translucency.
-b, --nobg
Do not start icewmbg.
-n, --notray
Do not start icewmtray. This is only applicable if IceWM was explic-
itly configured to use an external icewmtray process.
-s, --sound
Also start icesound.
--replace
Replace an existing window manager.
GENERAL OPTIONS
-d, --display=DISPLAY
Use DISPLAY to connect to the X server. If this option is missing then
DISPLAY is read from the environment variable "DISPLAY".
--sync
Use a slower synchronous mode communication with the X11 server.
-h, --help
Give a list of all supported options and exit.
-V, --version
Print the program version and exit.
-C, --copying
Print copying permissions and exit.
DEBUGGING OPTIONS
-v, ---valgrind
Let "/usr/bin/valgrind" run icewm. Thoroughly examines the execution
of icewm.
-g, ---catchsegv
Let "/usr/bin/catchsegv" run icewm. Gives a backtrace if icewm seg-
faults.
USAGE
On startup icewm-session executes the following steps. From the file env
in the configuration directory it loads additional environment variables,
if that file exists. Then it will start icewmbg to manage root background
colors and images. It may also start icesound, if this was enabled at con-
figuration time. Then icewm is started.
If there exists an executable script startup in the configuration direc-
tory, it will be executed. It may contain commands to initialize X11 set-
tings with xset, load keyboard configuration, start a compositing manager
like compton and load system tray applications.
When icewm exits, icewm-session will execute a shutdown script, if it ex-
ists in the configuration directory. When this finishes, icewm-session
will terminate icewm, icewmbg and icesound. Finally, icewm-session will
exit.
If the icewm process crashes then icewm-session will attempt to restart it.
If two such crashes occur in a short period, then icewm-session will at-
tempt to popup a dialog using either yad, xmessage, kdialog or zenity.
This dialog presents a choice between restarting icewm, starting a termi-
nal, or abort execution of icewm-session.
ENVIRONMENT
ICEWM_OPTIONS
A space separated list of options that will be added to the command
line invocation of icewm. This can be set in the env file.
SEE ALSO
icewm(1), icewm-env(5), icewm-shutdown(5), icewm-startup(5), icewmbg(1).
BUGS
Please report bugs at <https://github.com/ice-wm/icewm/issues>.
AUTHOR
Brian Bidulock <mailto:bidulock@openss7.org>.
See --copying for full copyright notice and copying permissions.
LICENSE
IceWM is licensed under the GNU Library General Public License. See the
COPYING file in the distribution or use the --copying flag to display copy-
ing permissions.
icewm 4.0.0 2026-01-01 ICEWM-SESSION(1)
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