---
name: "dh_installwm"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "debhelper"
version: "13.24.2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dh_installwm"
---

# dh\_installwm(1)

register a window manager

## NAME

dh\_installwm - register a window manager

## SYNOPSIS

**dh\_installwm** \[*debhelper options*\] \[**-n**\] \[**--priority=***n*\] \[*wm* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**dh\_installwm** is a debhelper program that is responsible for generating the *postinst* and *prerm* commands that register a window manager with [**update-alternatives**(8)](/update-alternatives/8.md). The window manager's man page is also  registered as a slave symlink (in v6 mode and up).  It must be installed in *usr/share/man/man1/* in the package build directory prior to calling **dh\_installwm**.  In compat 9 and earlier, the manpage was optional.

## FILES

- debian/*package*.wm

  List window manager programs to register.

  Supports substitution variables in compat 13 and later as documented in [**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md).

## OPTIONS

- **--priority=***n*

  Set the priority of the window manager. Default is 20, which is too low for most window managers; see the Debian Policy document for instructions on calculating the correct value.

- **-n**, **--no-scripts**

  Do not modify *postinst*/*prerm* scripts. Turns this command into a no-op.

- **-A**, **--all**

  Modify scripts for window managers specified by command line parameters in ALL packages acted on, not just the first.

- *wm* ...

  Window manager programs to register.

## NOTES

Note that this command is not idempotent. [**dh\_prep**(1)](/dh_prep/1.md) should be called between invocations of this command. Otherwise, it may cause multiple instances of the same text to be added to maintainer scripts.

## SEE ALSO

[**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md)

This program is a part of debhelper.

## AUTHOR

Joey Hess \<joeyh@debian.org\>