---
name: "mwmrc"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "lesstif-bin"
version: "1:0.93.94-11.4"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mwmrc"
---

# mwmrc(5)

The M\*tif Window Manager configuration file

## NAME

mwmrc - The M\*tif Window Manager configuration file

## DESCRIPTION

The LessTif window manager **mwm** supports both a global configuration file **/etc/X11/mwm/system.mwmrc** and a per-user configation file **~/.mwmrc**.

## STRUCTURE

Each mwm configuration file consist of blocks of bindings. Each block consists of a block type keyword, a name and a set of entries between curly braces (\`{' and '}').

An exclamation mark (\`!') introduces a comment. Comments extend to the end of the line.

## Block types

There are three types of blocks:

- Menu bindings

  - Button bindings

  - Key bindings

  ## Menu bindings

Menu bindings are introduced by the **Menu** keyword. The generic form of the entries is *label mnemonic accelerator function .* Both  *mnemonic* and  *accelerator* may be empty. For example:

"Foo bar"	\_R	Alt\<Key\>F5	f.restore

## Button bindings

Button bindings are introduced by the **Buttons** keyword. The entries each are *Button name Context Function .* For example:

\<Btn3Down\>	icon\|frame	f.post\_wmenu

## Key bindings

Key bindings are very similar to button bindings. The entries each are *Key name Context Function .* For example:

Alt\<Key\>Tab	root\|icon\|window	f.next\_key

## Label

A label is either a plain string, or a bitmap. Bitmaps are indicated as  "@" followed by the filename. For example:

mailer @fortytwo.bmp

## Mnemonic

A mnemonic is an underscore ("\_") followed by a single character. For example:

\_M

## Accelerator

An accelerator is a key name.

## Button name

A button name is  **Btn** followed by the number (**1**..**5**) and an action (**Up**, **Down**, **Click**, **Click2**); for example:

Btn2Click

## Context

A context is a single string consisting of bar (\`\|') separated object names  (**root**, **icon**, **menub**, **minimizeb**, **maximizeb** , **window**, **title**, **frame**, **border**); for example:

icon\|title

## Function

A function is a string starting with "f.". The functions are: **f.beep**,  **f.circle\_down**,  **f.circle\_up**,  **f.desk**,  **f.exec**,  **f.focus\_color**,  **f.focus\_key**,  **f.goto\_page**,  **f.kill**,  **f.lower**,  **f.maximize**,  **f.menu**,  **f.minimize**,  **f.move**,  **f.next\_cmap**,  **f.next\_key**,  **f.nop**,  **f.normalize**,  **f.normalize\_and\_raise**,  **f.pack\_icons**,  **f.pass\_keys**,  **f.post\_wmenu**,  **f.prev\_cmap**,  **f.prev\_key**,  **f.quit\_mwm**,  **f.raise**,  **f.raise\_lower**,  **f.refresh**,  **f.refresh\_win**,  **f.resize**,  **f.restart**,  **f.restore**,  **f.restore\_and\_raise**,  **f.screen**,  **f.send\_msg**,  **f.separator**,  **f.set\_behavior**,  **f.title**,  **f.toggle\_page**,  **f.window\_list**.

## EXAMPLE

For a complete example, check out **/etc/X11/mwm/system.mwmrc** or look at the **system.mwmrc** distributed with the LessTif sources.

## AUTHORS

**mwm** was written by the LessTif project, **http://www.lesstif.org/** and others. This manpage was written by Ray Dassen  *\<jdassen@debian.org\>*.

## SEE ALSO

[**mwm**(1x)](/mwm/1x.md)