View source for Enlightenment (window manager)

{{Short description|Compositing window manager}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Enlightenment
| logo = E17 enlightenment logo shiny black curved.svg
| screenshot = Enlightenment 0.26.0.png
| caption = Enlightenment 0.26.0
| collapsible = 
| author = [[Carsten Haitzler]]
| developer = Enlightenment development team
| released = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1997}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q692045|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q692045|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q692045|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q692045|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]] ([[Enlightenment Foundation Libraries|EFL]])
| operating system = [[Unix-like]]
| platform = 
| size = 
| language = 
| language count = 
| language footnote = 
| discontinued = 
| genre = {{Unbulleted list|[[Window manager]]|[[Graphical shell]]|[[Desktop environment]]}}
| license = [[BSD licenses|BSD 2-Clause]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://git.enlightenment.org/enlightenment/enlightenment/src/branch/master/COPYING|access-date=26 July 2024 |title=Enlightenment/COPYING at master }}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://www.enlightenment.org/}}
}}

'''Enlightenment''', also known simply as '''E''', is a [[compositing window manager]] for the [[X Window System]]. Since version 0.20, Enlightenment also supports  [[Wayland compositor|Wayland]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Enlightenment DR 0.20.0 Release|url=https://phab.enlightenment.org/phame/post/view/167/enlightenment_dr_0.20.0_release/|website=Enlightenment.org|access-date=8 March 2016|archive-date=21 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621015953/https://phab.enlightenment.org/phame/post/view/167/enlightenment_dr_0.20.0_release/|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is shipped with some Linux distributions such as [[Bodhi Linux]] and [[Pentoo]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zinoune |first=M. |date=10 July 2012 |title=Enlightenment distributions that are still alive! |url=https://unixmen.com/enlightenment-distributions-that-are-still-alive/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=Unixmen}}</ref> 

Enlightenment is only a window manager at its core; however, with many modules included, it can be extended to resemble a full [[desktop environment]].<ref name="OsusiPortal">{{cite web |date=2012-12-21 |title=Portal:Enlightenment |url=http://en.opensuse.org/Portal:Enlightenment |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212145902/https://en.opensuse.org/Portal:Enlightenment |archive-date=2018-02-12 |access-date=2014-06-17 |publisher=en.opensuse.org |df=ymd-all}}</ref> Since version 0.17 (E17), Enlightenment has been written with the [[Enlightenment Foundation Libraries]] (EFL), and the Enlightenment project also writes a [https://www.enlightenment.org/about set of applications] with the EFL.

== History ==

=== E16 and before ===
The first version of Enlightenment was released by [[Carsten Haitzler]] in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The windows manager Enlightenment – MVPS.net Blog |url=https://www.mvps.net/docs/the-windows-manager-enlightenment/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Enlightenment DR16 |url=http://www.enlightenment.org/p.php?p=about/e16&l=en |work=Enlightenment}}</ref> Originally, it was just a window manager before the addition of the EFL in E17.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Germain |first=Jack M. |date=2014-05-16 |title=Enlightenment Linux: It's Not What You Think |url=https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/enlightenment-linux-its-not-what-you-think-80456.html |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=LinuxInsider |language=en-US}}</ref>

With the release of E17 written with the EFL in 2012, Enlightenment went through a major rewrite, splitting the codebase into 0.16 (E16) and the versions after (E17). Some of the community decided to stay with the E16 codebase and continue development of this version, releasing under an independent versioning scheme from E17. It reached the 1.0 milestone and is still actively developed as of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Enlightenment E16 |url=https://www.enlightenment.org/e16 |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=www.enlightenment.org}}</ref>

=== E17 and later ===
In 2000, the development of the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries started to create a toolkit for writing applications that interoperate with Enlightenment, as well as other X window managers, too. As the EFL was built up, Enlightenment was rewritten to utilize the EFL, and in 2012 version 0.17.0 was released. As this version was completely rewritten to use the EFL, it is incompatible with E16.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zinoune |first=M. |date=2024-06-28 |title=Enlightenment 17 is soon to be released! {{!}} Unixmen |url=https://www.unixmen.com/enlightenment-17-soon-released/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The current version as of January 2025 is E27.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Enlightenment 0.27.0 Release |url=https://www.enlightenment.org/news/2025-01-11-enlightenment-0.27.0 |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=www.enlightenment.org}}</ref>

== Usage ==
[[Bodhi Linux]] was built around the Enlightenment 17 desktop, but forked it to create the [[Moksha (window manager)|Moksha desktop]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moksha Desktop – The future desktop environment of the Bodhi Linux project. |url=https://mokshadesktop.github.io/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=mokshadesktop.github.io}}</ref>

[[Elive|Elive Linux]] also used a fork of E17 as its main desktop environment until 2019, when the 3.7 series was released. It also features E16 and has future plans to integrate the new E26 version.

== Reception ==
[[File:Shot-2025-09-27 03-07-33.png|alt=Terminology 1.14.0 on Arch Linux with w3m open displaying the Wikipedia main page, radeontop in the tab to the left, and the package information for terminology below.|thumb|Terminology 1.14.0]]
A 2011 review of E16 found it was highly customisable, featuring per-window configurability, support for virtual desktops with much larger screenspace than monitor size, and that "nearly everything can be done with the keyboard."  While the appearance was praised, the desktop environment was criticised as being somewhat unstable due to bugs at the time. While E16 could be used as a window manager for [[GNOME]] or [[KDE]], the review found they had poor compatibility.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Marco Fioretti |date=2011-07-03 |title=Best lightweight window managers for Linux |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/5-of-the-best-lightweight-window-managers-for-linux-972570 |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref>

A 2014 review of E17 found the design to be fast, touchscreen friendly and have a nice appearance, but was annoyed by the small selection area to resize windows. The appearance of the default terminal with the desktop environment, called ''Terminology,'' was also praised and the author personally liked the desktop left and right click menus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The desktop-a-week review: Enlightenment (E17) |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/926104/opensource-subnet-the-desktop-a-week-review-enlightenment.html |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Network World |language=en-US}}</ref>

A 2017 review found E18 to have lightweight performance, remarking a similar appearance to Mac OS, but also mentioning a steep [[learning curve]] due to the desktop left and right click menus.<ref name=":0" />

A 2020 review praised Enlightenment for its high number of keyboard shortcuts, and that it was lightweight enough to run well on older hardware, with low idle CPU and RAM usage. However, it criticised the desktop left and right click menus for having too much complexity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perkins |first=John |date=2020-10-01 |title=Enlightenment Desktop Review: A Beautiful, Lightweight but Different Desktop Manager |url=https://www.maketecheasier.com/enlightenment-desktop-review/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Make Tech Easier |language=en-US}}</ref>  

== Release history ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="float:left; text-align:center; margin-left:1em; margin-right:0"
|-
|+Major releases<ref>{{cite web|url=https://download.enlightenment.org/historical_files/releases/enlightenment_wm/|title=Legacy sources|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029112417/http://download.enlightenment.org/historical_files/releases/enlightenment_wm/|archive-date=29 October 2020 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="col" | Version
! scope="col" | Code name
! scope="col" | Release date
!Notes
|-
! scope="row" | pre-alpha
| Enlightenment Alpha1
| October 1996<ref>{{cite web|work=CDrom Archive|title=enlightenment-1.0alpha-1.i386.rpm|url=https://ia800603.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/17/items/LDR0497_6cd/LDR_04974.ISO}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.13.2
| DR13
| 18 January 1998<ref>{{cite web|work=Slashdot News|title=New E Already Released|date=19 January 1998 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/98/01/19/091100/new-e-already-released}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.14.0
| DR14
| 18 July 1998<ref>{{cite web|work=Slashdot|title=Enlightenment 0.14 release|date=18 July 1998 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/98/07/18/116224/enlightenment-014-release}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.enlightenment.org/news.html |title="E news" |access-date=19 May 2020 |archive-date=28 April 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990428135920/http://www.enlightenment.org/news.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Slashdot|title=Official Word on Enlightenment DR14|date=16 July 1998 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/98/07/16/0913237/official-word-on-enlightenment-dr14}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.15.0
| DR15
| 12 March 1999<ref>{{cite web|work=Slashdot|title=Enlightenment 0.15|date=12 March 1999 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/99/03/12/1727257/enlightenment-015}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.16
| DR16
| 27 October 1999<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.enlightenment.org/news.html |title="E news" |access-date=19 May 2020 |archive-date=4 March 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000304174512/http://www.enlightenment.org/news.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
|Still maintained as of 2024. Preferred by many people, especially as a "retro" desktop.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Enlightenment E16|url=https://www.enlightenment.org/e16|access-date=2021-04-05|website=www.enlightenment.org}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 0.17
| DR17
| 21 December 2012<ref>{{cite web|work=Slashdot|title=After 12 years of Development, E17 Is Out|date=21 December 2012 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/12/22/0129200/after-12-years-of-development-e17-is-out}}</ref>
|Major rewrite version. Was forked to create the Moksha desktop.
|-
! scope="row" | 0.18
| DR18
| 22 December 2013<ref>{{cite web|work=slashdot|title=Enlightenment DR 0.18: Improved Compositing, Wayland Support|date=22 December 2013 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/12/22/0851236/enlightenment-dr-018-improved-compositing-wayland-support}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.19
| DR19
| 15 September 2014<ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.19.0|url=https://github.com/Enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v0.19.0}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.20
| DR20
| 1 December 2015<ref>{{cite web|work=slashdot|title=Enlightenment E20 Released With Full Wayland Support|date=December 2015 |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/15/12/01/1458210/enlightenment-e20-released-with-full-wayland-support}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.21
| DR21
| 1 June 2016<ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.21.0|url=https://github.com/Enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v0.21.0}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.22
| DR22
| 22 November 2017<ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.22.0|url=https://github.com/Enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v0.22.0}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.23
| DR 0.23
| 24 August 2019<ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.23.0|url=https://github.com/Enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v0.23.0}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.24
| DR 0.24
| 17 May 2020<ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.24.0|url=https://github.com/Enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v0.24.0}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.25
| DR 0.25
| 16 December 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.enlightenment.org/news/2021-12-26-enlightenment-0.25.0 |title=Enlightenment 0.25.0 Release |date=2021-12-16 |access-date=2021-12-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.25.0|url=https://github.com/Enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v0.25.0}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.26
| DR 0.26
| 23 December 2023<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.enlightenment.org/news/2023-12-23-enlightenment-0.26.0 |title=Enlightenment 0.26.0 Release |date=2023-12-23 |access-date=2023-12-25}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | 0.27
| DR 0.27
| 11 January 2025<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.enlightenment.org/news/2025-01-11-enlightenment-0.27.0 |title=Enlightenment 0.27.0 Release |date=2025-01-11 |access-date=2025-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=git release|title=v0.27.0|url=https://git.enlightenment.org/enlightenment/enlightenment/releases/tag/v-0.27.0}}</ref>
|Current release.
|}
{{clear}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

* [[Comparison of X window managers]]
* [[Terminology (software)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikibooks|The Unofficial Enlightenment User's Manual}}

* {{Official website|http://www.enlightenment.org/}}
* [http://www.enlightenment.org/e16 Official website for E16]
* [https://git.enlightenment.org/ Source code repositories]
* [https://phab.enlightenment.org/w/packaging_status/ Operating-systems distribution status] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320090444/https://phab.enlightenment.org/w/packaging_status/ |date=20 March 2016 }}
* [https://github.com/Elive/enlightenment Elive Linux's fork of E17]

{{Enlightenment desktop}}
{{X desktop environments and window managers}}
{{FOSS}}

[[Category:1997 software]]
[[Category:3D GUIs]]
[[Category:Enlightenment Foundation Libraries|*]]
[[Category:Free desktop environments]]
[[Category:Freedesktop.org]]
[[Category:Free X window managers]]
[[Category:Software that uses Meson]]
[[Category:Software using the BSD license]]
[[Category:Wayland compositors]]