Motif 1.2.3 Runtime and Development System for Linux

I found mwm to perform very well on my system.

I did check its memory usage, and found that it used 1460KB of memory (according to TOP), while fvwm used only 296KB. Clearly, if you are trying to conserve memory, fvwm is the better way to go. As mentioned earlier, there is no virtual mwm, so if you like having a larger than screen desktop, you'll want to stick with fvwm. However, in terms of a solid consistent sharp look-and-feel, mwm has a slight edge.

fvwm in top:

PID USER PRI NI SIZE RES SHRD STAT %CPU %MEM
TIME COMMAND
67 dal   2  0  160  296 296  S  0.8  4.1
0:25 fvwm

mwm in top:

980 dal  3  0 344  1460 608  S  1.7 20.3
0:01 mwm

I was impressed by Sequoia's port of Motif for the Linux platform. They have done a fine job bringing the industry standard to Linux. If portability is a concern for you or you want to use the same tools as the rest of the industry, then I recommend this product.

[Ed: Since this review was written, GUI, Inc. has taken over responsibility for the SWiM Motif distribution, and has released a new version of SWiM based on Motif 1.2.4. GUI is responsible for support, including upgrades, for SWiM. More details will be available in the review of GUI's SWiM Motif 1.2.4 which will be published in a future issue of Linux Journal.