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Openbox Review

Depends

Should I use Openbox?

Openbox Window Manager - openbox.org

· 2 weeks ago

Openbox is a free, ultra-light Linux window manager — solid for tinkerers and old hardware, not a commercial product to 'buy'. Skip it if you want a polished out-of-the-box desktop or if you're evaluating business software.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~30 public sources; many 'OpenBox' results were unrelated retailers and software (openbox.ca, OpenBox AI, OpenBoxes) and were filtered out.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Open source

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Minimalist Linux desktops
  • Old or low-spec machines
  • Raspberry Pi and Termux setups
  • Tinkerers who enjoy hand-editing config

Not for

  • Non-technical users wanting plug-and-play
  • Anyone on Windows or macOS
  • Businesses evaluating SaaS tools
  • People who expect polished defaults

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Development appears discontinued per AlternativeTo; bug fixes may stall

medium

No official support channel; you rely on forums and Reddit

low

Divisive reputation — some distro users actively dislike it

low

Name collides with retailers and unrelated products; verify you found the right one

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open source; packaged in Debian, Arch, Ubuntu, Fedora
  • Ultra-lightweight; users run it on tiny setups like Termux
  • Dedicated community still actively using it
  • Featured in minimalist Linux distros; well regarded for custom desktops
  • Users love its theming and dark-mode looks

Cons

  • AlternativeTo lists Openbox as discontinued; expect stalled development
  • Hand-edit configuration files; beginners will struggle
  • Divisive in the Linux community; some call it dated

Sources & method

- 11 sources - No CVEs found for the window manager itself; Fedora advisories cover obconf, its config tool.

official x1review x7security x2news x1
  • Fedora 45 obconf security updates, Fedora shipped obconf and obconf-qt updates addressing critical CVEs, including one blocking arbitrary code execution — affects the config tool, not the WM core.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 11

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Completely free, no paywalls
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Manual config; steep for beginners
  • Feature depth: 2/5. Deliberately minimal; assemble extras yourself
  • Support quality: 2/5. Community forums only, no vendor
  • Security posture: 3/5. No WM CVEs found; obconf advisories only
  • $0 Price Free, open source
  • Yes Free tier Entire product is free
  • Debian, Arch, Ubuntu, Fedora Distro availability Packaged in major repos
  • Possibly discontinued Development status Per AlternativeTo listing

Pricing

Open source

$0

  • Full window manager
  • Community support only

Security

No CVEs found for the window manager itself; Fedora advisories cover obconf, its config tool.

  • Fedora 45 obconf security updatesFedora shipped obconf and obconf-qt updates addressing critical CVEs, including one blocking arbitrary code execution — affects the config tool, not the WM core.⁸

What users say

Users praise Openbox's lightness and theming but note setup effort, community-only support, and a divisive reputation.

“Anyone here still running Openbox?”
Reddit, r/openbox
“Why is openbox *kinda hated?”
Reddit, r/Lubuntu
“Actually love dark theme”
Reddit, r/unixporn
Full analysis

Based on ~30 public sources; many 'OpenBox' results were unrelated retailers and software (openbox.ca, OpenBox AI, OpenBoxes) and were filtered out.

Free ultra-minimal Linux window manager; great for tinkerers and old PCs, wrong if you want plug-and-play.

Methodology

Based on ~30 public sources; many 'OpenBox' results were unrelated retailers and software (openbox.ca, OpenBox AI, OpenBoxes) and were filtered out.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Anyone here still running Openbox?reddit.com
    review
  2. Minimal Openbox desktop on Termuxreddit.com
    review
  3. Why is openbox kinda hated?reddit.com
    review
  4. Openbox Alternatives: Top 12 Window Managersalternativeto.net
    review
  5. 7 Minimalist Linux Distributions Featuring Openboxitsfoss.com
    news
  6. openbox (aarch64) packagearchlinuxarm.org
    official
  7. Moving to Openbox — Arch Linux forumsbbs.archlinux.org
    review
  8. Fedora 45 obconf Update Addresses Critical CVElinuxsecurity.com
    security
  9. Fedora 45 lxappearance-obconf Resolves CVElinuxsecurity.com
    security
  10. Openbox 3.3.1 review and downloadnixbit.com
    review
  11. [Openbox] Actually love dark themereddit.com
    review

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