Synex IceWM Beta 1 is available for testing. This edition represents our commitment to offering a complete and functional graphical environment with the minimum possible resource consumption, without compromising usability.
IceWM as foundation
IceWM was selected for its balance between lightness (~10MB RAM for the WM), proven stability in rescue environments, and customization capability through simple configuration files. Unlike other minimalist window managers, IceWM includes integrated taskbar, application menu, and system tray, without requiring additional components.
Included applications
The application set is carefully selected to offer complete functionality with minimal dependencies:
Basic productivity:
- Firefox ESR (web browsing)
- l3afpad (lightweight text editing)
- mupdf (PDF viewing)
File management:
- pcmanfm (file manager + desktop management)
- xarchiver (compressed files)
- gpicview (image viewer)
System:
- lxterminal (terminal emulator)
- connman-gtk (network management with WiFi support)
- pnmixer (PulseAudio/PipeWire volume control)
- lxappearance (GTK theme configuration)
Resource consumption
In tests with booted system and base applications running (pcmanfm in desktop mode + connman-gtk + pnmixer), RAM consumption stays at ~400MB, positioning Synex IceWM as the most efficient desktop edition of the Synex family.
Preconfigured setup
The image includes autostart configuration for essential components:
- pcmanfm in desktop mode (wallpaper + icons)
- connman-gtk (network management)
- pnmixer (volume control in systray)
- XDG standard directories automatically configured
Beta status and next steps
As a first beta, this version establishes the functional foundation of the system. We are collecting feedback to refine configuration details, evaluate inclusion/exclusion of additional applications, and optimize the visual theme.
Testing was primarily performed in virtualized environments (QEMU/KVM). We appreciate reports of experiences on physical hardware, especially on older systems or those with limited resources.
You can download Synex IceWM 13 Beta 1 from here.