Xmonad/Notable changes since 0.8

This page is for keeping a record of significant changes in darcs xmonad and xmonad-contrib since the 0.8 release. (0.8.1 was a maintenance release, with no changes to user functionality. It simply includes ghc-6.10.1 related updates and workaround for 64-bit users building xmonad-contrib on ghc-6.10.1.)

The idea is to put here a list of things which a user upgrading from 0.8 to 0.9 might like to know, so that they are sure to be included in the 0.9 release notes.

Changes to the xmonad core

• Spawned processes are now handled by xmonad. Using 'exec xmonad' in .xsession/.xinitrc

files now "does the right thing."

Changes in xmonad-contrib

• New contrib modules:

• • Actions.GridSelect -- graphically go to, select, do things with windows
  • Actions.SpawnOn -- ensure window spawns on workspace even if you've changed to another

• • Layout.Monitor -- Many useful functions for gkrellm, clock, widget type windows
  • Layout.FixedColumn -- like Tall, but using window hints to decide master width
  • Layout.GridVariants
  • Layout.ThreeColumnsMiddle -- master in center three column layout
  • Layout.CenteredMaster

• • Util.Paste -- for pasting strings to windows

• DynamicLog module has new 'statusBar' function to simplify status bar configuration. Similar 'dzen' and 'xmobar' quick bar functions have changed type to allow better compositionality.The 'dynamicLogDzen' and 'dynamicLogXmobar' have been removed.

• Config.Kde has optional KDE 4 specific settings.

• Util.XSelection has new functions to allow transforming the selection before acting on it.

• XMonad.Prompt has more tab completion settings, history filter.

• Actions.Search has more searches.