Obviously, this is a subjective matter.
IceWM comes by default with alt-tab to switch windows, alt-F10 to maximize,
alt-F9 to minimize the screen, the Windows key will give you the main menu.
In the main menu click on Settings > Focus and choose your favorite, (i like "Sloppy").
Do it again, and click on Themes and choose.
NOTE: winkey (Windows key) + space bar will give a 'run box' at the taskbar by default.
from where you can launch apps á la fbrun.
If you go to the icewm site icewm.org -> IceWM Manual you get all
the keybinds and mouse commands.
It's a very worthwile read, it will teach you how to lock your screen
(xtrlock), move a window to another workspace, screensavers, and so forth, how to start
an app in a different workspace when you enter the X system, etc.
Congratulations! you're ready for prime time. Just point and click.
But if you want to increase your speed, if you're a geek wannabe, if the Windows-eske way
of working bring tears to your eyes then KEYBINDINGS are for you.
My configuration uses 4 files: preferences, keys, winoptions, and prefoverride.
Preferences deals with the wm behavior.
Keys with keybinds.
Winoptions with options that alter the windows.
Prefoverride changes the default keybinds for the ones you like.
PREFERENCES
The devs at VL have been nice and brought the whole list of preferences and created the file
.icewm/preferences. All you have to do is edit as USER.
$ nano .icewm/preferences
Every preference consists of 2 lines, both of which are comented (#),
uncomment (erase the hash mark) on the second line of the preference,
and add 1 or 0 (zero) at the end.
1 = enables the preference
0 = disables it.
save/exit and RESTART icewm - Menu >Logout >Restart icewm for it to take effect.
Clear as mud?
Example:
# Hide title bar when maximized
# HideTitleBarWhenMaximized=0 # 0/1
After editing it, it should look like this if you wanted enabled:
# Hide title bar when maximized
HideTitleBarWhenMaximized=1
The global file for icewm preferences is at /usr/share/icewm/preferences
in case you wanna check for new options.
Restart icewm, restart icewm, restart icewm

Me? i erased the whole preferences file, left it blank, and copied/pasted my personal preferences
i stored in my icewm config folder in my web mail. It takes me 5 minutes to config icewm.
Here's my .icewm/preferences:
OpaqueMove=0
OpaqueResize=0
SmartPlacement=1
MenuMouseTracking=1
ModSuperIsCtrlAlt=1
UseMouseWheel=1
QuickSwitch=1
AutoReloadMenus=1
ShowProgramsMenu=1
ShowThemesMenu=1
ShowHelp=1
TerminalCommand="qterminal"
ShutdownCommand="sudo halt -p"
RebootCommand="sudo reboot"
WorkspaceNames=" 1 ", " 2 "
TaskBarAutoHide=0
TaskBarShowClock=1
TaskBarShowAPMStatus=0
TaskBarAtTop=1
TaskBarShowAPMStatus=0
TaskBarShowAPMTime=0
TaskBarShowMailboxStatus=0
TaskBarShowWindows=1
TaskBarShowShowDesktopButton=0
TaskBarShowTray=1
TaskBarShowWindowIcons=0
TaskBarShowCPUStatus=1
TaskBarShowNetStatus=0
TaskBarShowCollapseButton=1
TaskBarWorkspacesLeft=1
TimeFormat="%R"
TaskBarShowShowDesktopButton=0
TaskBarShowWindowListMenu=1
TaskBarShowMailboxStatus=0
TaskBarMailboxStatusBeepOnNewMail=0
NormalTaskBarFontName="-*-sans-medium-r-*-*-*-100-*-*-*-*-*- *"
NormalTaskBarFontNameXft="sans-serif:size=10"
ActiveTaskBarFontName="-*-sans-r-*-*-*-100-*-*-*-*-*-*"
ActiveTaskBarFontNameXft="sans-serif:size=10"
HideTitleBarWhenMaximized=1
This will make my taskbar at the top (like Gnome) no title bar when maximized, use winkey instead ctlr+alt, cursor tracking menus, etc.
KEYS
Same. Choose what you need. I erased everything and pasted my keybinds. This is my .icewm/keys:
key "F1" qterminal
key "F2" xfe
key "F3" firefox
key "F8" xchat
key "F9" libreoffice5.0
key "Print" qterminal -e scrot -cd 10
#Sound volume
key "Super+Down" amixer -q set PCM 6- unmute # lower volume
key "Super+Up" amixer -q set PCM 6+ unmute #increase volume
key "Super+0" amixer sset Master,0 toggle
I have no use for the Fn keys, but if you do, just add Alt or Ctrl or Super (winkey)
example:
key "Alt+ l" leafpad
The sound is simple is all config by the devs,
winkey + Up arrow increases volume
winkey + Down arrow,decreases volume
winkey + 0 (zero) mutes the sound, hit the combo again and the sound returns.
If you get no sound go to alsamixer as USER and unmute with M key.
$ alsamixer
NOTE: If nothing works, do as ROOT:
# alsactl init
Do the alsamixer config and then:
#alsactl store
# reboot
WINOPTIONS
Go to .icewm/winoptions and choose what you want, I'm only interested in maximizing my windows:
qterminal.startMaximized: 1
xchat.startMaximized: 1
firefox.startMaximized: 1
xfe.startMaximized: 1
geany.startMaximized: 1
leafpad.startMaximized: 1
PREFOVERRIDE
I created the file,
$ touch .icewm/prefoverride
and put this:
KeyWinClose="F4"
KeyWinMaximize="F12"
KeySysTileHorizontal="Super+F2"
KeySysTileVertical="Super+F3"
So now i close apps with F4 (boom! gone)
and maximize the window with one key (F12), instead of the default Alt+F10.
Super (winkey)+F2 splits the screen horizontally (good for translating)
Super+F3 vertically.
THEMES
I'm not much for themes and eye-candy, my thing is simplicity and speed.
I use the default theme in VL (iceClearlooks) and Narciso.
Go to
www.box-look.org, click on "icewm themes" in the left column,
if you know the name, click on "alphabetical", i find Narciso on page 14,
click on Download.
Launch xfe (my file manager)as ROOT, i find the theme in Downloads, click on
it and choose "Extract to" in the next screen at the bottom i type the location
where to be extracted, (/usr/share/icewm/themes) Enter, restart icewm, and that's it,
the new theme appears in Settings> Themes from the main menu.
NOTE: Restart icewm every time you do changes on the wm.
Have fun,
macondo aka bobo, Lou, cerealkiller
Different looks:
From left to right:
taskbar on top/no titlebar
regular look
no titlebar/taskbar in autohide