wmctrl
A tool to programmatically control windows inside X
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are working on X11-based systems and need programmatic window control. The low install friction, permissive MIT license, stable status, and zero known vulnerabilities make it a safe choice. However, it is only useful on X Window System environments; it will not work on Windows or macOS without an X server.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires X Window System and the underlying wmctrl binary to be installed on the target system.
- Low install friction with a single lightweight dependency (attrs).
- Maintenance is dormant—last release was 2023-09-16 and last commit 2024-09-03—but marked Production/Stable, suggesting the package is feature-complete rather than abandoned.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute wmctrl with minimal restrictions, making it safe for both open-source and commercial projects.
last release 2023-09-16 (1063 days) · last repo commit 2024-09-03 · 12 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 206,972 downloads/mo, #9,559 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install wmctrl
import wmctrl
windows = wmctrl.Window.list()- Full scope of window management operations supported beyond basic query and manipulation.
- Whether attrs is used only at install time or as a runtime dependency.
What it is and what it does
wmctrl is a Python wrapper around the X Window System's window management capabilities. It lets you programmatically interact with windows on X-based desktops—querying window lists, moving and resizing windows, and manipulating window properties—without manual GUI interaction. The package depends only on attrs and supports Python 2.7 and Python 3.8 through 3.12.
It is most useful in automation scripts, testing frameworks, and desktop tools that need to control or inspect window state. Because it targets X Window System specifically, it is not portable to Windows or macOS without a compatible X server. The dormant maintenance status reflects that the package is stable and feature-complete rather than actively developed, but it remains usable on systems where X11 is the window manager.
Use it for
- Automate window positioning and sizing in X11-based desktop testing or CI/CD pipelines.
- Build desktop automation scripts that manage application windows programmatically.
- Query and monitor active windows in X11 environments for system administration.
- Integrate window control into Python-based window managers or tiling utilities.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are working on X11-based systems and need programmatic window control.
The low install friction, permissive MIT license, stable status, and zero known vulnerabilities make it a safe choice. However, it is only useful on X Window System environments; it will not work on Windows or macOS without an X server.
Install
wmctrl on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a single lightweight dependency (attrs). Maintenance is dormant—last release was 2023-09-16 and last commit 2024-09-03—but marked Production/Stable, suggesting the package is feature-complete rather than abandoned.
Requires X Window System and the underlying wmctrl binary to be installed on the target system.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute wmctrl with minimal restrictions, making it safe for both open-source and commercial projects.
Quickstart
pip install wmctrl
import wmctrl
windows = wmctrl.Window.list()Verify before relying
- Full scope of window management operations supported beyond basic query and manipulation.
- Whether attrs is used only at install time or as a runtime dependency.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=2.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packageattrs |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,063 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 206,972 / month, #9,559 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: wmctrl-0.5-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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