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Astur

★ 18 Open GitHub ↗

Tiling window manager for Windows with Hyprland-style Alt-drag, master-stack tiling, and 9 workspaces. Single Rust EXE. komorebi/GlazeWM alternative. Silky Smooth Animations.

// repository documentation

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# Astur — Tiling Window Manager for Windows

**Astur** is a fast, free, open-source **tiling window manager for Windows** —
**Alt-drag** window movement, nearest-corner resize, five tiling layouts, a
per-monitor status bar, up to 10 virtual workspaces, and silky composited
animations. Full edition adds a configurable **app launcher + file search**
(Alt+Space), **system menu** (Alt+Shift+Space), desktop tools, settings GUI, and
tray icon. A keyboard-driven,
i3-style alternative to
[komorebi](https://github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi),
[GlazeWM](https://github.com/glzr-io/glazewm), and PowerToys FancyZones on
Windows 10 and 11.

[![GitHub release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/Page011/Astur)](https://github.com/Page011/Astur/releases/latest)
[![License: Apache-2.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache%202.0-blue.svg)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Page011/Astur/main/LICENSE)
[![Website](https://img.shields.io/badge/website-astur.app-366382)](https://astur.app)
[![Built with Rust](https://img.shields.io/badge/built%20with-Rust-orange.svg)](https://www.rust-lang.org)
[![Platform: Windows 10/11](https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-Windows%2010%20%2F%2011-0078D6.svg)](https://github.com/Page011/Astur/releases/latest)

> **Keywords:** tiling window manager Windows · komorebi alternative · GlazeWM
> alternative · FancyZones alternative · i3 for Windows · Alt-drag windows ·
> app launcher · file search · master-stack layout · Rust window manager

![Astur tiling windows with a status bar on a live Windows desktop](https://astur.app/in-use-screenshot-1.png)

> See it in motion: [watch the demo clip](https://astur.app/#showcase) on the website.

## Editions

Astur comes in two editions from the same project:

| | **Astur Lite** | **Astur** |
|---|---|---|
| Format | single portable `.exe`, no install | **installer** + tray app; WM-only portable option |
| Stop / control | console window (`Ctrl+C`) | **tray icon** — Settings / Quit |
| Configuration | hand-edit `.conf` files | **settings GUI** + `.conf` |
| RAM | ~1 MB, minimal | higher (launcher, search) |
| Tiling · Alt-drag · bar · workspaces · animations | ✓ | ✓ |
| **App launcher + file search + calculator** (Alt+Space) | — | ✓ |
| **Power menu** (Alt+Shift+Space) | — | ✓ |
| **Bar widgets** (volume · network · app buttons) + light/dark theme | — | ✓ |
| Optional switcher · scratchpad · clipboard · emoji · wallpapers · media · IPC | — | ✓ |

**Astur Lite** is the lean ~1 MB keyboard/console WM for power users who want text
config. **Astur** is the friendlier, installable app — launcher, file search, power
menu, tray, and a settings GUI — with the same motion polish and core tiling.

## Install

- **Astur** — download `Astur-Setup-2.1.2.exe` from the
  [latest stable release](https://github.com/Page011/Astur/releases/latest) and run it
  (per-user install, no admin, optional
  start-on-login), or grab the portable `astur-windows-x64.exe` from the same
  release. The portable asset contains the full window manager but not the separate
  `astur-settings.exe` companion; use the installer for the Settings GUI.
- **Astur Lite** — the minimal portable build from the
  [`lite`](https://github.com/Page011/Astur/tree/lite) branch or pinned
  [v1.0.1 release](https://github.com/Page011/Astur/releases/tag/v1.0.1). One
  `.exe`, no install, console window.

No admin required. Running as admin lets it manage elevated windows (e.g. Task
Manager) too.

## What it does

- **Alt + left-drag** — move any window by clicking anywhere on it, no title bar needed
- **Alt + right-drag** — resize from the nearest corner (red bracket shows which corner)
- **Tiling mode** — `dwindle` (spiral), `master`, equal `columns`, balanced `grid`,
  or stacked `monocle` across up to 10 named/icon-labelled virtual workspaces
- **Status bar** — a per-monitor bar with three fully configurable widget zones
  (left / center / right): workspace pills, focused title, app buttons (click to
  focus), clock, date, CPU, RAM, battery, **network speed**, and **volume**
  (scroll over it to adjust, click to mute). Scroll anywhere else on the bar to
  cycle workspaces, click a pill to switch. Optional **floating rounded bar**
  (margins + corner radius) and **auto-hide** (reveals on edge hover). Widget gaps,
  app labels/tooltips, stat labels, formats, icon-font glyphs, and media text are
  configurable.
- **Animations** — workspace switches animate with a composited overlay:
  `slide`, `spring` (overshoot-and-settle, Hyprland-style), `fade`, or `off`. Windows
  also **glide** to their tile slot on open / move / resize / re-tile, composited so
  the real windows land instantly underneath — smooth even with heavy apps.
- **App launcher + file search** *(Astur)* — `Alt+Space` opens a fuzzy, MRU-ranked
  picker over installed apps (Start Menu and Store/UWP), custom commands/URLs, open
  windows, and indexed files. Optional prefix providers expose in-memory clipboard
  history and a curated emoji catalog. Inline calculator, configurable web fallback,
  file scope/excludes, result limit, placement, size, rows, font, colours, opacity,
  radius, icons, and mouse navigation are configurable. `Tab` shows Modified / Size /
  Path columns; `Shift+Enter` reveals a file; `F5` refreshes app/custom entries.
- **System menu** *(Astur)* — `Alt+Shift+Space` opens configurable Power and Setup
  categories with lock/sleep/hibernate/sign-out/restart/shutdown, settings, config,
  reload, restart-Astur, screenshot, and wallpaper actions. Order, width, icons,
  confirmation, custom categories, commands, URLs, and scripts are data-driven.
- **Desktop tools** *(Astur, opt-in)* — workspace-aware Alt+Tab picker, Alt+Grave
  scratchpad, clipboard/emoji launcher providers, workspace-triggered wallpaper,
  media title widget, active-workspace/MRU persistence, and local named-pipe IPC.
- **Settings GUI** *(Astur)* — native editor for launcher, menus, desktop tools,
  layouts, appearance, navbar, widgets, rules, and key bindings. Saving applies
  **live** — window manager hot-reloads, no restart.
- **Tray icon** *(Astur)* — no console window; left-click for Settings, right-click for
  Settings / Quit.
- **Light / dark theme** *(Astur)* — the launcher and menus follow `theme = dark |
  light | auto` (auto tracks the Windows app theme); optional experimental acrylic
  blur behind the popups.
- **Extras** — coloured borders, unfocused dimming, focus-follows-mouse, rich
  exe/class/title window rules with workspace/monitor routing, arbitrary Alt chords,
  and live config hot-reload.

Left Alt is fully reserved as Astur modifier — apps never see it. Right Alt is
untouched. Alt+Tab passes through by default; optional replacement uses Astur's
workspace-aware picker.

## Hotkeys

| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| `Alt` + left-drag | Move window |
| `Alt` + right-drag | Resize from nearest corner |
| `Alt` + `Space` | **App launcher + file search** *(Astur)* |
| `Alt` + `Shift` + `Space` | **Power / system menu** *(Astur)* |
| `Alt` + `T` | Toggle tiling mode on/off |
| `Alt` + `J` / `K` | Focus next / previous window |
| `Alt` + `Shift+J` / `Shift+K` | Swap window with next / previous |
| `Alt` + arrows | Focus window by direction (cursor follows) |
| `Alt` + `Shift` + arrows | Move window by direction (across monitors) |
| `Alt` + `H` / `L` | Shrink / grow master column (`master` layout) |
| `Alt` + `M` | Promote focused window to master |
| `Alt` + `F` | Toggle float for focused window |
| `Alt` + `W` | Close focused window |
| `Alt` + `Enter` | Launch terminal |
| `Alt` + `Shift+Enter` | Launch browser |
| `Alt` + `1`–`9`, `0` | Switch to workspace 1–10 |
| `Alt` + `Shift` + `1`–`9`, `0` | Move focused window to workspace |
| `Alt` + `Tab` | Windows switcher by default; optional Astur workspace-aware switcher |

Letter binds (`J K H L M T F W`) plus extra Alt/Shift/Ctrl chords are configurable
in `%USERPROFILE%\.astur\astur.conf`, along with workspace keys, gaps, layout,
borders, rules, launcher, menus, and desktop tools. Status bar uses `navbar.conf`
in same folder. Both files **hot-reload** on save.

## Configuration

Two files are created in `%USERPROFILE%\.astur\` on first run, both fully
commented and **hot-reloaded on save**:

- **`astur.conf`** — workspaces/names/icons/wallpapers, five layouts, gaps, borders,
  focus, animations/easing, popup theme/geometry, launcher providers/custom entries,
  system actions, desktop tools, rich rules, persistence, IPC, and hotkeys.
- **`navbar.conf`** — bar placement/style, three widget zones, labels/formats/icons,
  app buttons/tooltips, stats, volume, network, media, floating mode, and auto-hide.

Full Astur ships **`astur-settings.exe`** to edit both files. `.conf` remains source
of truth; comments/layout survive saves. Structured records use `;;` between rows
and `|` between fields. Prefix literal separators with backslash. Built-in icon names:
`app browser calculator clipboard command file folder grid lock media power reload
power-circle restart screenshot search settings setup signout sleep terminal wallpaper web window`.

## Build from source

Requires [Rust stable](https://rustup.rs). The repo is a Cargo workspace.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/Page011/Astur
cd Astur
cargo build --release
# binaries: target/release/astur.exe + target/release/astur-settings.exe
```

`cargo build --release -p astur` builds core WM only. Settings menu then reports
missing companion instead of failing silently.

`crates/astur` is window manager, `crates/astur-config` shared config parser,
`crates/astur-settings` settings GUI. Minimal **Astur Lite**
lives on the [`lite`](https://github.com/Page011/Astur/tree/lite) branch (a single
crate, no workspace).

## How it works

Astur installs two low-level Windows hooks (`WH_MOUSE_LL`, `WH_KEYBOARD_LL`) that
intercept input before it reaches any application. Left Alt is swallowed so it never
triggers app menus or Alt shortcuts — only Astur sees it. Drag commands are queued to
the manager; a DWM-thumbnail overlay (outline fallback) previews movement while the
real window is committed once on release. Slow application repainting stays out of
the per-frame input path. File search queries the Windows Search index off the input
path, so typing stays responsive.

## Quit

- **Astur** — right-click the tray icon → **Quit** (restores all windows, then exits).
- **Astur Lite** — `Ctrl+C` in the console window.

## How Astur compares

| | Astur | komorebi | GlazeWM | FancyZones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master-stack tiling | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (zones only) |
| Alt-drag move/resize anywhere | Yes | No | No | No |
| Animation scope | Window glide + workspace slide/spring/fade | Movement (experimental) | Window movement | No tiling animation |
| App launcher + file search built in | Yes | No | No | No |
| Settings GUI | Yes | `komorebi-gui` companion | Tray controls + config file | Yes |
| Single portable exe option | Yes (Lite; Full WM-only option) | No (multiple binaries) | No (installer) | Part of PowerToys |
| Virtual workspaces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via Windows |
| Config file required to start | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Language | Rust | Rust | Rust | C++ core / C# editor |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Komorebi 2.0 personal-use source licence | GPL-3.0 | MIT |

See the full [comparison: Astur vs GlazeWM, komorebi & FancyZones](https://astur.app/compare).

## FAQ

**Is Astur a komorebi or GlazeWM alternative?** Yes — same master-stack tiling and
workspace idea, plus Alt-drag move/resize, an app launcher with file search, and a
power menu, with a single-exe (Lite) option and no required config file.

**Does it work on Windows 11?** Yes, on Windows 10 and 11, x64.

**Do I need admin rights?** No. Running as admin lets it manage elevated windows too.

**What's the difference between Astur and Astur Lite?** See [Editions](#editions) —
Lite is minimal ~1 MB console exe; Astur adds configurable launcher/search, system
menu, tray, desktop tools, rich widgets/themes/rules, IPC, persistence, and settings GUI.

### Current desktop-tool limits

- Workspace wallpaper changes Windows global wallpaper through
  `SystemParametersInfoW`; not independent per-monitor wallpaper.
- Media widget reads titles from known player windows; no play/pause/skip controls or
  Windows media-session API yet.
- Persisted state stores active workspace indexes and launcher MRU, not window-to-
  workspace assignments across process restarts.
- Astur Alt+Tab replacement shows title/app-icon rows; live DWM thumbnails remain
  future work.
- Clipboard history is text-only, memory-only, and cleared when Astur exits.

## Author

Astur is created and maintained by **Nigel**.

## Disclaimer

Astur is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by any other window
manager. It is a clean-room Rust implementation for Windows. All trademarks belong to
their respective owners.

## Licence

Apache-2.0 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).

Astur

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