Mutter (software) explained

Mutter
Developer:	GNOME Project
Programming Language:	C
Operating System:	Unix-like
Size:	40.2 kB (amd64 .deb package)^[1]
License:	GPL-2.0-or-later^[2]

Mutter is a window manager initially designed and implemented for the X Window System, but then evolved to be a Wayland compositor. It became the default window manager in GNOME 3, replacing Metacity^[3] which used GTK for rendering.

Window management

Mutter uses a graphics library called Clutter giving it OpenGL capability. "Mutter" is a portmanteau of "Metacity" and "Clutter". Mutter can function as a standalone window manager for GNOME-like desktops, and serves as the primary window manager for the GNOME Shell,^[4] which is an integral part of GNOME 3. Mutter is extensible with plug-ins, and supports numerous visual effects. GNOME Shell is written as a plug-in to Mutter.

Release history

• Support for HiDPI was added to version 3.13 of Mutter by Adel Gadllah.^[5]
• In version 3.13.2 logind integration replaced mutter-launch.^[6]
• In version 3.13.3 (June 24, 2014) the server side bits of wl_touch_interface were implemented by Carlos Garnacho.^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

Forks

Muffin

Muffin is a fork of Mutter by the Linux Mint team for their Cinnamon desktop environment. Cinnamon's shell, a fork of GNOME Shell, is written as a plugin for Muffin.^[11]

Further reading

• Web site: The Price of Freedom — A Review of the Librem 15 v3. Sean. Tilley. 6 August 2017. Medium.
• Web site: Gnome-Based Desktop Environments Explained: MATE vs. Gnome Shell vs. Unity vs. Cinnamon. Danny. Stieben. 22 July 2013. makeuseof.com.

External links

• Mutter tarballs
• mutter-wayland tarballs
• GNOME git: Mutter
• GNOME Wiki: Mutter Gestures

Notes and References

1. Web site: Debian Mutter Package in sid . Debian Packages .
2. Web site: COPYING · master · GNOME / mutter. GNOME GitLab. 2019-03-16. 2018-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20180920045529/https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/mutter/blob/master/COPYING. dead.
3. Web site: Mutter: a window manager for GNOME 3. Koen. Vervloesem. LWN.net. 2009-08-04. 2011-12-27.
4. Web site: Kissling . Kristian . Mutter: Window Manager in GNOME's Future . . 2009-07-08 . 2011-12-27.
5. Web site: wayland: Add basic hidpi support . Adel Gadllah . 2014-05-03 . 2014-05-03.
6. Web site: mutter 3.13.2 . Florian Müllner . 2014-05-27 . mail.gnome.org.
7. Web site: wayland: Implement the server side bits of wl_touch_interface . Carlos Garnacho . 2014-06-04.
8. mutter 3.13.3 . Florian Müllner . 2014-06-24 . [e-mail] .
9. Web site: Bug 724442 – Touchscreen does not work. bugzilla.gnome.org.
10. mutter 3.13.4 . Florian Müllner . 2014-07-23 . [e-mail] .
11. Web site: Cinnamon 1.2 released. Lefebvre. Clement. 23 January 2012. cinnamon.linuxmint.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121101211537/http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/?p=119. 1 November 2012. dead.