# NsCDE/NsCDE

Modern and functional CDE desktop based on FVWM

Repository: https://github.com/NsCDE/NsCDE
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nscde
Language: CSS
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: released, retro, fvwm, cde, unix, unixporn, x11, desktop-environment, window-manager
Last push: 2026-07-05T20:04:03+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 64/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 91, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2724, "days_push": 59, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2321, forks 75 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:37.167925+00:00)

## What it is
NsCDE is a retro-styled desktop environment for Unix-like systems that mimics the classic CDE look while built on FVWM with Python and Shell drivers. It provides a lightweight hybrid desktop with theme generation for Xt, Motif, GTK2/3, and Qt4/5 toolkits.

## Use cases
- get a retro CDE-looking desktop on Linux
- theme GTK and Qt apps to match a Motif aesthetic
- run a lightweight FVWM-based desktop environment
- recreate 90s UNIX workstation look and feel
- customize a CDE-style window manager with modern features

## When to choose
- you want the classic CDE aesthetic with modern flexibility
- you prefer FVWM's configurability as a desktop base
- you run X11 and want a lightweight retro desktop

## When to avoid
- you need a Wayland-native desktop
- you want a modern, actively developed mainstream desktop environment
- you dislike heavy FVWM configuration

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: desktop-framework, ui-components, theme
- domain: desktop-applications
- platform: -
- tags: cde, fvwm, retro-ui, window-manager, unixporn, x11-theming, unix, retro-computing, linux, x11

## Member repositories
- NsCDE/NsCDE (main) score 64

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:37.167925+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:38:39.184150+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/NsCDE/NsCDE (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:37.167925+00:00, sha baed25dd0ac1)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.