openmotif ☆

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Description:
LGPL release of the Motif toolkit

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 2.3.8@0 | Tracked Since: Oct 15, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: gui motif x11 legacy toolkit

Install: brew install openmotif

About:
OpenMotif is the official open-source release of the OSF/Motif graphical user interface toolkit. It provides a comprehensive set of widgets for building professional, X Window System-compliant applications. This library is essential for maintaining and compiling legacy UNIX software that relies on the Motif API.

Key Features:

Provides the Motif 2.x API and UIL resource definition language
Includes a rich set of pre-built GUI widgets (buttons, lists, menus)
Fully compatible with the X Window System
Serves as the foundation for the Common Desktop Environment (CDE)

Use Cases:

Compiling legacy UNIX applications that depend on Motif libraries
Developing new applications requiring a classic, enterprise-style GUI
Maintaining compatibility with the Common Desktop Environment (CDE)

Alternatives:

LessTif – An open-source clone of Motif; OpenMotif is the official implementation but LessTif was a popular alternative in the past.
FLTK – A modern, lightweight alternative for cross-platform GUI development, contrasting with Motif's heavier, legacy footprint.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Oct 15, 2025 5:03pm		3	VERSION_BUMP	a1d209e7