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@@ -1,201 +1,7 @@ # dwl - dwm for Wayland -Join us on our IRC channel: [#dwl on Libera Chat] -Or on our [Discord server]. +v0.7 +patches applied: -dwl is a compact, hackable compositor for [Wayland] based on [wlroots]. It is -intended to fill the same space in the Wayland world that dwm does in X11, -primarily in terms of functionality, and secondarily in terms of -philosophy. Like dwm, dwl is: +[bar](https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl-patches/src/branch/main/patches/bar) -- Easy to understand, hack on, and extend with patches -- One C source file (or a very small number) configurable via `config.h` -- Tied to as few external dependencies as possible - -## Getting Started: - -### **dwl branch 0.7 and releases based upon 0.7 build against [wlroots] 0.18** - -### Latest semi-stable [release] -This is probably where you want to start. This builds against the dependent -packages' versions currently shipping in major distributions. If your -distribution's wlroots version is older, use an earlier dwl [release] or [0.x -branch]. - -### Development branch [main] -Active development progresses on the `main` branch. The `main` branch is built -against a late (and often changing) git commit of wlroots. While the adventurous -are welcome to use `main`, it is a rocky road. Using `main` requires that the -user be willing to chase git commits of wlroots. Testing development pull -requests may involve merging unmerged pull requests in [wlroots]' git repository -and/or git commits of wayland. - -### Building dwl -dwl has the following dependencies: -- libinput -- wayland -- wlroots (compiled with the libinput backend) -- xkbcommon -- wayland-protocols (compile-time only) -- pkg-config (compile-time only) - -dwl has the following additional dependencies if XWayland support is enabled: -- libxcb -- libxcb-wm -- wlroots (compiled with X11 support) -- Xwayland (runtime only) - -Install these (and their `-devel` versions if your distro has separate -development packages) and run `make`. If you wish to build against a released -version of wlroots (*you probably do*), use a [release] or a [0.x branch]. If -you want to use the unstable development `main` branch, you need to use the git -version of [wlroots]. - -To enable XWayland, you should uncomment its flags in `config.mk`. - -## Configuration - -All configuration is done by editing `config.h` and recompiling, in the same -manner as dwm. There is no way to separately restart the window manager in -Wayland without restarting the entire display server, so any changes will take -effect the next time dwl is executed. - -As in the dwm community, we encourage users to share patches they have -created. Check out the [dwl-patches] repository! - -## Running dwl - -dwl can be run on any of the backends supported by wlroots. This means you can -run it as a separate window inside either an X11 or Wayland session, as well as -directly from a VT console. Depending on your distro's setup, you may need to -add your user to the `video` and `input` groups before you can run dwl on a -VT. If you are using `elogind` or `systemd-logind` you need to install polkit; -otherwise you need to add yourself in the `seat` group and enable/start the -seatd daemon. - -When dwl is run with no arguments, it will launch the server and begin handling -any shortcuts configured in `config.h`. There is no status bar or other -decoration initially; these are instead clients that can be run within the -Wayland session. Do note that the default background color is black. This can be -modified in `config.h`. - -If you would like to run a script or command automatically at startup, you can -specify the command using the `-s` option. This command will be executed as a -shell command using `/bin/sh -c`. It serves a similar function to `.xinitrc`, -but differs in that the display server will not shut down when this process -terminates. Instead, dwl will send this process a SIGTERM at shutdown and wait -for it to terminate (if it hasn't already). This makes it ideal for execing into -a user service manager like [s6], [anopa], [runit], [dinit], or [`systemd ---user`]. - -Note: The `-s` command is run as a *child process* of dwl, which means that it -does not have the ability to affect the environment of dwl or of any processes -that it spawns. If you need to set environment variables that affect the entire -dwl session, these must be set prior to running dwl. For example, Wayland -requires a valid `XDG_RUNTIME_DIR`, which is usually set up by a session manager -such as `elogind` or `systemd-logind`. If your system doesn't do this -automatically, you will need to configure it prior to launching `dwl`, e.g.: - - export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp/xdg-runtime-$(id -u) - mkdir -p $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR - dwl - -### Status information - -Information about selected layouts, current window title, app-id, and -selected/occupied/urgent tags is written to the stdin of the `-s` command (see -the `printstatus()` function for details). This information can be used to -populate an external status bar with a script that parses the -information. Failing to read this information will cause dwl to block, so if you -do want to run a startup command that does not consume the status information, -you can close standard input with the `<&-` shell redirection, for example: - - dwl -s 'foot --server <&-' - -If your startup command is a shell script, you can achieve the same inside the -script with the line - - exec <&- - -To get a list of status bars that work with dwl consult our [wiki]. - -## Replacements for X applications - -You can find a [list of useful resources on our wiki]. - -## Background - -dwl is not meant to provide every feature under the sun. Instead, like dwm, it -sticks to features which are necessary, simple, and straightforward to implement -given the base on which it is built. Implemented default features are: - -- Any features provided by dwm/Xlib: simple window borders, tags, keybindings, - client rules, mouse move/resize. Providing a built-in status bar is an - exception to this goal, to avoid dependencies on font rendering and/or drawing - libraries when an external bar could work well. -- Configurable multi-monitor layout support, including position and rotation -- Configurable HiDPI/multi-DPI support -- Idle-inhibit protocol which lets applications such as mpv disable idle - monitoring -- Provide information to external status bars via stdout/stdin -- Urgency hints via xdg-activate protocol -- Support screen lockers via ext-session-lock-v1 protocol -- Various Wayland protocols -- XWayland support as provided by wlroots (can be enabled in `config.mk`) -- Zero flickering - Wayland users naturally expect that "every frame is perfect" -- Layer shell popups (used by Waybar) -- Damage tracking provided by scenegraph API - -Given the Wayland architecture, dwl has to implement features from dwm **and** -the xorg-server. Because of this, it is impossible to maintain the original -project goal of 2000 SLOC and have a reasonably complete compositor with -features comparable to dwm. However, this does not mean that the code will grow -indiscriminately. We will try to keep the code as small as possible. - -Features under consideration (possibly as patches) are: - -- Protocols made trivial by wlroots -- Implement the text-input and input-method protocols to support IME once ibus - implements input-method v2 (see https://github.com/ibus/ibus/pull/2256 and - https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/pulls/235) - -Feature *non-goals* for the main codebase include: - -- Client-side decoration (any more than is necessary to tell the clients not to) -- Client-initiated window management, such as move, resize, and close, which can - be done through the compositor -- Animations and visual effects - -## Acknowledgements - -dwl began by extending the TinyWL example provided (CC0) by the sway/wlroots -developers. This was made possible in many cases by looking at how sway -accomplished something, then trying to do the same in as suckless a way as -possible. - -Many thanks to suckless.org and the dwm developers and community for the -inspiration, and to the various contributors to the project, including: - -- **Devin J. Pohly for creating and nurturing the fledgling project** -- Alexander Courtis for the XWayland implementation -- Guido Cella for the layer-shell protocol implementation, patch maintenance, - and for helping to keep the project running -- Stivvo for output management and fullscreen support, and patch maintenance - - -[`systemd --user`]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd/User -[#dwl on Libera Chat]: https://web.libera.chat/?channels=#dwl -[0.7-rc1]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/releases/tag/v0.7-rc1 -[0.x branch]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/branches -[anopa]: https://jjacky.com/anopa/ -[dinit]: https://davmac.org/projects/dinit/ -[dwl-patches]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl-patches -[list of useful resources on our wiki]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/wiki/Home#migrating-from-x -[main]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/src/branch/main -[release]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/releases -[runit]: http://smarden.org/runit/faq.html#userservices -[s6]: https://skarnet.org/software/s6/ -[wlroots]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/wlroots/ -[wiki]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/wiki/Home#compatible-status-bars -[Discord server]: https://discord.gg/jJxZnrGPWN -[Wayland]: https://wayland.freedesktop.org/ |