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README: restructure and amend project description

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- Describe why the projects exists and state some core-dev values
- Merge the two scope sections
- Put video links before screenshot
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@ -6,17 +6,22 @@ href="https://github.com/labwc/labwc-scope#readme">Scope</a>] [<a
href="https://web.libera.chat/gamja/?channels=#labwc">IRC&nbsp;Channel</a>] [<a
href="NEWS.md">Release&nbsp;Notes</a>]</h3>
- [1. What is this?](#1-what-is-this)
- [1.1 Screenshot](#11-screenshot)
- [1.2 Videos](#12-videos)
- [1. Project Description](#1-project-description)
- [1.1 What Is This?](#11-what-is-this)
- [1.2 Why](#12-why)
- [1.3 Why The Openbox Theme Specification?](#13-why-the-openbox-specification)
- [1.4 Very High Level Scope](#14-very-high-level-scope)
- [1.5 Videos](#15-videos)
- [1.6 Screenshot](#16-screenshot)
- [2. Build and Installation](#2-build-and-installation)
- [3. Configuration](#3-configuration)
- [4. Theming](#4-theming)
- [5. Usage](#5-usage)
- [6. Integration](#6-integration)
- [7. Scope](#7-scope)
## 1. What is this?
## 1. Project Description
### 1.1 What Is This?
Labwc stands for Lab Wayland Compositor, where lab can mean any of the
following:
@ -25,8 +30,8 @@ following:
- inspired by BunsenLabs and ArchLabs
- your favorite pet
Labwc is a [wlroots]-based window-stacking compositor for [wayland], inspired by
[openbox].
Labwc is a [wlroots]-based window-stacking compositor for [wayland], inspired
by [openbox].
It is light-weight and independent with a focus on simply stacking windows well
and rendering some window decorations. It takes a no-bling/frills approach and
@ -38,41 +43,102 @@ on to create a full desktop environment.
Labwc tries to stay in keeping with [wlroots] and [sway] in terms of general
approach and coding style.
Labwc only understands [wayland-protocols] &amp; [wlr-protocols], and it cannot
be controlled with dbus, sway/i3-IPC or other technology. The reason for this is
that we believe that custom IPCs and protocols create a fragmentation that
hinders general Wayland adoption.
Labwc has no reliance on any particular Desktop Environment, Desktop Shell or
session. Nor does it depend on any UI toolkits such as Qt or GTK.
In order to avoid reinventing configuration and theme syntax, the [openbox] 3.6
specification is used. This does not mean that labwc is an openbox clone but
rather that configuration files will look and feel familiar.
### 1.1 Why?
Labwc supports the following:
Firstly, we believe that there is a need for a simple Wayland window-stacking
compositor which strikes a balance between minimalism and bloat approximately
at the level where Window Managers like Openbox reside in the X11 domain. Most
of the core developers are accustomed to low resource Desktop Environments such
as Mate/XFCE or standalone Window Managers such as Openbox under X11. Labwc
aims to make a similar setup possible under Wayland, with small and independent
components rather than a large, integrated software eco-system.
Secondly, the Wayland community has achieved an amazing amount so far, and we
want to help solve the unsolved problems to make Wayland viable for more
people. We think that standardisation and de-fragmentation is a route to
greater Wayland adoption, and wanting to play our part in this, Labwc only
understands [wayland-protocols] &amp; [wlr-protocols], and it cannot be
controlled with dbus, sway/i3/custom-IPC or other technology.
Thirdly, it is important to us that scope is tightly controlled so that the
compositor matures to production quality. On the whole, we value robustness,
reliability, stability and simplicity over new features. Coming up with new
ideas and features is easy - maintaining and stabilising them is not.
Fourthly, we are of the view that a compositor should be boring in order to do
its job well. In this regard we follow in the footsteps of [metacity] which
describes itself as a "Boring window manager for the adult in you. Many window
managers are like Marshmallow Froot Loops; Metacity is like Cheerios."
Finally, we think that an elegant solution to all of this does not need feel
square and pixelated like something out of the 1990s, but should look
contemporary and enable cutting-edge performance.
### 1.2 Why The Openbox Theme Specification?
In order to avoid reinventing configuration and theme syntaxes, the [openbox]
3.6 specification is used. This does not mean that labwc is an openbox clone
but rather that configuration files will look and feel familiar.
Also, parsing GTK3+ and Qt themes for window decorations is very complicated,
so using much simpler specs such as those used by openbox and xfwm makes sense
for a compositor such as labwc, both in terms of implementation and for user
modification.
Openbox spec is somewhat of a stable standard considering how long it has
remained unchanged for and how wide-spread its adoption is by lightweight
distributions such as LXDE, LXQt, BunsenLabs, ArchLabs, Mabox and Raspian. Some
widely used themes (for example Numix and Arc) have built-in support.
We could have invented a whole new syntax, but that's not where we want to
spend our effort.
### 1.3 Very High Level Scope
A lot of emphasis is put on code simplicity when considering features.
The main development effort is focused on producing a solid foundation for a
stacking compositor rather than adding configuration and theming options.
See [scope] for full details on implemented features.
High-level summary of items that Labwc supports:
- [x] Config files (rc.xml, autostart, environment, menu.xml)
- [x] Theme files and xbm icons
- [x] Basic root-menu and client-menu
- [x] Basic desktop and client menus
- [x] HiDPI
- [x] wlroots protocols such as `output-management`, `layer-shell` and
`foreign-toplevel`
- [x] Optionally xwayland
See [scope] for full details on implemented features.
Items which are *not* intended to be implemented:
## 1.1 Screenshot
- Icons (except window buttons)
- Animations
- Gradients for decoration and menus
- Any theme option not required to reasonably render common themes (it is
amazing how few options are actually required).
### 1.4 Videos
| video link | date | content
| -------------- | ------------| -------
| [Video (2:48)] | 31-Oct-2022 | 0.6.0 release video
| [Video (1:10)] | 05-Aug-2021 | window gymnastics, theming and waybar
| [Video (3:42)] | 25-Feb-2021 | setting background and themes; xwayland/xdg-shell windows
### 1.5 Screenshot
The obligatory screenshot:
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/vOelinT.png">
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/vOelinTl.png">
</a>
## 1.2 Videos
| video link | date | content
| -------------- | ------------| -------
| [Video (2:48)] | 31-Oct-2022 | pre-0.6.0 release video
| [Video (1:10)] | 05-Aug-2021 | window gymnastics, theming and waybar
| [Video (3:42)] | 25-Feb-2021 | setting background and themes; xwayland/xdg-shell windows
## 2. Build and Installation
To build, simply run:
@ -175,23 +241,6 @@ Suggested apps to use with labwc:
See [integration] for further details.
## 7. Scope
A lot of emphasis is put on code simplicity when considering features.
The main development effort is focused on producing a solid foundation for a
stacking compositor rather than adding configuration and theming options.
See [scope] for details.
High-level summary of items which are not intended to be implemented:
- Icons (except window buttons)
- Animations
- Gradients for decoration and menus
- Any theme option not required to reasonably render common themes (it is
amazing how few options are actually required).
[wayland]: https://wayland.freedesktop.org/
[openbox]: http://openbox.org/wiki/Help:Contents
[wlroots]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/wlroots
@ -202,6 +251,7 @@ High-level summary of items which are not intended to be implemented:
[wiki]: https://github.com/labwc/labwc/wiki
[getting-started]: https://labwc.github.io/getting-started.html
[integration]: https://labwc.github.io/integration.html
[metacity]: https://github.com/GNOME/metacity
[rc.xml]: docs/rc.xml
[rc.xml.all]: docs/rc.xml.all