# labwc

- [1. What is this?](#1-what-is-this)
- [2. Build](#2-build)
- [3. Configure](#3-configure)
- [4. Run](#4-run)
- [5. Integrate](#5-integrate)
- [6. Roadmap](#6-roadmap)
- [7. Scope](#7-scope)

## 1. What is this?

Labwc is a [WIP] free, wlroots-based stacking compositor for Wayland.

It has the following aims:

- Be light-weight, small and fast
- Have the look and feel of [openbox](https://github.com/danakj/openbox) albeit
  with a smaller feature set
- Where practicable, use clients to show wall-paper, take screenshots, and so on
- Stay in keeping with wlroots and sway in terms of approach and coding style

It is in early development, so expect bugs and missing features.

[Video (3:42) showing features](https://youtu.be/rE1bQjSVJzg)

![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wiki/johanmalm/labwc/images/scrot2.png)

![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wiki/johanmalm/labwc/images/scrot3.png)

## 2. Build

    meson build && ninja -C build

Dependencies include:

- meson, ninja, gcc/clang
- wlroots (0.11.0 - 0.12.0)
- wayland (>=1.16)
- wayland-protocols
- libinput (>=1.14)
- libxml2
- cairo, pango, glib-2.0
- xkbcommon
- xwayland, xcb (optional)

Disable xwayland with `meson -Dxwayland=disabled build`

For further details see [wiki/Build](https://github.com/johanmalm/labwc/wiki/Build).

## 3. Configure

If you want to override the defaults, create the following files:

- ~/.config/labwc/[rc.xml](docs/rc.xml)
- ~/.config/labwc/[menu.xml](docs/menu.xml)
- ~/.local/share/themes/\<theme-name\>/openbox-3/[themerc](docs/themerc)

See full details in the following:

- [labwc(1)](docs/labwc.1.md)
- [labwc-config(5)](docs/labwc-config.5.md)
- [labwc-theme(5)](docs/labwc-theme.5.md)
- [labwc-actions(5)](docs/labwc-actions.5.md)

## 4. Run

    ./build/labwc [-s <some-application>]

Click on the background to launch a menu.

If you have not created an rc.xml configuration file, default keybinds will be:

- Alt-tab: cycle window
- Alt-F2: cycle window
- Alt-F3: launch dmenu
- Alt-escape: exit

## 5. Integrate

Suggested apps to use with labwc:

- [grim](https://github.com/emersion/grim) - Screenshoter
- [wf-recorder](https://github.com/ammen99/wf-recorder) - Screen-recorder
- [swaybg](https://github.com/swaywm/swaybg) - Background image
- [waybar](https://github.com/Alexays/Waybar) - Panel
- [bemenu](https://github.com/Cloudef/bemenu) - Launcher
- [fuzzel](https://codeberg.org/dnkl/fuzzel) - Launcher
- [wofi](https://hg.sr.ht/~scoopta/wofi) - Launcher

## 6. Roadmap

The following list indicates the intended high level roadmap:

- [x] Optionally support xwayland
- [x] Parse openbox config files (rc.xml, autostart, environment)
- [x] Parse openbox themes files and associated xbm icons
- [x] Show maximize, iconify, close buttons
- [x] Catch SIGHUP to re-load config file and theme
- [x] Support layer-shell protocol ('exclusive' not yet implemented)
- [x] Support damage tracking to reduce CPU usage
- [x] Support root-menu and parse menu.xml (very simple implementation - no submenus, separators or titles)
- [ ] Support 'maximize'
- [ ] Support wlr-output-management protocol and [kanshi](https://github.com/emersion/kanshi.git)
- [ ] Support foreign-toplevel protocol (e.g. to integrate with wlroots panels/bars)
- [ ] Implement client-menu
- [ ] Support on-screen display (osd), for example to support alt-tab window list
- [ ] Support HiDPI
- [ ] Support libinput configuration (tap is enabled for the time being)

## 7. Scope

In order to keep the code base clean and maintainable, simplicy is favoured over full specification adherence.

### In-scope

Refer to these wiki pages for a more detailed scope definition against the openbox documentation.

- [configuration](https://github.com/johanmalm/labwc/wiki/Scope-configuration)
- [theme specification](https://github.com/johanmalm/labwc/wiki/Scope-theme-specification)
- [actions](https://github.com/johanmalm/labwc/wiki/Scope-actions)

Track [progress](https://github.com/johanmalm/labwc/wiki/Scope-progress) against the above specification.

### Out-of-scope

The following items are out-of-scope:

- Icons (except window buttons)
- Animations
- Gradients on window decorations and menus
- Any theme option (probably at least half of them) not required to reasonably render common themes
- Any configuration option not required to provide a simple openbox-like experience
- Multiple desktops
- Pipe-menus