| docs | ||
| include | ||
| protocols | ||
| src | ||
| .gitignore | ||
| LICENSE | ||
| meson.build | ||
| meson_options.txt | ||
| NEWS.md | ||
| README.md | ||
labwc
1. What is this?
Labwc is a wlroots-based stacking compositor for Wayland.
It has the following aims:
- Be light-weight, small and fast
- Keep feature set fairly small and use openbox-3.4 configuration/theme specification in order to avoid inventing another one.
- 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
2. Build
meson build/
ninja -C build/
Dependencies include:
- meson, ninja, gcc/clang
- wlroots (master)
- wayland (>=1.19)
- 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.
3. Install
See wiki/Install.
4. Configure
If you want to override the defaults, create the following files:
- ~/.config/labwc/rc.xml
- ~/.config/labwc/menu.xml
- ~/.local/share/themes/<theme-name>/openbox-3/themerc
See full details in the following:
5. Run
./build/labwc [-s <command>]
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-F3: launch bemenu
- Alt-escape: exit
6. Integrate
Suggested apps to use with labwc:
- Screen-shooter: grim
- Screen-recorder: wf-recorder
- Background image: swaybg
- Panel: waybar
- Launchers: bemenu, fuzzel, wofi
- Output managers: kanshi, wlr-randr
7. Acceptance Criteria
The following list indicates the intended high level roadmap:
- Optionally support xwayland
- Parse openbox config files (rc.xml, autostart, environment)
- Parse openbox themes files and associated xbm icons
- Support maximize, iconify, close buttons
- Catch SIGHUP to re-load config file and theme
- Support layer-shell protocol
- Support damage tracking to reduce CPU usage
- Parse menu.xml to generate a basic root-menu
- Support wlr-output-management protocol
- Support HiDPI
- Support foreign-toplevel protocol (e.g. to integrate with wlroots panels/bars)
- Support on-screen display (osd), for example to support alt-tab window list
- Support libinput configuration (tap is enabled for the time being)
A lot of emphasis is put on code simplicy when considering features. The main development effort if focused on producing a solid foundation for a stacking compositor rather than quickly adding configuration and theming options.
The following items are likely to be out-of-scope:
- Icons (except window buttons)
- Animations
- Gradients on window decorations and menus
- Any theme option not required to reasonably render common themes (amazingig how few options are actually required).
- Any configuration option not required to provide a simple openbox-like experience
See wiki/Acceptance-criteria for a view of the full down-selection.

