Documentation restructuring
Modified documentation to make clear the change in development (main) branch versus releases.
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A Frederick Christensen
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README.md
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README.md
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@ -5,21 +5,132 @@ Or on our [Discord server].
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dwl is a compact, hackable compositor for [Wayland] based on [wlroots]. It is
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intended to fill the same space in the Wayland world that dwm does in X11,
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primarily in terms of functionality, and secondarily in terms of philosophy.
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Like dwm, dwl is:
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primarily in terms of functionality, and secondarily in terms of
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philosophy. Like dwm, dwl is:
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- Easy to understand, hack on, and extend with patches
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- One C source file (or a very small number) configurable via `config.h`
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- Tied to as few external dependencies as possible
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## Getting Started:
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### Latest semi-stable [release]
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This is probably where you want to start. This builds against the dependent
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packages' versions currently shipping in major distributions. If your
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distribution's wlroots version is older, use an earlier dwl [release] or [0.x
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branch].
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### Development branch [main]
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Active development progresses on the `main` branch. The `main` branch is built
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against a late (and often changing) git commit of wlroots. While the adventurous
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are welcome to use `main`, it is a rocky road. Using `main` requires that the
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user be willing to chase git commits of wlroots. Testing development pull
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requests may involve merging unmerged pull requests in [wlroots]' git repository
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and/or git commits of wayland.
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### Building dwl
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dwl has the following dependencies:
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- libinput
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- wayland
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- wlroots (compiled with the libinput backend)
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- xkbcommon
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- wayland-protocols (compile-time only)
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- pkg-config (compile-time only)
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dwl has the following additional dependencies if XWayland support is enabled:
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- libxcb
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- libxcb-wm
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- wlroots (compiled with X11 support)
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- Xwayland (runtime only)
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Install these (and their `-devel` versions if your distro has separate
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development packages) and run `make`. If you wish to build against a released
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version of wlroots (*you probably do*), use a [release] or a [0.x branch]. If
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you want to use the unstable development `main` branch, you need to use the git
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version of [wlroots].
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To enable XWayland, you should uncomment its flags in `config.mk`.
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## Configuration
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All configuration is done by editing `config.h` and recompiling, in the same
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manner as dwm. There is no way to separately restart the window manager in
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Wayland without restarting the entire display server, so any changes will take
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effect the next time dwl is executed.
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As in the dwm community, we encourage users to share patches they have
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created. Check out the [dwl-patches] repository!
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## Running dwl
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dwl can be run on any of the backends supported by wlroots. This means you can
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run it as a separate window inside either an X11 or Wayland session, as well as
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directly from a VT console. Depending on your distro's setup, you may need to
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add your user to the `video` and `input` groups before you can run dwl on a
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VT. If you are using `elogind` or `systemd-logind` you need to install polkit;
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otherwise you need to add yourself in the `seat` group and enable/start the
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seatd daemon.
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When dwl is run with no arguments, it will launch the server and begin handling
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any shortcuts configured in `config.h`. There is no status bar or other
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decoration initially; these are instead clients that can be run within the
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Wayland session. Do note that the default background color is black. This can be
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modified in `config.h`.
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If you would like to run a script or command automatically at startup, you can
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specify the command using the `-s` option. This command will be executed as a
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shell command using `/bin/sh -c`. It serves a similar function to `.xinitrc`,
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but differs in that the display server will not shut down when this process
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terminates. Instead, dwl will send this process a SIGTERM at shutdown and wait
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for it to terminate (if it hasn't already). This makes it ideal for execing into
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a user service manager like [s6], [anopa], [runit], [dinit], or [`systemd
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--user`].
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Note: The `-s` command is run as a *child process* of dwl, which means that it
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does not have the ability to affect the environment of dwl or of any processes
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that it spawns. If you need to set environment variables that affect the entire
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dwl session, these must be set prior to running dwl. For example, Wayland
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requires a valid `XDG_RUNTIME_DIR`, which is usually set up by a session manager
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such as `elogind` or `systemd-logind`. If your system doesn't do this
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automatically, you will need to configure it prior to launching `dwl`, e.g.:
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export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp/xdg-runtime-$(id -u)
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mkdir -p $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
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dwl
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### Status information
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Information about selected layouts, current window title, app-id, and
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selected/occupied/urgent tags is written to the stdin of the `-s` command (see
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the `printstatus()` function for details). This information can be used to
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populate an external status bar with a script that parses the
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information. Failing to read this information will cause dwl to block, so if you
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do want to run a startup command that does not consume the status information,
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you can close standard input with the `<&-` shell redirection, for example:
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dwl -s 'foot --server <&-'
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If your startup command is a shell script, you can achieve the same inside the
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script with the line
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exec <&-
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To get a list of status bars that work with dwl consult our [wiki].
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## Replacements for X applications
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You can find a [list of useful resources on our wiki].
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## Background
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dwl is not meant to provide every feature under the sun. Instead, like dwm, it
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sticks to features which are necessary, simple, and straightforward to implement
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given the base on which it is built. Implemented default features are:
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- Any features provided by dwm/Xlib: simple window borders, tags, keybindings,
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client rules, mouse move/resize. Providing a built-in status bar is an
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exception to this goal, to avoid dependencies on font rendering and/or
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drawing libraries when an external bar could work well.
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exception to this goal, to avoid dependencies on font rendering and/or drawing
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libraries when an external bar could work well.
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- Configurable multi-monitor layout support, including position and rotation
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- Configurable HiDPI/multi-DPI support
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- Idle-inhibit protocol which lets applications such as mpv disable idle
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@ -53,101 +164,6 @@ Feature *non-goals* for the main codebase include:
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be done through the compositor
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- Animations and visual effects
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## Building dwl
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dwl has the following dependencies:
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```
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libinput
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wayland
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wlroots (compiled with the libinput backend)
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xkbcommon
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wayland-protocols (compile-time only)
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pkg-config (compile-time only)
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```
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If you enable X11 support:
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```
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libxcb
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libxcb-wm
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wlroots (compiled with X11 support)
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Xwayland (runtime only)
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```
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Simply install these (and their `-devel` versions if your distro has separate
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development packages) and run `make`. You need to use the Git version of
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wlroots to build the `main` branch. If you wish to build against a released
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version of wlroots, use a release or a [0.x branch].
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To enable XWayland, you should uncomment its flags in `config.mk`.
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## Configuration
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All configuration is done by editing `config.h` and recompiling, in the same
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manner as dwm. There is no way to separately restart the window manager in
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Wayland without restarting the entire display server, so any changes will take
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effect the next time dwl is executed.
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As in the dwm community, we encourage users to share patches they have created.
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Check out the dwl [patches repository]!
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## Running dwl
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dwl can be run on any of the backends supported by wlroots. This means you can
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run it as a separate window inside either an X11 or Wayland session, as well
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as directly from a VT console. Depending on your distro's setup, you may need
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to add your user to the `video` and `input` groups before you can run dwl on
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a VT. If you are using `elogind` or `systemd-logind` you need to install
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polkit; otherwise you need to add yourself in the `seat` group and
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enable/start the seatd daemon.
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When dwl is run with no arguments, it will launch the server and begin handling
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any shortcuts configured in `config.h`. There is no status bar or other
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decoration initially; these are instead clients that can be run within
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the Wayland session.
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Do note that the background color is black.
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If you would like to run a script or command automatically at startup, you can
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specify the command using the `-s` option. This command will be executed as a
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shell command using `/bin/sh -c`. It serves a similar function to `.xinitrc`,
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but differs in that the display server will not shut down when this process
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terminates. Instead, dwl will send this process a SIGTERM at shutdown and wait
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for it to terminate (if it hasn't already). This makes it ideal for execing into
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a user service manager like [s6], [anopa], [runit], [dinit], or [`systemd --user`].
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Note: The `-s` command is run as a *child process* of dwl, which means that it
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does not have the ability to affect the environment of dwl or of any processes
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that it spawns. If you need to set environment variables that affect the entire
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dwl session, these must be set prior to running dwl. For example, Wayland
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requires a valid `XDG_RUNTIME_DIR`, which is usually set up by a session manager
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such as `elogind` or `systemd-logind`. If your system doesn't do this
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automatically, you will need to configure it prior to launching `dwl`, e.g.:
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export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp/xdg-runtime-$(id -u)
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mkdir -p $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
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dwl
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### Status information
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Information about selected layouts, current window title, app-id, and
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selected/occupied/urgent tags is written to the stdin of the `-s` command (see
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the `printstatus()` function for details). This information can be used to
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populate an external status bar with a script that parses the information.
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Failing to read this information will cause dwl to block, so if you do want to
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run a startup command that does not consume the status information, you can
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close standard input with the `<&-` shell redirection, for example:
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dwl -s 'foot --server <&-'
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If your startup command is a shell script, you can achieve the same inside the
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script with the line
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exec <&-
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To get a list of status bars that work with dwl consult our [wiki].
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## Replacements for X applications
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You can find a [list of useful resources on our wiki].
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## Acknowledgements
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dwl began by extending the TinyWL example provided (CC0) by the sway/wlroots
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@ -165,17 +181,15 @@ inspiration, and to the various contributors to the project, including:
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- Stivvo for output management and fullscreen support, and patch maintenance
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[Discord server]: https://discord.gg/jJxZnrGPWN
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[#dwl on Libera Chat]: https://web.libera.chat/?channels=#dwl
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[Wayland]: https://wayland.freedesktop.org/
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[wlroots]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/wlroots/
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[0.x branch]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/branches
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[patches repository]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl-patches
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[s6]: https://skarnet.org/software/s6/
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[`systemd --user`]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd/User [#dwl on Libera Chat]: https://web.libera.chat/?channels=#dwl
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[0.7-rc1]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/releases/tag/v0.7-rc1 [0.x branch]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/branches
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[anopa]: https://jjacky.com/anopa/
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[runit]: http://smarden.org/runit/faq.html#userservices
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[dinit]: https://davmac.org/projects/dinit/
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[`systemd --user`]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd/User
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[wiki]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/wiki/Home#compatible-status-bars
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[list of useful resources on our wiki]:
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https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/wiki/Home#migrating-from-x
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[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
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[main]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/src/branch/main
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[release]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/releases
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[runit]: http://smarden.org/runit/faq.html#userservices
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[s6]: https://skarnet.org/software/s6/
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[wlroots]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/wlroots/
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[wiki]: https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl/wiki/Home#compatible-status-bars [Discord server]: https://discord.gg/jJxZnrGPWN
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[Wayland]: https://wayland.freedesktop.org/
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