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wayfire

github.com/WayfireWM/wayfire Desktop Customization Open-source projectOpen source

Wayfire offers a modular Wayland compositor with extension points and customizable behavior.

Visit wayfire 24 alternatives
github.com/WayfireWM/wayfire
wayfire homepage screenshot

About wayfire

Wayfire is an open-source 3D Wayland compositor inspired by Compiz and built on wlroots. It aims to provide a customizable, extendable and lightweight desktop environment, with behavior controlled through a wayfire.ini configuration file and extended through plugins, including external plugins installed manually or with the wayfire-plugin tool. Installing wf-shell is recommended for a complete desktop experience.

The project is distributed as source and documentation on GitHub under the MIT license, with packages available for Arch Linux, Exherbo, Fedora, FreeBSD, Gentoo, NixOS, Ubuntu/Debian 13 and Void. Building from source uses meson and ninja and requires a set of dependencies, including wlroots and wf-config; XWayland and X11 backends are optional. Wayfire is run from a TTY or through a Wayland-compatible login manager.

Key features

  • Modular 3D Wayland compositor built on wlroots, inspired by Compiz
  • Configuration via wayfire.ini in ~/.config/wayfire.ini or ~/.config/wayfire/
  • Plugin architecture with external plugin installation support
  • Optional XWayland and X11 backends
  • Build from source with meson and ninja, or install distro packages
  • Packages for Arch, Fedora, Gentoo, NixOS, Ubuntu/Debian 13, Void, FreeBSD, Exherbo
Best for: Linux and BSD users who want a lightweight, plugin-extensible Wayland compositor they can configure and build themselves.
Good for
  • Open source under the MIT license
  • Packaged for several Linux distributions and FreeBSD
  • Extensible through plugins, including third-party ones
Watch out for
  • Building from source requires a long list of dependencies
  • A complete desktop experience requires additional components such as wf-shell and WCM
  • Configuration is file-based and the terminal start command may need editing before first run

wayfire at a glance

Type
Open-source project
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Open source
Yes · Source code
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026
open sourcedesktop customization

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wayfire FAQ

How can I install Wayfire?
Use the install scripts for Wayfire, wf-shell and WCM, install a distribution package (for example, dnf install wayfire on Fedora or apt install wayfire on Ubuntu/Debian 13), or build from source with meson, ninja and ninja install.
How is Wayfire configured?
Copy wayfire.ini to ~/.config/wayfire.ini or ~/.config/wayfire/wayfire.ini. The Configuration document covers the available options, and the command used to start a terminal may need to be changed before running Wayfire.
Can external plugins be added?
Yes. External plugins can be installed manually or with wayfire-plugin, for example: wayfire-plugin install https://github.com/soreau/pixdecor.
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Listing maintained by Chris McClure and the WebIndexly editors · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we rank