Hyprscroller

Hyprscroller is a Hyprland layout plugin that creates a window layout similar to PaperWM.

Intro

The plugin is quite feature complete and supports gaps, borders, decorations, special workspace, full screen modes, overview, marks, pinned columns, touchpad gestures and installation through hyprpm.

Check the Tutorial for a quick overview of hyprscroller's main features.

I use hyprscroller on my main machine and will support it for as long as I keep on using Hyprland. However, I will only add new features that I find interesting, and support two Hyprland versions: the one my distribution uses, and the latest tagged one. I have found problematic compiling trunk versions of Hyprland on a system that already has a system-wide version of it installed, so I will not make an extra effort there until things improve in that front.

Requirements

hyprscroller supports the version of Hyprland I use, which should be the same as the Arch Linux hyprland package (v0.44.1). You can try your luck with the latest git changes, but I will be slower to keep up with those, as there are too many API changes going on upstream.

Aside from those versions, even though the feature set will be frozen for them, hyprscroller also supports v0.35, v0.38.1, v0.39.1, v0.40.0, v0.41.2, v0.42.0, v0.43.0 and v0.44.0.

Building and installing

The easiest and recommended mode to install hyprscroller is through hyprpm

hyprpm

hyprpm add https://github.com/dawsers/hyprscroller
# verify it installed correctly
hyprpm list

You can enable or disable it via hyprpm enable hyprscroller and hyprpm disable hyprscroller or update it using hyprpm update hyprscroller.

Adding exec-once = hyprpm reload -n to your hyprland.conf will ensure all your hyprpm managed plugins will be loaded at startup.

Manually

If you want to build the plugin manually, it should be as simple as running

# builds a shared object hyprscroller.so
make all
# installs the shared library in ~/.config/hypr/plugins
make install

then you can add the plugin to your hyprland.conf

# path must be absolute
plugin = /home/xxxx/.config/hypr/plugins/hyprscroller.so

or load it temporarily using hyprctl plugin

# path must be absolute
hyprctl plugin load /home/xxxx/.config/hypr/plugins/hyprscroller.so

NixOS

I don't use NixOS, so the "flakes" in this repo are maintained by users, and may not be up to date. However, it seems hyprscroller is now an official unstable package in nixpkgs so you can install it from there.

Configuration

If you are not using hyprpm, to make Hyprland load the plugin, add this to your configuration.

# path must be absolute
plugin = /home/xxxx/.config/hypr/plugins/hyprscroller.so

Instead, if you use hyprpm, it should be as simple as adding this to your ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf :

exec-once = hyprpm reload -n

To turn on the layout, use

general {
    ...

    layout = scroller

    ...
}

Dispatchers

The plugin adds the following dispatchers:

Dispatcher	Description
`scroller:movefocus`	An optional replacement for `movefocus`, takes a direction as argument.
`scroller:movewindow`	An optional replacement for `movewindow`, takes a direction as argument.
`scroller:setmode`	Set mode: `r/row` (default), `c/col/column`. Sets the working mode. Affects most dispatchers and new window creation.
`scroller:cyclesize`	Resize the focused column width (row mode), or the active window height (column mode).
`scroller:alignwindow`	Align window on the screen, `l/left`, `c/center`, `r/right` (row mode), `c/center`, `u/up`, `d/down` (col mode)
`scroller:admitwindow`	Push the current window below the active one of the column to its left.
`scroller:expelwindow`	Pop the current window out of its column and place it on a new column to the right.
`scroller:fitsize`	Resize columns (row mode) or windows (col mode) so they fit on the screen: `active`, `visible`, `all`, `toend`, `tobeg`
`scroller:toggleoverview`	Toggle an overview of the workspace where all the windows are temporarily scaled to fit the monitor
`scroller:marksadd`	Add a named mark. Argument is the name of the mark
`scroller:marksdelete`	Delete a named mark. Argument is the name of the mark
`scroller:marksvisit`	Visit a named mark. Argument is the name of the mark
`scroller:marksreset`	Delete all marks
`scroller:pin`	Pin a column to its current position. The rest will adapt when changing focus etc.
`scroller:unpin`	Unpin the currently pinned column

Modes

Hyprscroller works in any of two modes that can be changed at any moment.

row mode: it is the default. It creates new windows in a new column. cyclesize affects the width of the active column. alignwindow aligns the active column according to the argument received. fitsize fits the selected columns to the width of the monitor.
column mode: It creates new windows in the current column, right below the active window. cyclesize affects the height of the active window. alignwindow aligns the active window within the column, according to the argument received. fitsize fits the selected windows in the column to the height of the monitor.

Window/Column Focus and Movement

Hyprscroller is now compatible with Hyprland's default movefocus/movewindow dispatchers and key bindings. But you can also add Hyprscroller's own scroller:movefocus/scroller:movewindow for cases unsupported by Hyprland, like beginning and end. Supporting the default dispatcher allows for better switching of layouts without needing to modify the configuration, which was the case in the past.

movefocus and movewindow accept the following directional arguments: l or left, r or right, u or up, d or dn or down, b or begin or beginning, e or end. So you can focus or move windows/columns in a direction or to the beginning or end or the row.

Resizing

cyclesize accepts an argument which is either +1/1/next, or -1/prev/previous. It cycles forward or backward through a number of column widths (in row mode), or window heights (in column mode). Those widths or heights are a fraction of the width or height of the monitor, and are configurable (see options). However, using the dispatcher resizewindow, you can modify the width or height of any window freely.

Aligning

Columns are generally aligned in automatic mode, always making the active one visible, and trying to make at least the previously focused one visible too if it fits the viewport, if not, the one adjacent on the other side. However, you can always align any column to the center, left or right of the monitor (in row mode), or up (top), down (bottom) or to the center in column mode. For example center a column for easier reading, regardless of what happens to the other columns. As soon as you change focus or move a column, the alignment is lost.

alignwindow takes a parameter: l or left, r or right, c or center or centre, u or up and d or down.

To use right or left you need to be in row mode, and to use up or down in column mode. center behaves differently depending on the mode. In row mode it aligns the active column to the center of the monitor. In column mode, it aligns the active window within its column, to a centered position.

Admit/Expel

You can create columns of windows using admitwindow. It takes the active window and moves it to the column left of its current one, right under the active window in that column.

To expel any window from its current column and position it in a new column to its right, use expelwindow.

Fitting the Screen

When you have a ultra-wide monitor, one in a vertical position, or the default column widths or window heights don't fit your workflow, you can use manual resizing, but it is sometimes slow and tricky.

scroller:fitsize works in two different ways, depending on the active mode.

It allows you to re-fit the columns (row mode) or windows (column mode) you want to the screen extents. It accepts an argument related to the columns/windows it will try to fit. The new width/height of each column/window will be proportional to its previous width or height, relative to the other columns or windows affected.

active: It is similar to maximize, it will fit the active column/window.
visible: All the currently fully or partially visible columns/windows will be resized to fit the screen.
all: All the columns in the row or windows in the column will be resized to fit.
toend: All the columns or windows from the focused one to the end of the row/column will be affected.
tobeg or tobeginning: All the columns/windows from the focused one to the beginning of the row/column will now fit the screen.

Overview

scroller:toggleoverview toggles a bird's eye view of the current workspace where all the windows are scaled to fit the current monitor. You can still interact with the windows normally (change focus, move windows, create or destroy them, type in them etc.). Use it as a way to see where things are and move the active focus, or reposition windows. You can even have all your windows in full screen mode and use overview to navigate among them quickly.

Marks

You can use marks to navigate to frequently used windows, regardless of which workspace they are in (it even works for the special workspace windows).

scroller:marksadd adds a named mark. Use a submap to create bindings for several named marks you may want to use. See the configuration example for directions.

scroller:marksdelete deletes a named mark created with scroller:marksadd.

scroller:marksvisit moves the focus to a previously created mark.

scroller:marksreset clears all marks.

Marks reference windows, but are global, they may belong to different workspaces, so visiting a mark may switch workspaces.

You can use any string name for a mark, for example in scripts. But they are also very convenient to use with regular key bindings by simply using a letter as the name. Again, see the example configuration.

Pinning a Column

scroller:pin and scroller:unpin manage pinned columns. Having a column pinned is useful to keep some column as an immovable reference; for example some documentation or important code you want to always have available while changing focus to other columns.

There can only be one pinned column per workspace. The column will stay in place while the flag is on. That means the rest of the columns (even the active one) will not perturb that position. When changing focus, the active column will be seen on the screen as long as it fits on either side of the pinned column.

Touchpad Gestures

There are options to enable/disable touchpad gestures for movefocus (scrolling), overview and workspace change.

The default for scrolling is swiping with three fingers to scroll left, right, up or down. Four fingers up enables the overview mode, down disables it. To change workspace, swipe right or left with four fingers too.

hyprscroller touchpad gestures respect the global option input:touchpad:natural_scroll and provide several others specific to the plugin to tweak gestures behavior. You can find them in the Options section of this document.

IPC

hyprscroller sends IPC messages in certain situations, in the same way hyprland does. These are currently the events that trigger a message:

Message	Occurs when	Data
`scroller admitwindow`	admitting a window
`scroller expelwindow`	expelling a window
`scroller overview`	toggling overview mode	`0/1`
`scroller mode`	changing mode	`row/column`

You can use these events to show messages, or modify your bar. This simple script captures the events and shows a notification each time:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

function handle {
  if [[ ${1:0:8} == "scroller" ]]; then
    if [[ ${1:10:11} == "overview, 0" ]]; then
        hyprctl notify -1 3000 "rgb(ff1ea3)" "Normal mode!"
    elif [[ ${1:10:11} == "overview, 1" ]]; then
        hyprctl notify -1 3000 "rgb(ff1ea3)" "Overview mode!"
    elif [[ ${1:10:9} == "mode, row" ]]; then
        hyprctl notify -1 3000 "rgb(ff1ea3)" "Row mode!"
    elif [[ ${1:10:12} == "mode, column" ]]; then
        hyprctl notify -1 3000 "rgb(ff1ea3)" "Column mode!"
    elif [[ ${1:10:11} == "admitwindow" ]]; then
        hyprctl notify -1 3000 "rgb(ff1ea3)" "Admit Window!"
    elif [[ ${1:10:11} == "expelwindow" ]]; then
        hyprctl notify -1 3000 "rgb(ff1ea3)" "Expel Window!"
    fi
  fi
}

socat - "UNIX-CONNECT:$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/hypr/$HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE/.socket2.sock" | while read -r line; do handle "$line"; done

Using IPC in AGS

For those using ags to create the desktop bar, this is a module example on how you could use hyprscroller IPC events to show the current mode (row or column) and whether we are in overview mode or not.

import Gio from 'gi://Gio'
import GLib from 'gi://GLib'

export function Scroller() {
    const decoder = new TextDecoder();
    const mode_label = Widget.Label({
        class_name: "scroller-mode",
        label: ''
    });
    const overview_label = Widget.Label({
        class_name: "scroller-overview",
        label: ''
    });
    const scroller = Widget.Box({
        class_name: "scroller",
        children: [
            mode_label,
            overview_label,
        ],
    })
    function event_decode(data) {
        const text = decoder.decode(data);
        if (text.startsWith("scroller>>mode,")) {
            const mode = text.substring(15).trim();
            if (mode == "row")
                mode_label.label = "-";
            else
                mode_label.label = "|";
        } else if (text.startsWith("scroller>>overview,")) {
            if (text.substring(19) == 1) {
                overview_label.label = "🐦";
            } else {
                overview_label.label = "";
            }
        }
    }
    function connection() {
        const HIS = GLib.getenv('HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE');
        const XDG_RUNTIME_DIR = GLib.getenv('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR') || '/';
        const sock = (pre) => `${pre}/hypr/${HIS}/.socket2.sock`;
        const path = GLib.file_test(sock(XDG_RUNTIME_DIR), GLib.FileTest.EXISTS)?
            sock(XDG_RUNTIME_DIR) : sock('/tmp');

        return new Gio.SocketClient()
            .connect(new Gio.UnixSocketAddress({ path }), null);
    }
    let listener = new Gio.DataInputStream({
        close_base_stream: true,
        base_stream: connection().get_input_stream(),
    });
    function watch_socket(sstream) {
        sstream.read_line_async(0, null, (stream, result) => {
            if (!stream)
                return console.error('Error reading Hyprland socket');

            const [line] = stream.read_line_finish(result);
            event_decode(line);
            watch_socket(stream);
        });
    }
    watch_socket(listener);
    return scroller;
}

and a simple style.css

@define-color wb-background #000000;
@define-color wb-primary #f0c671;

.scroller {
    color: @wb-primary;
    background: @wb-background;
    min-width: 60px;
    padding-left: 15px;
}

.scroller-mode {
  padding-top: 10px;
  padding-bottom: 10px;
  padding-right: 10px;
}
.scroller-overview {
  padding-top: 10px;
  padding-bottom: 10px;
  padding-right: 10px;
}

Using IPC with Waybar

This comment by Chen-Yulin provides code to use hyprscroller's IPC messages with waybar.

Options

hyprscroller currently accepts the following options:

`column_default_width`

Determines the width of new columns in row mode. Possible arguments are: onesixth, onefourth, onethird, onehalf (default), twothirds, threequarters, fivesixths, maximized, floating (uses the default width set by the application).

`window_default_height`

Determines the default height of a new window. This is useful if you are using a monitor in portrait mode and column mode. Possible arguments are: onesixth, onefourth, onethird, onehalf, twothirds, threequarters, fivesixths, one (default).

`focus_wrap`

Determines whether focus will wrap when at the first or last window of a row/column. Possible arguments are: true|1 (default), or false|0.

`column_widths`

Determines the set of column widths hyprscroler will cycle through when resizing the width of a column in row mode. It is a string of any number of values chosen among: onesixth, onefourth, onethird, onehalf, twothirds, threequarters, fivesixths, one. The default value is: onehalf twothirds onethird.

`window_heights`

Determines the set of window heights hyprscroler will cycle through when resizing the height of a window in column mode. It is a string of any number of values chosen among: onesixth, onefourth, onethird, onehalf, twothirds, threequarters, fivesixths, one. The default value is: one onethird onehalf twothirds.

`monitor_options`

NOTE: This option deprecates monitor_modes. Please, update your configuration if you are using it.

monitor_options can be used to define different default options for each monitor. Currently, the supported options are:

mode: r/row for row mode and c/col/column for column mode.
column_default_width: Possible values are the same as the global column_default_width option.
window_default_height: Possible values are the same as the global window_default_height option.

When you create a workspace in any monitor, instead of defaulting to the global options, it will read them from this configuration value. For any monitor or option not defined in this variable, the option will default to the global one.

Monitor names can be inferred by running hyprctl monitors and using the returned names.

Monitor HDMI-A-1 (ID 0):
    3840x2160@59.99700 at 0x0
    ...

means the name you need to use is HDMI-A-1.

monitor_options is a list with the following format:

monitor_options = (DP-2 = (mode = row; column_default_width = onehalf; window_default_height = one), HDMI-A-1 = (mode = col; column_default_width = one; window_default_height = onehalf))

The list of monitors is encapsulated by () and separated by ,. Each monitor entry consists of the name of the monitor followed by = and a list of options enclosed by (), with each option separated by ;, as in the example above. Spaces are allowed anywhere for better readability.

This option is useful to configure ultra-wide monitors or those in non-standard orientations (for example portrait instead of landscape). You can define any combination.

`gesture_scroll_enable`

true (default) or false. Enables or disables touchpad gestures for scrolling (changing focus).

`gesture_scroll_fingers`

Integer value, default is 3. Number of fingers used to swipe when scrolling.

`gesture_scroll_distance`

Integer value, default is 60. Delta generated by swiping to move focus one window. It is like a sensitivity value; the smaller, the more sensitive scrolling will be to swipes.

`gesture_overview_enable`

true (default) or false. Enables or disables touchpad gestures to call overview mode and workspace switching.

`gesture_overview_fingers`

Integer value, default is 4. Number of fingers used to swipe for overview or changing workspace.

`gesture_overview_distance`

Integer value, default is 5. Delta generated by swiping to call overview mode or change workspace. It is like a sensitivity value; the smaller, the easier it will be to trigger the command. Each swipe triggers it only once, regardless of the length or the swipe.

Options Example

plugin {
    scroller {
        column_default_width = onehalf
        focus_wrap = false
        # ultra-wide monitor
        column_widths = onefourth onethird onehalf onesixth
        # portrait mode monitors
        monitor_options = (DP-2 = (mode = row; column_default_width = onehalf; window_default_height = one), HDMI-A-1 = (mode = col; column_default_width = one; window_default_height = onehalf))
    }
}

Window Rules

hyprscroller supports a number of static Window Rules v2 that can be triggered at window creation. Hyprland's Wiki explains what Window Rules are, and how to enable and configure them.

These are rules specific to hyprscroller

group

You may want to keep every window of the same class, type etc. in the same column. For example, in #45, a user wants to open all the plot windows for a Python script in the same column.

Syntax of rule: plugin:scroller:group group_name

windowrulev2 = plugin:scroller:group python_plots, class:(python3)

alignwindow

Aligns the new opened window. Works in the same way as the alignwindow dispatcher.

Syntax of rule: plugin:scroller:alignwindow position

Center any new Firefox window.

windowrulev2 = plugin:scroller:alignwindow center, class:(firefox)

marksadd

Add a named mark to a window.

Syntax of rule: plugin:scroller:marksadd name

Add a mark named m to Thunderbird's main window as soon as it's opened. This will let you navigate to Thunderbird from wherever you are by using a marksvisit key binding. I use Super + ' + m to set the focus on Thunderbird.

windowrulev2 = plugin:scroller:marksadd m, class:(thunderbird),title:(Mozilla Thunderbird)$

Key bindings

As an example, you could set some key bindings in your hyprland.conf like this:

# Move focus with mainMod + arrow keys
bind = $mainMod, left, movefocus, l
bind = $mainMod, right, movefocus, r
bind = $mainMod, up, movefocus, u
bind = $mainMod, down, movefocus, d
bind = $mainMod, home, scroller:movefocus, begin
bind = $mainMod, end, scroller:movefocus, end

# Movement
bind = $mainMod CTRL, left, movewindow, l
bind = $mainMod CTRL, right, movewindow, r
bind = $mainMod CTRL, up, movewindow, u
bind = $mainMod CTRL, down, movewindow, d
bind = $mainMod CTRL, home, scroller:movewindow, begin
bind = $mainMod CTRL, end, scroller:movewindow, end

# Modes
bind = $mainMod, bracketleft, scroller:setmode, row
bind = $mainMod, bracketright, scroller:setmode, col

# Sizing keys
bind = $mainMod, equal, scroller:cyclesize, next
bind = $mainMod, minus, scroller:cyclesize, prev

# Admit/Expel
bind = $mainMod, I, scroller:admitwindow,
bind = $mainMod, O, scroller:expelwindow,

# Center submap
# will switch to a submap called center
bind = $mainMod, C, submap, center
# will start a submap called "center"
submap = center
# sets repeatable binds for resizing the active window
bind = , C, scroller:alignwindow, c
bind = , C, submap, reset
bind = , right, scroller:alignwindow, r
bind = , right, submap, reset
bind = , left, scroller:alignwindow, l
bind = , left, submap, reset
bind = , up, scroller:alignwindow, u
bind = , up, submap, reset
bind = , down, scroller:alignwindow, d
bind = , down, submap, reset
# use reset to go back to the global submap
bind = , escape, submap, reset
# will reset the submap, meaning end the current one and return to the global one
submap = reset

# Resize submap
# will switch to a submap called resize
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, R, submap, resize
# will start a submap called "resize"
submap = resize
# sets repeatable binds for resizing the active window
binde = , right, resizeactive, 100 0
binde = , left, resizeactive, -100 0
binde = , up, resizeactive, 0 -100
binde = , down, resizeactive, 0 100
# use reset to go back to the global submap
bind = , escape, submap, reset
# will reset the submap, meaning end the current one and return to the global one
submap = reset

# Fit size submap
# will switch to a submap called fitsize
bind = $mainMod, W, submap, fitsize
# will start a submap called "fitsize"
submap = fitsize
# sets binds for fitting columns/windows in the screen
bind = , W, scroller:fitsize, visible
bind = , W, submap, reset
bind = , right, scroller:fitsize, toend
bind = , right, submap, reset
bind = , left, scroller:fitsize, tobeg
bind = , left, submap, reset
bind = , up, scroller:fitsize, active
bind = , up, submap, reset
bind = , down, scroller:fitsize, all
bind = , down, submap, reset
# use reset to go back to the global submap
bind = , escape, submap, reset
# will reset the submap, meaning end the current one and return to the global one
submap = reset

# overview keys
# bind key to toggle overview (normal)
bind = $mainMod, tab, scroller:toggleoverview

# Marks
bind = $mainMod, M, submap, marksadd
submap = marksadd
bind = , a, scroller:marksadd, a
bind = , a, submap, reset
bind = , b, scroller:marksadd, b
bind = , b, submap, reset
bind = , c, scroller:marksadd, c
bind = , c, submap, reset
bind = , escape, submap, reset
submap = reset

bind = $mainMod SHIFT, M, submap, marksdelete
submap = marksdelete
bind = , a, scroller:marksdelete, a
bind = , a, submap, reset
bind = , b, scroller:marksdelete, b
bind = , b, submap, reset
bind = , c, scroller:marksdelete, c
bind = , c, submap, reset
bind = , escape, submap, reset
submap = reset

bind = $mainMod, apostrophe, submap, marksvisit
submap = marksvisit
bind = , a, scroller:marksvisit, a
bind = , a, submap, reset
bind = , b, scroller:marksvisit, b
bind = , b, submap, reset
bind = , c, scroller:marksvisit, c
bind = , c, submap, reset
bind = , escape, submap, reset
submap = reset

bind = $mainMod CTRL, M, scroller:marksreset

# Pin and Unpin
bind = $mainMod, P, scroller:pin,
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, P, scroller:unpin,

dawsers / hyprscroller

readme