If you’re a Linux user who prefers tiling window managers, you’ll be delighted by the following news. Sway, the popular Wayland compositor has announced its latest version, 1.9, showcasing an array of enhancements and new features.
This update rides on the coattails of the wlroots 0.17.0 release, a foundational library that Sway depends on for its functionality. This dependency is crucial as the new features and improvements in Sway 1.9 leverage the advancements made in wlroots 0.17.0.
In light of this, among the notable enhancements is the inclusion of all improvements made to wlroots 0.17. This means Sway now supports new protocols such as content-type-v1, xwayland-shell-v1, wp-fractional-scale-v1, security-context-v1, and cursor-shape-v1, significantly expanding its compatibility and feature set.
These protocols introduce a range of improvements, from better security context management to enhanced cursor aesthetics, ensuring a more robust and visually appealing desktop experience.
Wait, new to wlroots? In short, it is a modular library designed to be a foundation for custom Wayland compositors. It offers a comprehensive set of building blocks for developing Wayland compositors, handling various aspects of Wayland protocol support, input device management, output rendering, and more. Now, back to the topic.
Sway 1.9 also brings improved xdg-activation-v1 support, which now includes workspace tracking and multi-seat capabilities, making it more versatile in multi-user environments.
Furthermore, porting the rendering code to the new wlroots rendering API is a game-changer, offering better performance and smoother operation for users. Another noteworthy addition is a new configuration option allowing users to disable primary selection, providing more customization for user preferences.
New input commands have also been introduced to adjust libinput’s rotation angle and scroll button lock, enhancing device compatibility and user control over their input devices.
For those using graphics tablets, the update brings good news as tablet tool buttons can now be used for floating mode resize, adding a convenience layer for tablet users. The IPC output event support is another technical enhancement developers will find helpful in creating more integrated and responsive applications.
Lastly, the support for layer-shell’s on-demand keyboard interactivity opens up new possibilities for developers to create more interactive and user-friendly applications. Sway 1.9 also includes switching the default menu to wmenu and removing support for the KDE idle protocol, which the more standard idle-notify-v1 protocol has superseded.
You can refer to the release announcement for detailed information about all Sway 1.9 tiling Wayland compositor changes.
