#1 2024-11-22 02:29:15

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Is labwc Usable?

Hi,

I've recently returned to Linux for my desktop computer after a few years of using another OS. I had previously used OpenBox because I like lightweight configurable desktops. I can see now that wayland is becoming mainstream, and I also have discovered the excitement about labwc from posts here and on the Debian forums.

Is labwc usable? I don't mind a few rough edges as long as I can use it to start programs and it functions as a window manager. I know that labwc has a githup repository so if my use of labwc can also serve to provide user testing/feedback, that is a win/win but again as long as it's basically usable for work.

Are programs that are started using labwc (e.g. via menu items), and that use wayland or X, impacted by or dependent upon labwc in any way? My point here is that even though labwc is not fully released, I think that programs may still run normally because they work with their respective UI kits e.g. GTK/Qt, and the state of labwc has no bearing on their operation as wayland or X-on-wayland apps.

Last edited by Engineer (2024-11-22 02:30:07)

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: Is labwc Usable?

Is labwc usable?

Yes

Are programs that are started using labwc (e.g. via menu items), and that use wayland or X, impacted by or dependent upon labwc in any way?

Other than labwc being the window manager, no.

---

You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Re: Is labwc Usable?

OK thank you!

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: Is labwc Usable?

OK thank you!

screenshot or it never happened - labwc with waybar

foot is a wayland only terminal, the other apps are thunar and risetto. Most (if not all) the xfce tools work as well in Wayland as they do with X:

---

You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Re: Is labwc Usable?

Great screenshot!

We're on the same page because I'm using xfce as I type this. Was looking into OpenBox (as have used it in the past and liked it), then discovered that because OpenBox starts X, I wouldn't be able to use Wayland apps. So, that's why labwc is of interest.

I found the Debian setup process for labwc
https://github.com/labwc/labwc/wiki#debian

...and I must admit that it's a bit more invovled than I expected.

Have you been using labwc as daily general DE for usage and/or work?

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: Is labwc Usable?

Have you been using labwc as daily general DE for usage and/or work?

Not daily. I usually use Sway (Wayland) or i3 (X). Sway is basically a clone of i3 for Wayland. But I'll use labwc several times a week just for the variety.

@malm & Co. do solid work (jgmenu and labwc); jgmenu is not fully Wayland compatible, but works well enough to use daily; the left button on waybar in that scrot launches jgmenu.

because OpenBox starts X, I wouldn't be able to use Wayland apps.

You need to run the Wayland application in the  xorg-server-xwayland (Void package name, Debian has an equivalent). It's smoother (IMO) to go the other route; run the x-app in a Wayland session.

---

You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Re: Is labwc Usable?

OK thanks much!

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Re: Is labwc Usable?

Interesting!

https://lxqt-project.org/release/2024/1 … xqt-2-1-0/

Labwc provides the most stable session, is very lightweight, neat and configurable, and has an extremely helpful and responsive team.

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Re: Is labwc Usable?

I usually use Sway (Wayland) or i3 (X).

Sway is apparently mature. Sway uses wlroots (as I'm sure that you know).

However, wlroots is only at version 0.18. Does version 0.18 mean that wlroots is a preview release?
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/ … ses/0.18.0

Happy Thanksgiving!

PackRat

jgmenu user Numero Uno

Registered: 2015-10-02

Posts: 2,611

Re: Is labwc Usable?

No, it's the current release.

---

You must unlearn what you have learned.
    -- yoda

Engineer

Member

Registered: 2024-11-20

Posts: 11

Re: Is labwc Usable?

Hi, yes, I understand that 0.18 is the current release, however versions of software < 1.0 generally mean that the software is not considered fully mature. Perhaps wlroots is atypical in that regard?

Last edited by Engineer (2024-11-30 07:54:59)