[](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/new-cli/nix3-flake.html)
[](https://nixos.org)
# randpaper - lightweight wallpaper & theme utility
A minimalist, high-performance wallpaper daemon for Wayland. `randpaper` keeps
your workspace fresh by assigning unique, randomized backgrounds to each of your
monitors at regular intervals and optionally syncing your terminal theme to
match the image palette.
## 🚀 Features
- ⚡ **Performance**: Written in Rust using `tokio`. Scans your image directory
once into memory (caching paths) to prevent disk I/O spikes, even with massive
wallpaper collections.
- 🎨 **Dynamic Theming**: Automatically extracts dominant colors from the
current wallpaper and generates config files for **Ghostty**, **Kitty**, and
**Foot**, keeping your terminal in sync with your desktop.
- **Waybar Theming**: Generates CSS variables based on the image palette.
and reloads Waybar when it changes wallpapers applying the theming
automatically.
- 🖥️ **Multi-Monitor**: Assigns a unique random image to every active output
simultaneously.
- 🔄 **Dual Operating Modes**: Run as a background daemon with automatic
cycling, or use one-shot mode for manual wallpaper changes.
- 🛠️ **Modular Backends**: Works seamlessly with **Sway** and **Hyprland** (via
Sway IPC or `hyprctl`) and supports both `swaybg` and `swww` renderers.
---
## 🛠 Installation
**Prerequisits**
You need `swaybg` or (`swww` / `awww`) installed as the renderer.
```bash
# From source
cargo install --git https://github.com/saylesss88/randpaper
# crates.io
cargo install randpaper
```
**Nix**
Add as a flake input:
```nix
inputs = {
randpaper.url = "github:saylesss88/randpaper";
};
```
Install in `environment.systemPackages` or `home.packages`:
```nix
environment.systemPackages = {
inputs.randpaper.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.default
};
```
And add an `exec` for either hyprland or sway:
Hyprland Example:
```nix
wayland.windowManager.hyprland = {
settings = {
exec-once = [
# Standard Usage
"randpaper --time 15m /home/your-user/Pictures/wallpapers --backend hyprland --renderer swww"
# UWSM Usage
"uwsm app -- randpaper --time 15m /home/your-user/Pictures/wallpapers --backend hyprland"
];
};
}
```
Sway Example:
```nix
wayland.windowManager.sway = {
extraConfig = ''
# Default backend is Sway
exec randpaper --time 30m /home/your-user/wallpapers
'';
};
```
> Note: `randpaper` manages the renderer process for you. You do not need a
> separate `exec-once = swaybg ...` or `exec-once = swww` line in your config.
---
## 🧾 Usage
**Daemon Mode (Background Process)**
When you provide the `--time` flag, `randpaper` runs as a daemon and
automatically cycles wallpapers at the specified interval:
```bash
# Change every 30 minutes (default time if --time not specified with daemon)
randpaper --time 30m ~/Pictures/wallpapers
# Change every 5 minutes using Hyprland + swww transitions
randpaper --time 5m --backend hyprland --renderer swww ~/Pictures/wallpapers
# Change every hour with custom transitions
randpaper --time 1h --renderer swww --transition-type fade ~/Pictures/wallpapers
```
**One-Shot Mode (Pick Once & Exit)**
Without the `--time` flag, `randpaper` picks a random wallpaper, updates themes,
and exits immediately:
```bash
# Pick one wallpaper + update themes, then exit
randpaper ~/Pictures/wallpapers
# Same, but with Hyprland backend
randpaper --backend hyprland ~/Pictures/wallpapers
```
**Use cases for one-shot mode**:
- Manual wallpaper changes via keybinds
- Scripted theme updates
- Testing without running a daemon
**swww/awww Transitions**:
```bash
# Use fade transitions
randpaper --renderer swww --transition-type fade --transition-step 90 --transition-fps 60 ~/Pictures/wallpapers
# Use wipe transitions
randpaper --renderer swww --transition-type wipe --transition-step 90 --transition-fps 60 ~/Pictures/wallpapers
```
- [Sample wallpaper repo](https://github.com/saylesss88/wallpapers2)
**Advanced Options**
| `[DIR]` | Directory containing images | `.` |
| `-t, --time` | Time between changes(e.g., 15m, 1h) | `30m` |
| `-b, --backend` | Detection backend: `sway` or `hyprland` | `sway` |
| `-o, --outputs` | Specific outputs to target (Sway only) | Auto-discover |
| `-r, --renderer` | Renderer tool: `swaybg` or `swww` | `swaybg` |
| `--transition-type` | swww transition: `fade`, `wipe`, `outer` | `simple` |
| `-s, --transition-step` | swww transition step (0-100) | `90` |
| `-f, --transition-fps` | swww target frame rate for transitions | `30` |
- `--transition-type`: Choose between (`simple`, `fade`, `wipe`, `outer`,
`inner`, `random`)
> NOTE: All transition options are ignored when using `--renderer swaybg`.
---
## 🎨 Automatic Terminal Theming
randpaper automatically extracts a 16-color palette from your wallpaper and
generates theme files in `~/.config/randpaper/themes/`.
To use them, add the include line to your terminal config:
**Ghostty**
File: `~/.config/ghostty/config`
```text
config-file = ~/.config/randpaper/themes/ghostty.config
```
**Foot**
File: `~/.config/foot/foot.ini` (Place near end of file)
```text
[main]
include=~/.config/randpaper/themes/foot.ini
```
**Kitty**
File: `~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf`
```text
include ~/.config/randpaper/themes/kitty.conf
```
> Note: `randpaper` attempts to live-reload `foot` (via `SIGUSR1`) and `kitty`
> (via `kitten`) automatically when the wallpaper changes.
---
## Waybar Dynamic Theming (optional)
<details>
<summary> ✔️ Waybar Dynamic Theming </summary>
> ⚠️ Important: Avoid Duplicate Waybar Instances If you are using `randpaper`
> for dynamic theming, it will automatically launch `waybar` for you. Do not add
> exec `waybar` to your WM/compositor config, as this will cause multiple
> instances to run simultaneously.
`randpaper` automatically generates a Waybar CSS color file from the current
wallpaper palette and writes it to:
- `~/.config/randpaper/themes/waybar.css`
This file only defines color variables (it doesn't change your bar by itself).
To use it, you import it from your Waybar `style.css` and then reference the
variables in your existing rules.
Example of the generated `waybar.css` file:
```css
/* auto-generated by randpaper */
@define-color rp_bg #1c1c24;
@define-color rp_fg #e4dcd4;
@define-color rp_accent #f394a4;
@define-color rp_warn #201c24;
@define-color rp_ok #201c24;
@define-color rp_border #f394a4;
@define-color rp_muted #1c1c24;
```
1. Import the generated file
At the very top of your Waybar `style.css` (Change `YOUR_USER` to your
username):
```css
@import "/home/YOUR_USER/.config/randpaper/themes/waybar.css";
```
2. Use the variables in your CSS
Replace hard-coded colors with variables like `@rp_bg`, `@rp_fg`, `@rp_accent`,
etc.
Example:
```css
window#waybar {
background-color: alpha(@rp_bg, 0.8);
color: @rp_fg;
}
#workspaces button.focused {
background-color: @rp_accent;
color: @rp_bg;
}
```
3. `randpaper` automatically reloads Waybar when it changes wallpapers, keeping
your bar perfectly themed without manual intervention. (`SIGUSR2`
zero-flicker reload)
Obviously, the more hard-coded colors you replace with the dynamically generated
CSS variables the more noticeable it will be.
> NOTE: Just adding the `@import` at the top makes the variables available, you
> need to reference them for the changes to be applied.
</details>
---
## ⏭️ Cycling Wallpapers & Themes
### Manual Wallpaper Change (Recommended)
The simplest way to instantly change wallpapers is to run one-shot mode while
your daemon is running:
**Hyprland Config**:
```text
bind = $mainMod SHIFT, N, exec, randpaper ~/Pictures/wallpapers
```
**Sway Config**:
```text
bindsym $mod+Shift+n exec randpaper ~/Pictures/wallpapers
```
This picks a new wallpaper, updates all themes (terminal + Waybar), and exits.
Your background daemon continues running for automatic cycles.
---
### Signal Running Daemon (Alternative)
You can also force the daemon to cycle immediately without spawning a separate
process:
**Hyprland Config**:
```text
bind = $mainMod, N, exec, pkill -USR1 randpaper
```
**Sway Config**:
```text
bindsym $mod+n exec pkill -USR1 randpaper
```
**Shell**:
```bash
pkill -USR1 randpaper
```
Now when you run the above keybind, you will get a new wallpaper, terminal
theme, and waybar theme.
---
## ⚙️ How it Works
1. **Startup**: Caches all valid image paths (`jpg`, `png`, `bmp`, `webp`) from
the target directory into memory.
2 **Loop**: Every interval (e.g., 30m):
- Queries active monitors via IPC.
- Picks a random image for the primary monitor and extracts its color palette.
- Generates theme files and triggers terminal reloads.
- Spawns a non-blocking background process (`swaybg` daemon or `swww` client) to
update the display.
- Sleeps efficiently until the next cycle.
---
## License
- [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/saylesss88/randpaper/blob/main/LICENSE)