Jay can be configured via
- a declarative TOML file or
- a shared library that gets injected into the compositor.
See config.md for more details.
Jay's appearance is based on the default i3 look and feel.
Colors, sizes, and fonts can be customized.
Jay has been stable for a long time. Crashes and incorrect behavior in released versions are very rare.
Jay also aims to be forward and backward compatible for existing setups, allowing you to upgrade or downgrade the compositor without having to adjust your configuration.
There is a small but growing integration test suite that is used to ensure this.
Jay has a CLI that can be used to configure the compositor at runtime.
~$ jay
A wayland compositor
Usage: jay [OPTIONS] <COMMAND>
Commands:
run Run the compositor
generate-completion Generate shell completion scripts for jay
log Open the log file
set-log-level Sets the log level
quit Stop the compositor
unlock Unlocks the compositor
screenshot Take a screenshot
idle Inspect/modify the idle (screensaver) settings
run-privileged Run a privileged program
seat-test Tests the events produced by a seat
portal Run the desktop portal
randr Inspect/modify graphics card and connector settings
input Inspect/modify input settings
help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
Options:
--log-level <LOG_LEVEL> The log level [default: info] [possible values: trace, debug, info, warn, error]
-h, --help Print help
Jay can be used with multiple monitors with hot-plug and hot-unplug support. When a monitor is unplugged, all workspaces are automatically moved one of the remaining monitors. When the monitor is plugged in again, these workspaces are restored.
Jay can be used with multiple GPUs and monitors connected to different GPUs. One GPU is always used for rendering the desktop. You can change this GPU at runtime.
Jay supports screen sharing via xdg-desktop-portal. There are three supported modes:
- Window capture
- Output capture
- Workspace capture which is like output capture except that only one workspace will be shown.
Jay can automatically lock your screen and disable outputs after inactivity.
Jay supports the zwlr_layer_shell_v1 protocol used by notification daemons.
Jay supports per-monitor fractional scaling.
Jay can use either OpenGL or Vulkan for rendering. Vulkan offers better performance and memory usage but OpenGL is still provided for older hardware.
You can change the API at runtime without restarting the compositor.
Jay supports explicit sync for compatibility with Nvidia hardware.
Jay supports clipboard managers via zwlr_data_control_manager_v1.
Jay splits protocols into unprivileged and privileged protocols. By default, applications only have access to unprivileged protocols.
You can explicitly opt into giving applications access to privileged protocols via the Jay CLI or shortcuts.
Jay's shortcut system allows you to execute an action when a key is pressed and to execute a different action when the key is released.
Jay supports leasing VR headsets to applications.
Jay supports adaptive sync with configurable cursor refresh rates.
Jay supports tearing presentation for games.
Jay uses frame scheduling to achieve input latency as low as 1.5 ms.
Jay supports the following wayland protocols:
| Global | Version | Privileged |
|---|---|---|
| ext_data_control_manager_v1 | 1 | Yes |
| ext_foreign_toplevel_image_capture_source_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| ext_foreign_toplevel_list_v1 | 1 | Yes |
| ext_idle_notifier_v1 | 1 | Yes |
| ext_image_copy_capture_manager_v1 | 11 | Yes |
| ext_output_image_capture_source_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| ext_session_lock_manager_v1 | 1 | Yes |
| ext_transient_seat_manager_v1 | 12 | Yes |
| jay_tray_v1 | 1 | |
| org_kde_kwin_server_decoration_manager | 1 | |
| wl_compositor | 6 | |
| wl_data_device_manager | 3 | |
| wl_drm | 2 | |
| wl_output | 4 | |
| wl_seat | 9 | |
| wl_shm | 2 | |
| wl_subcompositor | 1 | |
| wp_alpha_modifier_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_commit_timing_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_content_type_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_cursor_shape_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_drm_lease_device_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_fifo_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_fractional_scale_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_linux_drm_syncobj_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_presentation | 2 | |
| wp_security_context_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_single_pixel_buffer_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_tearing_control_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| wp_viewporter | 1 | |
| xdg_activation_v1 | 1 | |
| xdg_toplevel_drag_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| xdg_wm_base | 6 | |
| xdg_wm_dialog_v1 | 1 | |
| zwlr_data_control_manager_v1 | 2 | Yes |
| zwlr_layer_shell_v1 | 5 | No3 |
| zwlr_screencopy_manager_v1 | 3 | Yes |
| zwp_idle_inhibit_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| zwp_input_method_manager_v2 | 1 | Yes |
| zwp_linux_dmabuf_v1 | 5 | |
| zwp_pointer_constraints_v1 | 1 | |
| zwp_pointer_gestures_v1 | 3 | |
| zwp_primary_selection_device_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| zwp_relative_pointer_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| zwp_tablet_manager_v2 | 1 | |
| zwp_text_input_manager_v3 | 1 | |
| zwp_virtual_keyboard_manager_v1 | 1 | Yes |
| zxdg_decoration_manager_v1 | 1 | |
| zxdg_output_manager_v1 | 3 |