How to Set Up Sway Window Manager on Arch Linux

The Sway window manager is a tiling Wayland compositor inspired by i3, offering a lightweight, keyboard-driven experience for Linux users. It’s an excellent choice for those who prefer minimalism, configurability, and performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up Sway on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the installation, ensure you have the following:

• A basic Arch Linux installation.

• A working internet connection.

• Familiarity with the terminal and text editors (like nano, vim, or nvim).

Step 1: Update Your System

First, update your system to ensure all packages are up-to-date. Open a terminal and run:

sudo pacman -Syu

Step 2: Install Sway

Sway is available in the Arch Linux official repositories, so installing it is straightforward:

sudo pacman -S sway

This command installs the core Sway package. However, you’ll need additional tools for a better experience.

Step 3: Install Recommended Utilities

Here are some additional utilities to enhance your Sway experience:

• Wayland utilities: Tools like wl-clipboard for clipboard management and grim for screenshots.

• Status bar: swaybar comes with Sway, but tools like waybar provide more customization.

• Background manager: swaybg for setting a wallpaper.

• Application launcher: wofi or rofi-lbonn-wayland (Wayland-compatible).

• Notification daemon: mako for system notifications.

Install them with:

sudo pacman -S swaybg waybar wofi mako grim wl-clipboard

Step 4: Configure Sway

Sway’s configuration file is located at ~/.config/sway/config. If it doesn’t exist, you can copy the default configuration file as a starting point:

mkdir -p ~/.config/sway

cp /etc/sway/config ~/.config/sway/

Edit the configuration file to customize Sway. For example, to set a wallpaper using swaybg, add this line:

exec swaybg -i /path/to/your/wallpaper.jpg -m fill

You can also configure keybindings, layout, and other settings in this file.

Step 5: Start Sway

Once configured, you can start Sway by typing:

sway

If you’re logging in from a display manager, make sure Sway is listed as a session option. Alternatively, you can start it from a TTY.

Step 6: Fine-Tune Your Environment

Set Up Wayland-Compatible Applications

Some X11 applications may not work out of the box on Wayland. Install xwayland to enable compatibility for legacy applications:

sudo pacman -S xorg-xwayland

Adjust Fonts and Appearance

To set fonts and GTK themes, install gtk3 and lxappearance:

sudo pacman -S gtk3 lxappearance

Use lxappearance to tweak the appearance of GTK apps.

Configure Waybar

Waybar is a customizable status bar. Edit its configuration and style files located at ~/.config/waybar/config and ~/.config/waybar/style.css. For example:

{

  "layer": "top",

  "position": "top",

  "modules-left": ["sway/workspaces", "clock"],

  "clock": {

    "format": "{:%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}"

  }

}

Step 7: Troubleshooting

Logs

If Sway fails to start or behaves unexpectedly, check the logs for debugging:

sway -d 2> sway.log

Input Issues

If your keyboard or mouse doesn’t work, ensure Wayland-compatible input drivers are installed:

sudo pacman -S libinput

Step 8: Autostart Sway

To start Sway automatically when you log in, add it to your ~/.bash_profile:

if [ "$(tty)" = "/dev/tty1" ]; then

  exec sway

fi

Conclusion

You’ve successfully set up the Sway window manager on Arch Linux! Sway offers a streamlined and efficient workflow for users who appreciate tiling window managers. From here, you can dive deeper into customizing your environment and making it uniquely yours.

Let me know how your setup goes or if you run into any issues—happy tiling!