project / linux setup
alphaFF00 Video Wallpaper Manager
A graphical per-monitor video and static-image wallpaper manager for Linux X11, built as the first public application in the FF00 series.
- Rust
- GTK4
- X11
- XRandR
- mpv
- GdkPixbuf
- Nix
FF00-vwm turns the manual process of creating X11 wallpaper windows into a small monitor-oriented application. Each connected XRandR output can receive its own local video or static image and presentation settings. Wallpaper renderers continue after the configuration window closes, and login restoration remains an explicit opt-in.
The current public preview is 0.2.0-alpha.1. It is intended for testing on personal X11 desktops rather than unattended or production systems.
nix-shell -p nur.repos.crimsonvariable.ff00-vwmWhat the alpha includes
- independent video or static-image assignments for connected displays
- PNG, JPEG, WebP, and SVG decoding
- a native GTK4 interface using separate system file choosers
- Fit, Fill, Stretch, Center, and static-image Tile modes
- non-destructive rotation and horizontal or vertical image mirroring
- wallpaper windows backed directly by X11 and mpv, without xwinwrap
- saved assignments and optional restoration at X11 login
- a controller lock and private renderer markers for safe stale-state recovery
- mpv isolation through
--no-config - targeted ownership checks that leave unrelated mpv sessions alone
- Nix packaging and a user-local native archive
Release boundary
The initial release supports Linux x86_64 under X11, with i3 as the primary tested window manager. Wayland, remote media, playlists, audio playback, and animated-image formats are not supported yet. The Nix package supplies mpv and the tested GdkPixbuf decoder closure; native installations use the host GTK4, X11, decoder, and mpv libraries.
Ordered next work
The next work closes the remaining manual multi-monitor acceptance matrix, makes per-output Apply truly independent, and evaluates automatic XRandR hot-plug handling. Wayland remains a separate backend decision rather than an X11 compatibility claim.
Public development model
The Forgejo repository remains the canonical source of truth. GitHub is the public release mirror, carrying tagged source, release notes, checksums, and downloadable artifacts. FF00-vwm is published under AGPL-3.0-or-later, with contribution and copyright terms documented inside the repository.