Knipser is a lightweight, native screenshot utility built specifically for wlroots-based Wayland compositors. It provides a seamless integration with your desktop environment through a system tray icon while offering powerful screenshot capabilities.
- Wayland Native: Built specifically for Wayland using the wlroots protocol extensions
- System Tray Integration: Convenient access through a StatusNotifierItem in your system tray
- Multi-Monitor Support: Intelligently detects and handles multi-monitor setups
- Timestamp Filenames: Screenshots automatically saved with date and time information
- Minimal Dependencies: Minimal runtime dependencies for a lightweight footprint
- Non-Intrusive: Runs quietly in your system tray until needed
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/karstenweikamp/knipser.git
cd knipser
# Create build directory
mkdir build && cd build
# Build
cmake -G Ninja ..
ninja
# Install (optional)
sudo ninja install- Wayland (with wlroots-based compositor)
- libpng
- systemd (for D-Bus integration)
Launch Knipser from your application menu or terminal:
knipserOnce running, you'll see the Knipser icon in your system tray. Right-click on the icon to see available options:
- Take Screenshot: Captures your entire screen
- Settings (coming soon): Configure screenshot options
- Quit (coming soon): Exit Knipser
Screenshots are saved to your current working directory with filenames in the format screenshot_YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.png.
Knipser is designed with modularity in mind:
- Core: Handles high-level screenshot coordination
- Wayland Client: Interfaces with the compositor using wlr-screencopy-unstable-v1 protocol
- Output Management: Detects and coordinates multi-monitor setups via wlr-output-management-unstable-v1
- Tray Integration: Provides system tray presence using the StatusNotifierItem protocol
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.