Video summary

How to Rice Hyprland in 2026 | Full Guide

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Tech/Features Summary (Hyprland “rising” guide + Waybar/Kitty/SwayNC/Theming)

1) Initial Hyprland launch + fixing startup warnings

  • On first run, Hyprland shows a welcome screen.
  • To clear an initial config warning, the guide edits the Hyprland config (e.g., hyprland.conf):
    • Removes an autogenerated config line (autogenerated = 1)
    • Removes startup comments/boilerplate
  • Terminal launching uses kitty via a keybind (mentions super+q at one point) to help clear warnings.

2) Monitor setup (multimonitor configuration)

  • Uses hyprctl monitors to list connected monitors and names.
  • Example layout:
    • EDP1 = laptop display
    • DP1 = external ultrawide-like panel (2560x440 at ~143.97 Hz)
  • Shows how to configure monitors in Hyprland config using:
    • monitor <name>, <resolution>@<refresh>, <xpos>x<ypos>, <scale>
  • Also demonstrates alternatives like preferred resolution/refresh.
  • Mentions re-running hyprctl monitors to verify changes.

3) Modular Hyprland configuration (“modularity”)

  • Goal: split a large hyprland.conf into multiple files using source = ....
  • Creates a folder (example): ~/.config/hypr/modules/
  • Breaks config into modules such as:
    • monitors.conf
    • programs.conf (terminal, file manager, launcher menu)
    • autostart.conf (Waybar + wallpaper daemon, optional background scripts)
    • env.conf (environment variables)
    • decoration.conf, animations.conf
    • windows.conf, layout.conf, input.conf, binds.conf (implied later in the guide)
  • Explains file hygiene conventions (e.g., newline at end of files) and editing workflow.

4) Programs + launcher + autostart (Waybar + wallpaper + scripts)

  • Terminal: kitty
  • File manager: switches preference between Thunar and Nautilus; ends on Nautilus.
  • Launcher/menu: uses wofi/wayland launcher (mentions switching later to another menu in a different context).
  • Autostart:
    • Waybar launches automatically.
    • Wallpaper daemon (SWW/SW type is mentioned) is planned and can be started via autostart.
    • Uses a script wrapper for Waybar launch so arguments/styles can be changed without editing Hyprland directly.

5) Environment variables for Wayland/GTK/QT + NVIDIA notes

  • Copies environment variable blocks from the Hyprland wiki.
  • Focuses on:
    • Toolkit backends (GTK): prefer Wayland, fallback to X11
    • QT platform: Wayland or XWayland fallback logic
    • SDL/clutter backends for Wayland
    • XDG_* session settings so tools like Neofetch show Hyperland/Wayland correctly
    • QT scaling/theme variables (auto screen scale factor)
  • NVIDIA-specific variables:
    • Warns that adding too many can break the system
    • For an RTX 5050 laptop, only 1–2 Nvidia vars are enough (conceptually mentions values like LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=nvidia and GBM_BACKEND=nvidia-drm)
  • Briefly discusses Hyprland permissions (Android-like permissions); says most users can ignore it.

6) Look & feel: decorations, gaps, resizing, VSYNC/tearing

  • Decoration module changes include:
    • Window gaps (inner/outer) tuned for uniform spacing
    • border size reduced for a “card” aesthetic
    • Optional resizing via border dragging (resize on border = true)
    • Floating mode toggling (e.g., super V) and easier resizing in floating
  • Performance/timing:
    • allow_tearing discussed as VSYNC control:
      • VSync-like behavior = smoother but more latency
      • Tearing enabled = lower latency/input responsiveness (with caveats)
    • Mentions keeping tearing off if not gaming.

7) Layouts: master/dwindle/scrolling + pseudo tiling + smart gaps

  • Layout options covered:
    • dwindle (BSPWM-like split tiling)
    • master
    • scrolling layout
  • Mentions:
    • pseudo tiling (tile a window that’s currently floating)
    • preserve split to avoid auto-rearranging during workspace changes
  • Smart gaps:
    • Optional “no gaps when only one window exists” behavior.

8) Window rules / layer rules (behavior control)

  • Window rules:
    • evaluated top-to-bottom
    • match by window class/title and apply actions
  • Examples described:
    • Suppress maximize events for apps that incorrectly maximize (LibreOffice Writer mention)
    • Xwayland drag fix rule (match Xwayland + floating + not full-screen)
  • Layer rules:
    • control blur/animations for specific overlay kinds (e.g., Wlogout, notification windows)

9) Input & gestures

  • Input module covers:
    • follow focus behavior (mouse-hover vs click-to-focus)
    • touchpad natural scroll
    • laptop gesture support to switch workspaces / scratchpad style mappings
  • Mentions expanding gestures via libinput gestures tooling/settings.

10) Keybinds + workspace management + scratchpad

  • Binds include:
    • terminal launch (kitty)
    • close active window
    • logout via wlogout (installed later)
    • file manager launch
    • launcher toggle via menu command (wofi/rofi-like)
    • pseudo tiling toggle (mod key combos)
    • window focus movement (rebindable to H/J/K/L)
    • scratchpad workspace (shift + something to send to scratchpad)
    • external monitor brightness via a custom DDC util script + bindable keys

Waybar: full setup + theming workflow

1) Creating Waybar config from scratch

  • Uses Waybar wiki (GitHub docs).
  • Creates directory:
    • ~/.config/waybar/
  • Creates:
    • config.jsonc
    • style.css
  • Explains analogy:
    • config.jsonc = structure/layout (like HTML)
    • style.css = visual styling (like CSS)

2) Modules included

  • Core modules:
    • clock
    • Hyprland/persistent workspaces
    • volume/pulse audio
    • network
    • battery (laptop)
  • Optionally: media + pacman update count via custom script (example idea).

3) Reloading Waybar via script

  • Creates ~/.config/hypr/scripts/launch.sh:
    • pkill waybar
    • waybar &
  • Reload trigger via Hyprland keybind to run the script.

4) Persistent workspaces and fixing duplication

  • Uses “persistent workspaces” config so workspace buttons show even when empty.
  • Debugging:
    • If workspace count looks doubled (e.g., 10 instead of 5), the guide suggests:
      • inspecting monitor-specific config pieces
      • scoping the workspace module to the correct monitor name (using hyprctl monitors output), rather than applying it to all monitors.

5) Styling: “dynamic island” pill bar look

  • Theme direction: Gruvbox colors.
  • Implements a “center pill/dynamic island” look by styling:
    • module-center container
    • margins/padding
    • border radius (pill shape)
    • transitions for smooth visual changes
  • Also styles:
    • workspace buttons default/active/empty states
    • tooltips (background, padding, radius)
    • disables tooltip for the clock

6) Module-specific styling tricks

  • Volume:
    • custom icons for muted/unmuted/low
    • uses nerd-font/icon mapping
  • Network:
    • uses signal-strength icon arrays
  • Battery:
    • renders battery as a pill with margin/padding/radius
    • introduces status-based coloring:
      • changes battery color when low/critical thresholds are reached using Waybar CSS/state logic

Kitty: terminal theming + shell switch to Fish

1) Kitty base config installation

  • Copies default kitty config from system docs into user config.
  • Then replaces it with a “battle-tested” pre-made config directory.

2) Visual + UX choices

  • Imports a Gruvbox-like color palette into Kitty.
  • Uses JetBrains Mono Nerd Font (distinguishes mono vs propo usage).
  • Enables/disables:
    • audio bell behavior
    • scrollbars
    • window sizing behavior:
      • sets “remember window size” off to avoid awkward resize animation when tiling
    • cursor trail and performance-related delays (tuned for responsiveness)

3) Shell: Fish setup

  • Installs fish shell.
  • Sets user shell to fish.
  • Enables Fish features:
    • syntax highlighting by default
    • autosuggestions/tab completion
  • Removes Fish greeting via set -g fish_greeting ''.
  • Mentions Fish theme customization via fish_config.

Notifications: Swaync (notification center) + Hyprland integration

1) Install + basic validation

  • Suggests notification options: swaync, dunst, etc.
  • Recommends Swaync for feature-rich panel + toggles.
  • Installs Swaync and verifies with notify-send.

2) Theming via pre-made presets

  • Uses a GitHub repo/discussion containing multiple Swaync style presets.
  • Chooses a preset with “dotfiles” link.
  • Clones shallow (--depth 1) and copies config into ~/.config/swaync/.

3) Color integration with Gruvbox palette

  • Reuses the same color mapping by:
    • creating/using a CSS colors file aligned with Gruvbox variables
    • mapping Swaync UI CSS variables to BG0/BG1/FG, etc.
  • Binds a Hyprland key:
    • main mod + A runs swaync-client -t to toggle the notification panel.

4) Blur integration through Hyprland rules

  • Uses Hyprland rules to blur notification windows/layers:
    • identifies correct namespaces/classes (via hyprctl layers or similar)
    • applies blur using layer rules (not window rules)
    • applies for both the notification panel and notification window instances.

Clipboard + screenshots utilities

Clipboard

  • Uses:
    • cliphist
    • wl-clipboard / wl-paste, wl-copy
    • wl-clip-persist to persist history beyond app lifetime
  • Key setup:
    • clipboard daemon entries added to Hyprland autostart (wl-paste --type text/image)
  • Menu integration:
    • uses Rofi/Fly-Launcher-like dmenu mode in Rafy to browse clipboard entries
    • binds to open the clipboard picker (shows a wl-paste search flow)

Screenshots

  • Uses hypershot:
    • capture per output (select monitor)
    • capture window / region
    • automatically copies images to clipboard
  • Hyprland binds map F12 + modifiers to output/window/region capture.

Theming Hyprland + GTK/icons/cursors

1) GTK theme installation

  • Installs a ready-made GTK theme archive (Gruvbox-style) and extracts into ~/.themes.
  • Applies theme changes via NWG Look (NGT desktop theme manager).
  • Mentions needing to restart apps or refresh.

2) Icon theme

  • Either keep a default like Adwaita-style or install Papirus variants.
  • Shows manual installation by extracting icon tarballs to ~/.icons.
  • Adjusts Papirus folder colors using papirus-folders -C <color> (conceptually).

3) Mouse cursor theme

  • Installs Mac-like cursor theme or Gruvbox cursors.
  • Places cursor files into ~/.icons/ and applies via NWG Look or hyprctl set cursor ....
  • Adds cursor autostart step via Hyprland if needed.

4) Hyprland animation/decorations theory (Bezier curves)

  • Explains animation syntax:
    • duration/speed, enable/disable, animation style, and bezier curves
  • Shows how different animation styles affect windows/layers/workspaces (slide, pop-in, fade, gnome-like center open).

5) Blur/shadow/gaps/borders/radius final tuning

  • Decorations tuning:
    • gaps in/out, border size, active/inactive colors
    • blur options: size, passes, opacity/vibrancy style
  • Emphasizes blur/shadow settings to go from “bland” to “personality-rich.”

App launcher theming (Rafy)

  • Uses a GitHub repo of pre-made Rafy themes/launchers (Adi1090x “rafy themes” style repository conceptually).
  • Workflow:
    • shallow clone with --depth 1
    • copy a chosen launcher type/style (e.g., type2 style1)
    • manually install only needed theme assets into ~/.config/rafy/ (not system-wide)
    • copy shared folders (colors/fonts/fonts mapping)
    • bind a key to toggle the launcher via a script that:
      • kills existing Rafy if open
      • launches it otherwise

Main speakers/sources

  • Main speaker: the YouTube presenter/instructor narrating the guide (no explicit name given in subtitles).
  • Primary referenced sources:
    • Hyprland Wiki (env vars, animations, rules, etc.)
    • Waybar Wiki (GitHub documentation)
    • Swaync project + GitHub preset repository/discussions
    • Rafy theme repository on GitHub (pre-made launcher UI themes)
    • NWG Look for GTK/icon/cursor theme application

Original video