Follow-up to #1659. That issue landed hot-reload for settings.json via FileView.watchChanges + a 1ms Timer to skirt the JSON parse race. It does not cover plugin discovery in runtime: adding a new plugin directory to ~/.config/DankMaterialShell/plugins/ while the shell is running is not consistently picked up by the existing FolderListModel watcher in PluginService.qml, and there is no IPC handle for forcing a rescan from outside the shell. Adds an IpcHandler on PluginService with five small functions: - scan(): wraps existing scanPlugins(), returns count snapshot - rescan(pluginId): wraps existing forceRescanPlugin(id), validates id - reload(pluginId): wraps existing reloadPlugin(id), validates id - list(): newline-joined id\tloaded\ttype\tname for every known plugin - status(pluginId): loaded\ttype\terror for one plugin Scope intentionally small: no file-watcher changes, no new daemons, no schema additions. Target string "plugins" does not collide with any existing target in DMSShellIPC.qml. Validation: - qs ipc --pid <PID> call plugins list returns one row per known plugin - qs ipc --pid <PID> call plugins scan returns SCAN_TRIGGERED with count - qs ipc --pid <PID> call plugins rescan <id> returns RESCAN_TRIGGERED - Empty-arg paths return ERROR strings instead of throwing - git merge-tree against origin/master is clean
DankMaterialShell
DankMaterialShell is a complete desktop shell for niri, Hyprland, MangoWC, Sway, labwc, Scroll, Miracle WM, and other Wayland compositors. It replaces waybar, swaylock, swayidle, mako, fuzzel, polkit, and everything else you'd normally stitch together to make a desktop.
Repository Structure
This is a monorepo containing both the shell interface and the core backend services:
DankMaterialShell/
├── quickshell/ # QML-based shell interface
│ ├── Modules/ # UI components (panels, widgets, overlays)
│ ├── Services/ # System integration (audio, network, bluetooth)
│ ├── Widgets/ # Reusable UI controls
│ └── Common/ # Shared resources and themes
├── core/ # Go backend and CLI
│ ├── cmd/ # dms CLI and dankinstall binaries
│ ├── internal/ # System integration, IPC, distro support
│ └── pkg/ # Shared packages
├── distro/ # Distribution packaging
│ ├── fedora/ # Fedora RPM specs
│ ├── debian/ # Debian packaging
│ └── nix/ # NixOS/home-manager modules
└── flake.nix # Nix flake for declarative installation
See it in Action
Installation
curl -fsSL https://install.danklinux.com | sh
One command installs DMS and all dependencies on Arch, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE, or Gentoo.
Features
Dynamic Theming Wallpaper-based color schemes that automatically theme GTK, Qt, terminals, editors (vscode, vscodium), and more using matugen and dank16.
System Monitoring Real-time CPU, RAM, GPU metrics and temperatures with dgop. Process list with search and management.
Powerful Launcher Spotlight-style search for applications, files (dsearch), emojis, running windows, calculator, and commands. Extensible with plugins.
Control Center Unified interface for network, Bluetooth, audio devices, display settings, and night mode.
Smart Notifications Notification center with grouping, rich text support, and keyboard navigation.
Media Integration MPRIS player controls, calendar sync, weather widgets, and clipboard history with image previews.
Session Management Lock screen, idle detection, auto-lock/suspend with separate AC/battery settings, and greeter support.
Plugin System Extend functionality with the plugin registry.
Supported Compositors
Works best with niri, Hyprland, Sway, MangoWC, labwc, Scroll, and Miracle WM with full workspace switching, overview integration, and monitor management. Other Wayland compositors work with reduced features.
Compositor configuration guide
Command Line Interface
Control the shell from the command line or keybinds:
dms run # Start the shell
dms ipc call spotlight toggle
dms ipc call audio setvolume 50
dms ipc call wallpaper set /path/to/image.jpg
dms brightness list # List available displays
dms plugins search # Browse plugin registry
Full CLI and IPC documentation
Documentation
- Website: danklinux.com
- Docs: danklinux.com/docs
- Theming: Application themes | Custom themes
- Plugins: Development guide
- Support: Ko-fi
Development
See component-specific documentation:
- quickshell/ - QML shell development, widgets, and modules
- core/ - Go backend, CLI tools, and system integration
- distro/ - Distribution packaging (Fedora, Debian, NixOS)
Building from Source
Core + Dankinstall:
cd core
make # Build dms CLI
make dankinstall # Build installer
Shell:
quickshell -p quickshell/
NixOS:
{
inputs.dms.url = "github:AvengeMedia/DankMaterialShell";
# Use in home-manager or NixOS configuration
imports = [ inputs.dms.homeModules.dank-material-shell ];
}
Contributing
Contributions welcome. Bug fixes, widgets, features, documentation, and plugins all help.
- Fork the repository
- Make your changes
- Test thoroughly
- Open a pull request
For documentation contributions, see DankLinux-Docs.
Credits
- quickshell - Shell framework
- niri - Scrolling window manager
- Ly-sec - Wallpaper effects from Noctalia
- soramanew - Caelestia inspiration
- end-4 - dots-hyprland inspiration
Star History
License
MIT License - See LICENSE for details.