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Dwalia

Dwalia

A tiling window manager for Windows.

Dwalia automatically arranges your windows into non-overlapping tiles, managed through workspaces and keyboard-driven workflows — no mouse required.

Features

  • 8 tiling layouts: Dynamic, MasterStack, Monocle, Grid, HorizontalStack, Columns, VerticalStack, BSP
  • Corner snap (Ctrl+Alt+[]'\): Snap windows between columns in Dynamic layout
  • Resize mode (Alt+R): Drag rounded rectangles to swap windows, click split edges to resize, or use HJKL / arrow keys
  • Virtual workspaces: 5 configurable workspaces with independent window sets
  • Keyboard driven: All operations via Alt + key chords
  • Dynamic gaps: Adjustable inner/outer gaps in real time
  • Floating windows: Toggle any window between tiled and floating
  • Window rules: Auto-assign apps to workspaces, floating, fullscreen, or layout by process name / title
  • Focus highlighting: Colored border + rounded corner overlay for the active window
  • Acrylic blur: Optional acrylic backdrop for the desktop overlay
  • Color filter: Subtle full-screen tint for visual cohesion across apps
  • Unlimited bar pages: Create any number of bar pages — just add a new bar_page name in config
  • 30+ widgets: Volume, weather, stock, clipboard, idle time, process monitor, and more
  • Multi-monitor: Covers the full virtual desktop
  • Zero config: All keybindings work out of the box — no config file needed
  • YAML config: Human-readable; edit and save to auto-reload, or press Alt+Shift+R
  • Auto-start: Optional registry auto-start (auto_start: true)

Quick Start

Requirements

Installation

git clone https://github.com/Sunse666/Dwalia.git
cd Dwalia
dotnet build -c Release

Run Dwalia.exe from bin/Release/net8.0-windows/. All keybindings work immediately — no configuration required. A config.yaml is generated on first launch for customization.

Basic Usage

Action Binding
Focus window below / above Alt+J / Alt+K
Focus window left / right Alt+H / Alt+L
Swap with window below / above Alt+Shift+J / Alt+Shift+K
Swap with window left / right Alt+Shift+H / Alt+Shift+L
Cycle tiling layout Alt+T
Toggle floating Alt+Shift+Space
Toggle fullscreen Alt+F
Close window Alt+Q
Enter resize mode Alt+R
Snap window to corner Ctrl+Alt+[ / ] / ' / \
Adjust master ratio Alt+Ctrl+H / Alt+Ctrl+J / Alt+Ctrl+K / Alt+Ctrl+L
Adjust gaps Alt+OemComma / Alt+OemPeriod
Switch workspace Alt+Shift+1-5
Move window to workspace Alt+Shift+M / Alt+Shift+N
Launch terminal Alt+Enter
Cycle bar mode Alt+Shift+Down / Alt+Shift+Up
Toggle bar visibility Alt+U
Reload config Alt+Shift+R
Quit Dwalia Alt+Shift+Q

Resize Mode

Press Alt+R to enter resize mode. In this mode:

  • Drag rounded rectangles to swap window positions (drag a window onto another)
  • Click and drag split edges to resize — look for the cursor change at window boundaries
  • Keyboard resize: H/J/K/L or arrow keys (configurable via resize_mode config)
  • Press Esc or Enter to exit resize mode

Configuration

Dwalia reads config.yaml from the executable directory. All keybindings have built-in defaults — the config file is only for customization. Edit and save to auto-reload, or press Alt+Shift+R to manually reload.

# Dwalia configuration — edit and save to auto-reload

general:
  launch_terminal: wt.exe          # terminal command
  enable_logging: false            # set to true to write dwalia.log
  enable_swallowing: true          # auto-group child windows with parent
  animation_enabled: true          # enable layout transition animations
  animation_duration: 150          # animation duration in ms
  bar_height: 40                   # bar height in px (16-80)
  bar_position: top                # top or bottom
  default_layout: Dynamic          # initial layout for new workspaces
  auto_start: false               # add to Windows startup registry
  startup_workspace: 0             # workspace to activate on launch (0 = none)
  excluded_processes:
    - SearchApp
    - TextInputHost
    - SystemSettings
    - ApplicationFrameHost
    - LockApp
    - shellexperiencehost

theme:
  background: "#1a1b26"
  foreground: "#c0caf5"
  accent: "#7aa2f7"
  muted: "#565f89"
  taskbar_background: "#00ffffff"
  inactive_border: "#3b4261"
  active_border: "#7aa2f7"
  border_width: 2
  enable_acrylic: true
  focus_active_opacity: 0.27      # focus highlight opacity for active window
  focus_inactive_opacity: 0.09    # focus highlight opacity for inactive windows
  focus_radius: 8                 # corner radius for focus highlight
  focus_fill: true                # true = filled highlight, false = border only
  focus_follows_mouse: false      # auto-focus window under cursor
  color_filter: "#7aa2f7"
  color_filter_opacity: 0.0       # 0.0 = off, try 0.05 for subtle tint
  font_size: 16                   # bar font size (8-24)
  bar_font: Segoe UI              # bar font family
  drag_source_color: ""           # drag source highlight (empty = use accent)
  drag_target_color: ""           # drag target highlight (empty = white)
  context_menu_background: "#2d2d2d"
  context_menu_foreground: "#cccccc"
  context_menu_border: "#444444"
  task_button_background: "#1a1a3e"
  task_button_hover_background: ""
  monitor_bar_background: "#00ffffff"
  monitor_bar_border: ""          # empty = use muted color
  workspace_pill_inactive_color: ""  # empty = use muted color
  workspace_pill_empty_color: ""     # empty = half-muted
  workspace_pill_show_count: false   # show window count beside pills
  widget_separator_color: "#334466"
  media_dot_playing_color: "#00ff88"
  media_dot_paused_color: "#334466"
  bar_border_color: "#3b4261"
  pill_corner_radius: 14
  pill_height: 30
  task_pill_corner_radius: 14
  task_pill_height: 32
  task_hover_brighten: 20
  progress_filled_char: "▰"
  progress_empty_char: "▱"
  marquee_speed: 25              # media text scroll speed
  media_script: ""               # custom media info script path
  media_script_interval: 3       # script polling interval (seconds)
  date_format: "HH:mm:ss  yyyy-MM-dd"

layout:
  inner_gap: 4
  outer_gap: 4
  master_factor: 0.6              # 0.3 — 0.8
  smart_gaps: false               # remove gaps when only one window
  enabled_layouts:
    - Dynamic
    - MasterStack
    - Monocle
    - Grid
    - HorizontalStack
    - Columns
    - VerticalStack
    - BSP

workspaces:
  - name: "1: Term"
  - name: "2: Code"
  - name: "3: Web"
  - name: "4: Comm"
  - name: "5: Misc"

window_rules:
  - process: chrome
    workspace: "3: Web"
  - process: code
    workspace: "2: Code"
  - process: discord
    workspace: "4: Comm"
    floating: false
  - process: snippingtool
    floating: true
  # Advanced rule examples:
  # - process: firefox
  #   title: YouTube
  #   title_match_mode: contains    # Exact (default), Contains, StartsWith, Regex
  #   workspace: "3: Web"
  #   fullscreen: true              # launch in fullscreen
  #   layout: Monocle               # set layout for this window's workspace
  #   monitor: 1                    # assign to specific monitor
  #   sticky: true                  # show window on all workspaces

keybindings:
- command: focus_down
  binding: Alt+J
- command: focus_up
  binding: Alt+K
- command: focus_left
  binding: Alt+H
- command: focus_right
  binding: Alt+L
- command: swap_down
  binding: Alt+Shift+J
- command: swap_up
  binding: Alt+Shift+K
- command: swap_left
  binding: Alt+Shift+H
- command: swap_right
  binding: Alt+Shift+L
- command: toggle_fullscreen
  binding: Alt+F
- command: cycle_layout
  binding: Alt+T
- command: toggle_float
  binding: Alt+Shift+Space
- command: close_window
  binding: Alt+Q
- command: quit
  binding: Alt+Shift+Q
- command: dec_master
  binding: Alt+OemOpenBrackets
- command: inc_master
  binding: Alt+OemCloseBrackets
- command: dec_gap
  binding: Alt+OemComma
- command: inc_gap
  binding: Alt+OemPeriod
- command: focus_1
  binding: Alt+1
- command: focus_2
  binding: Alt+2
- command: focus_3
  binding: Alt+3
- command: focus_4
  binding: Alt+4
- command: focus_5
  binding: Alt+5
- command: focus_6
  binding: Alt+6
- command: focus_7
  binding: Alt+7
- command: focus_8
  binding: Alt+8
- command: focus_9
  binding: Alt+9
- command: workspace_1
  binding: Alt+Shift+1
- command: workspace_2
  binding: Alt+Shift+2
- command: workspace_3
  binding: Alt+Shift+3
- command: workspace_4
  binding: Alt+Shift+4
- command: workspace_5
  binding: Alt+Shift+5
- command: workspace_next
  binding: Alt+Shift+Right
- command: workspace_previous
  binding: Alt+Shift+Left
- command: move_to_workspace_next
  binding: Alt+Shift+M
- command: move_to_workspace_previous
  binding: Alt+Shift+N
- command: launch_terminal
  binding: Alt+Enter
- command: toggle_bar
  binding: Alt+U
- command: bar_next
  binding: Alt+Shift+Down
- command: bar_previous
  binding: Alt+Shift+Up
- command: reload_config
  binding: Alt+Shift+R
- command: snap_left_top
  binding: Alt+Ctrl+OemOpenBrackets
- command: snap_right_top
  binding: Alt+Ctrl+OemCloseBrackets
- command: snap_left_bottom
  binding: Alt+Ctrl+Oem7
- command: snap_right_bottom
  binding: Alt+Ctrl+Oem5

launcher:
  - name: Terminal
    path: wt.exe
  - name: Chrome
    path: chrome.exe
  - name: VS Code
    path: code
  - name: Explorer
    path: explorer.exe

autostart:
  - name: Terminal
    command: wt.exe

# Resize mode key customization
resize_mode:
  resize_left: H                  # resize left key (also arrow keys always work)
  resize_down: J                  # resize down key
  resize_up: K                    # resize up key
  resize_right: L                 # resize right key

# Multi-monitor settings
monitor:
  monitor_mode: independent       # independent (default) | mirror | span
  monitor_bar_enabled: true       # show per-monitor bars

widgets:
  # Dock page — workspace pills, icon tray, window tabs, layout indicator
  - type: workspace
    bar_page: All
    align: left
    order: 1
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: ''
    text_color: ''
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 0
  - type: window_tabs
    bar_page: Docker
    align: center
    order: 1
    width: 0
    height: 32
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#00ccff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: layout
    bar_page: Docker
    align: right
    order: 1

  # Info page — system stats (each widget controls its own color/enabled)
  - type: battery
    bar_page: Docker
    align: right
    order: 1
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#88ff00'
    enabled: true
    format: simple
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: wifi_ssid
    bar_page: Docker
    align: right
    order: 2
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#44ff44'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: layout
    bar_page: Docker
    align: right
    order: 3
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#ffaa00'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 14
  - type: active_window
    bar_page: Basic
    align: left
    order: 1
    width: 360
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#ffffff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 14
  - type: clock
    bar_page: Basic
    align: center
    order: 1
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#00ffcc'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 18
  - type: media
    bar_page: Basic
    align: right
    order: 1
    width: 200
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#ff88ff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 12
  - type: uptime
    bar_page: Basic
    align: right
    order: 2
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#8888ff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: ip_address
    bar_page: Basic
    align: right
    order: 3
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#88aaff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: network
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: right
    order: 1
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#00ff88'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: cpu
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: right
    order: 2
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#00ff88'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: memory
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: right
    order: 3
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#00ccff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: disk_usage
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: right
    order: 4
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#ff8844'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: C
    font_size: 13
  - type: gpu
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: right
    order: 5
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#ff4488'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: disk
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: right
    order: 6
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#ffaa44'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  - type: window_count
    bar_page: Advanced
    align: center
    order: 1
    width: 0
    height: 30
    pill_color: '#1a1a3e'
    text_color: '#88aaff'
    enabled: true
    format: ''
    args: ''
    font_size: 13
  # Per-widget options:
  #   bar_page: All | Docker | Basic | Advanced
  #   align: left | center | right
  #   order: sort priority (lower = first)
  #   enabled: true | false
  #   text_color: widget text color
  #   pill_color: widget background color
  #   width / height / font_size: custom dimensions
  #   format / args: widget-specific options

Available Commands

Command Description
focus_down / focus_up Focus window below / above current
focus_left / focus_right Focus window left / right of current
swap_down / swap_up Swap with window below / above
swap_left / swap_right Swap with window left / right
toggle_float Toggle focused window between tiled and floating
toggle_fullscreen Toggle focused window fullscreen
toggle_scratchpad Toggle scratchpad visibility
toggle_sticky Toggle window stickiness across workspaces
close_window Close focused window
quit Exit Dwalia (restores all windows)
reload_config Hot-reload config.yaml
launch_terminal Launch configured terminal
activate_window Open window switcher / launcher
enter_resize_mode / exit_resize_mode Enter / exit resize mode
resize_left / resize_down / resize_up / resize_right Resize in direction
focus_1 — focus_9 Focus window by index in workspace
workspace_1 — workspace_5 Switch to workspace
workspace_next / workspace_previous Switch to next / previous workspace
move_to_workspace_next / move_to_workspace_previous Move focused window to next / previous workspace
cycle_layout / cycle_layout_previous Cycle through enabled layouts
inc_master / dec_master Increase / decrease master area ratio
inc_gap / dec_gap Increase / decrease window gaps
inc_inner_gap / dec_inner_gap Adjust inner gap only
inc_outer_gap / dec_outer_gap Adjust outer gap only
bar_next / bar_previous Cycle bar mode
toggle_bar Show / hide the top bar
snap_left_top / snap_right_top Snap window to top of left / right column
snap_left_bottom / snap_right_bottom Snap window to bottom of left / right column

Bar Modes

Dwalia's bar is fully widget-driven with unlimited pages. Cycle pages with Alt+Shift+Down / Alt+Shift+Up. Each page is built dynamically by WidgetManager from the widgets: config — there are no hardcoded bar elements.

Any bar_page name creates a new page. The default config uses 5 pages:

Page Default content
Docker Workspace pills, window tabs, layout indicator
Basic Clock, weather, active window title, uptime, IP address
Advanced CPU, memory, network, GPU, disk usage, window count
Media Volume, media, microphone, Bluetooth, camera, audio device
Tools Clipboard, idle time, process monitor, stock, todo, custom command

Configure bar_page per widget to control which page it appears on. Use bar_page: All to show a widget on every page. The built-in widget types:

Widget Description
workspace Workspace indicator pills
window_tabs Per-window tabs with title and close button
active_window Active window title
layout Current layout name / master factor
clock Date and time
time_only Time only
date_only Date only
cpu CPU usage with progress bar
memory Memory usage with progress bar
battery Battery level / AC status
network Network download / upload speed
media Now-playing media info with marquee
gpu GPU usage
disk Disk read / write speed
disk_usage Disk free / total space
uptime System uptime
wifi_ssid Wi-Fi SSID
ip_address Local IP address
public_ip Public IP (from ipify)
window_count Window count in active workspace
world_clock Multiple timezone clocks (comma-separated args)
countdown Countdown to a target date (args)
launcher Quick-launch app buttons
label Static text label (args)
button Clickable button with text (args)
script Custom script output (args = script path)
volume System volume level + mute status
weather Weather via wttr.in (args = city name)
microphone Microphone mute / live status
bluetooth Bluetooth on / off indicator
camera Camera active / off indicator
audio_device Current audio output device name
idle_time Time since last user input
clipboard Clipboard text preview (last 60 chars)
process_monitor Process running status (args = process name)
stock Stock/crypto price via Yahoo Finance (args = symbol)
todo Read first 3 lines of a text file (args = file path)
custom_command Run a command periodically (args = command, font_size = poll interval)
systray Quick-launch Dock. args = paths (newline/comma separated), auto-extracts exe icons
window_controls Min/max/close buttons for foreground window
power_menu Power menu. Double-click to confirm: Left=shutdown, Right=restart
power_plan Current power plan name
language Current input language indicator (auto-detects EN/中文/etc)
recycle_bin Recycle bin status (file count)
brightness Screen brightness percentage
server_monitor Server status. args = URL, shows 🟢/🔴
notifications Notification center. Click opens Action Center
pomodoro Pomodoro timer. args = work minutes, click to start/reset
cava Volume control with expandable slider — click to expand, drag to adjust
home Collapsible menu. args = path list, click to expand/collapse

Configure under theme::

  • font_size / bar_font — customize bar typography
  • bar_height / bar_position — customize bar dimensions and placement
  • widget_pill_background — default widget pill background
  • widget_cpu_color / widget_mem_color / widget_battery_color — widget text colors
  • widget_network_down_color / widget_network_up_color / widget_media_color — network & media colors
  • pill_corner_radius / pill_height / task_pill_corner_radius / task_pill_height — pill styling
  • progress_filled_char / progress_empty_char — CPU/memory progress bar characters
  • marquee_speed — media text scroll speed
  • media_script — custom media info script path
  • workspace_pill_show_count — show window count next to workspace pills
  • status_show_network / status_show_media — toggle network and media widgets
  • date_format — clock date/time format string

Layer Stack

Dwalia's desktop composition (bottom to top):

  1. Acrylic backdrop — blurred desktop background
  2. Focus highlights — rounded corner overlays around tiled windows
  3. Managed windows — your applications, tiled and positioned
  4. Color filter — optional full-screen tint for visual cohesion

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/Sunse666/Dwalia.git
cd Dwalia
dotnet build -c Release

No external dependencies beyond .NET 8 SDK and the YamlDotNet NuGet package (restored automatically).

How It Works

Dwalia uses:

  • WinEvent hooks (SetWinEventHook) to track window creation, destruction, focus, and title changes
  • Low-level keyboard hook (WH_KEYBOARD_LL) to intercept Alt+key chords system-wide
  • Low-level mouse hook (WH_MOUSE_LL) for resize mode — drag-to-swap and click-to-resize
  • Win32 window management (SetWindowPos, ShowWindow) to position and arrange windows
  • DWM attributes (DwmSetWindowAttribute) for colored window borders and acrylic effects
  • WPF for the overlay UI (taskbar, focus backgrounds, color filter)

When you press Alt+J (focus below), Dwalia intercepts the chord before any application sees it, moves focus to the window directly below, repaints the focus highlight, and updates the DWM border colors — all in a single frame.

Comparison

Dwalia GlazeWM Komorebi bug.n
Language C# (.NET) C# (.NET) Rust AHK
Config YAML YAML YAML / JSON AHK script
Hot reload Auto (file watcher) + manual File watcher CLI command Re-run script
Bar Built-in (3 modes) Built-in External (yasb) Built-in
Layouts 8 3 3 4
Resize mode Mouse + keyboard Keyboard only Keyboard only Keyboard only
Window swap Drag & drop Keyboard only Keyboard only Keyboard only
Focus highlight Rounded corners Border only Border only Border only
Color filter Yes No No No
Windows 10/11 only 10/11 only 10/11 only 10/11 only

License

LICENSE

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A tiling window manager for Windows.

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License

GPL-3.0 license
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Releases 3

v1.2.0 Latest
Jun 8, 2026
+ 2 releases

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