# Mango — Practical Wayland Compositor Inspired by dwm

> A Wayland compositor inspired by dwm, focusing on simplicity and a practical tiling workflow. Mango is written in C and provides a minimal, hackable compositor for users who prefer the dwm philosophy on Wayland.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Mango — Practical Wayland Compositor Inspired by dwm

## Quick Use

Clone the repository and build from source: `git clone https://github.com/mangowm/mango && cd mango && make && sudo make install`. Requires wlroots and Wayland development libraries.

## Introduction

Mango is a Wayland compositor inspired by the dwm window manager, carrying forward the philosophy of simplicity, minimal code, and configuration through source code editing. Built in C on top of the wlroots library, Mango provides a tiling window management experience on Wayland for users who value a small, understandable codebase that can be patched and customized at the source level.

## What Mango Does

- Provides automatic tiling window management on Wayland following the dwm master-stack layout
- Supports multiple tags (virtual desktops) for organizing windows into workspaces
- Handles keyboard-driven window management with configurable keybindings defined in source code
- Renders window decorations and status bar information within the compositor
- Manages multi-monitor setups with per-output tag assignments

## Architecture Overview

Mango is built in C using the wlroots library, which provides the low-level Wayland protocol implementation and rendering infrastructure. Following dwm's philosophy, the compositor is designed to be a single-file or small set of source files where configuration is done by editing `config.h` and recompiling. The architecture leverages wlroots for input handling, output management, and the Wayland compositor protocol, while Mango implements the tiling logic, tag management, and keybinding layer on top.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration

- Configuration is done by editing `config.h` in the source code and recompiling, following the dwm tradition
- Keybindings, colors, border widths, and layout parameters are all defined as C constants in the config header
- Building requires wlroots, wayland-protocols, and standard C build tools (gcc/clang, make, pkg-config)
- The compositor is started by running the `mango` binary from a TTY or display manager
- Custom patches can be applied to the source code to add features, similar to the dwm patching workflow

## Key Features

- Minimal codebase designed to be read, understood, and modified by individual users
- dwm-inspired tiling with master-stack layout and tag-based workspace management
- Built on wlroots for robust Wayland protocol support and hardware acceleration
- Source-level configuration that eliminates runtime config file parsing overhead
- Lightweight resource footprint suitable for older hardware or minimal Linux installations

## Comparison with Similar Tools

- **dwl**: Another dwm-inspired Wayland compositor; Mango takes a similar approach with its own implementation choices
- **Sway**: i3-compatible Wayland compositor with runtime config files; Mango uses source-level configuration like dwm
- **Hyprland**: Feature-rich Wayland compositor with animations; Mango prioritizes minimalism and simplicity
- **River**: Tag-based Wayland compositor in Zig; Mango follows dwm conventions more closely in C

## FAQ

**Q: How do I configure Mango?**
A: Edit `config.h` in the source code to change keybindings, colors, and layout settings, then recompile. There are no runtime configuration files.

**Q: Does Mango support Wayland protocols like XDG-decoration?**
A: Mango implements core Wayland protocols through wlroots. Protocol support depends on the version and what the project has implemented.

**Q: Can I run X11 applications in Mango?**
A: XWayland support depends on whether it has been compiled in. Check the project documentation for current XWayland status.

**Q: Is Mango suitable for daily use?**
A: Mango targets users comfortable with dwm-style compositors. Evaluate the current feature set against your needs before adopting it for daily use.

## Sources

- Repository: https://github.com/mangowm/mango
- Documentation: https://github.com/mangowm/mango/blob/main/README.md

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-fd1da450
Author: Script Depot