Introduction

A powerful Sway setup is not built by the compositor alone.
To get a fast, stable, complete, developer-ready Wayland environment, you need the right set of tools — the Wayland-native ecosystem that replaces the legacy tools you used on X11.

This guide covers the best tools for screenshots, screen recording, notifications, multi-monitor automation, redshift replacement, clipboard management, audio pipelines, and development workflows.

This is Part 3 of the Sway Wayland Performance Series**, focused on building a complete toolkit around Sway.

Let’s dive into the essential utilities that transform Sway from “just a window manager” into a fully functional, modern Linux workstation.

1. Screenshot & Screen Selection Tools

(Grim, Slurp, and Friends)

1.1 grim — The Wayland Screenshot Backbone

Grim is the default, fastest, and most accurate screenshot tool on Wayland.

Install:

sudo pacman -S grim

Take a screenshot of your entire monitor:

grim ~/Pictures/screenshot.png

Grim uses the Wayland protocol directly, making it faster and more accurate than legacy X11 tools like Flameshot.

1.2 slurp — The Selection Tool

Slurp works with Grim to let you select regions or windows.

Install:

sudo pacman -S slurp

Example:

grim -g "$(slurp)" ~/Pictures/selection.png

Why grim + slurp is the best combo:

  • zero input lag
  • zero compositing artifacts
  • pixel-perfect color accuracy
  • blazing fast

2. Clipboard Tools: wl-copy & wl-paste

On Wayland, xclip and xsel do not work.

Install the Wayland native clipboard tools:

sudo pacman -S wl-clipboard

Copy text:

echo "hello" | wl-copy

Paste:

wl-paste

Persistent clipboard manager: cliphist

yay -S cliphist

Autostart:

exec_always wl-paste --type text --watch cliphist store
exec_always wl-paste --type image --watch cliphist store

This gives you a fully functional up/down arrow clipboard history.

3. Notifications: Mako

Mako is the fastest, cleanest, most lightweight notification daemon on Wayland.

Install:

sudo pacman -S mako

Create config:

mkdir -p ~/.config/mako
nano ~/.config/mako/config

Minimal fast profile:

font=JetBrains Mono 11
background-color=#1E1E2E
text-color=#FFFFFF
border-size=1
border-color=#11111B
padding=8
margin=10
default-timeout=6000

Mako is:

  • Wayland-native
  • GPU-efficient
  • consistent with Sway aesthetics

4. Wayland Screen Recording: wf-recorder

For screen recording, wf-recorder is a must.

Install:

sudo pacman -S wf-recorder

Record monitor:

wf-recorder -f recording.mp4

Record region:

wf-recorder -g "$(slurp)" -f region.mp4

Record mic + desktop audio with PipeWire:

wf-recorder -a -f audio-video.mp4

5. Multi-Monitor & Auto-Layout: Kanshi

Kanshi automatically applies monitor profiles depending on where you are.

Install:

sudo pacman -S kanshi

Config:

mkdir -p ~/.config/kanshi
nano ~/.config/kanshi/config

Example for dual FHD:

profile home {
    output HDMI-A-1 position 0,0 resolution 1920x1080 scale 1
    output eDP-1     position 1920,0 resolution 1920x1080 scale 1
}

When monitors are plugged/unplugged, Kanshi applies the right layout instantly.

6. Audio System: PipeWire + WirePlumber

Forget PulseAudio.
Forget JACK.
Forget ALSA-only.

PipeWire + WirePlumber is:

  • stable
  • fast
  • lowest-latency audio on Linux
  • perfect for screen recording
  • perfect for gaming
  • the best choice for Wayland

Install:

sudo pacman -S pipewire wireplumber pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack pavucontrol

Restart:

systemctl --user restart pipewire

7. Color Temperature Control: gammastep

Redshift does not work well on Wayland.
Use gammastep.

Install:

sudo pacman -S gammastep

Example (manual mode):

gammastep -O 4500

Add to Sway autostart:

exec_always gammastep -l manual -t 6500:3500

8. Terminal Emulator: Foot (Best Performance)

Foot is the fastest Wayland terminal emulator available.

Install:

sudo pacman -S foot

Config directory:

mkdir -p ~/.config/foot
nano ~/.config/foot/foot.ini

Minimal config:

font=JetBrainsMono Nerd Font:size=11
term=foot
dpi-aware=yes

Why developers love Foot:

  • ultra-low input latency
  • zero frame drops
  • GPU-efficient rendering
  • ideal for tmux, neovim, and remote SSH workflows

9. Developer Tools That Work Perfectly on Wayland

✔ VSCode (native Wayland mode)

Launch with:

code --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland

✔ Neovim

Wayland-friendly, terminal-native.

✔ tmux

Works flawlessly within Foot.

✔ LazyGit

Fast in terminal, Wayland-safe.

✔ Browsers

Firefox Wayland:
Enabled automatically with:

MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1

Chromium Wayland:

chromium --ozone-platform=wayland --enable-features=WaylandWindowDecorations

⭐ Amazon Product Recommendation (AdSense-Compliant)

For a minimal, distraction-free Wayland workflow, a good USB-C hub is extremely helpful — especially if you’re working with dual Full HD monitors.

The Anker 7-in-1 USB-C Hub is one of the most reliable options because:

  • supports dual-monitor setups
  • strong build quality
  • stable HDMI output
  • perfect for laptops running Sway
  • compact and minimalistic

If you’d like to check the product, here is the link:
Amazon — Insert your link here

10. Sway Workflow Enhancements (Developer Edition)

10.1 wofi — the Wayland launcher

Install:

sudo pacman -S wofi

Make it your launcher:

bindsym $mod+d exec wofi --show drun

10.2 wlr-randr — manual monitor adjustments

Install:

sudo pacman -S wlr-randr

Example:

wlr-randr --output HDMI-A-1 --brightness 0.9

10.3 Power management (Laptop)

Use TLP:

sudo pacman -S tlp
sudo systemctl enable tlp --now

11. The Official “Essential Sway Toolkit” (2025 Edition)

Here is the final curated list of essential tools for a complete Sway setup:

Core Tools

  • sway
  • swayidle
  • swaylock
  • swaybg
  • waybar

Visual Tools

  • grim
  • slurp
  • wf-recorder

Productivity Tools

  • foot
  • wofi
  • cliphist + wl-paste
  • kanshi
  • gammastep
  • mako

Audio / Media

  • pipewire
  • pavucontrol
  • wireplumber

Developer Workflow

  • tmux
  • neovim
  • VSCode Wayland mode
  • LazyGit
  • Firefox / Chromium Wayland

This toolkit ensures your Sway environment is complete, fast, and ready for professional development workloads.

Conclusion

This guide concludes the Sway Wayland Performance Series:

  • Part 1: Raw performance optimization
  • Part 2: The ultimate Sway configuration
  • Part 3: Essential Wayland tools for a complete workflow

With these tools and configurations, you now have:

  • a stable compositor
  • a minimal and efficient config
  • a complete Wayland-native toolkit
  • a developer-friendly workflow
  • a dual-monitor optimized environment
  • powerful audio/video support
  • professional screenshot/recording tools
  • a clean performance-oriented ecosystem

Your Sway machine is now a modern, efficient, distraction-free Linux workstation.