Background Selector

App Drawer

Control Center

Flyouts

1. Install the following dependencies for your distribution:

2. Clone and navigate to the repo:

git clone https://github.com/kianblakley/bomb-shell.git
cd bomb-shell

3. Create a venv and install python dependencies:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Add the following keybindings to your niri config.kdl:

Mod+D {spawn-sh "~/bomb-shell/venv/bin/python -m fabric execute bombshell \"app.app_drawer.toggle()\""; }
Mod+B {spawn-sh "~/bomb-shell/venv/bin/python -m fabric execute bombshell \"app.bg_selector.toggle()\""; }
Mod+E {spawn-sh "~/bomb-shell/venv/bin/python -m fabric execute bombshell \"app.control_center.toggle()\""; }

5. Add the following layer rules to your niri config.kdl:

layer-rule {
    match namespace="^awww-daemonoverview$"
    place-within-backdrop true
}

// Optional if you wish to enable blur for the shell.
layer-rule {
    match namespace="^fabric$"
    background-effect {
        blur true
        xray false
    }
}

6. Start the wallpaper daemon for the workspaces and overview:

awww-daemon -n workspaces
awww-daemon -n overview

7. Start the shell:

python main.py

The simplest method is to add the following lines to your niri config.kdl:

spawn-sh-at-startup "awww-daemon -n workspaces"
spawn-sh-at-startup "awww-daemon -n overview"
spawn-sh-at-startup "~/bomb-shell/venv/bin/python main.py"

Alternatively, if you start niri as a sytemd unit with niri-session or equivalent (recommended, see here for more details) follow these steps:

1. Create a systemd user configuration folder if it doesn't exist already:

mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user

2. Adjust and copy the provided .service files to the systemd config folder:

cp ~/bomb-shell/systemd/* ~/.config/systemd/user

3. Link the services to niri:

systemctl --user add-wants niri.service bombshell.service
systemctl --user add-wants niri.service awww@workspaces.service
systemctl --user add-wants niri.service awww@overview.service

The shell can now be restarted at anytime with:

systemctl --user restart bombshell.service

The config.json file in the root of the project allows for limited configuration:

The shell inherits its icon theme and font from GTK settings, which can be changed by running:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme "Your icon theme"
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface font-name "Your font name"

• @its-darsh and the fabric community for building fabric and helping me out on the discord.
• @Axenide for writing the upower and networking services.
• @Inparsian for inspiring the design of the control center.
• @Camille Unkown, @waneella, @finch, @TofuPixel, @Yes I Do, @Slynyrd for creating the awesome wallpapers.