Ly - a TUI display manager (for Artix Linux)

Ly is a lightweight TUI (ncurses-like) display manager for Linux and BSD.

Patches added in fork

• runit service instead of systemd one by @qub1750ul
• service installed on default Artix service path (/etc/runit/sv/)

Dependencies

• a C99 compiler (tested with tcc and gcc)
• a C standard library
• GNU make
• pam
• xcb
• xorg
• xorg-xauth
• mcookie
• tput
• shutdown

On Debian-based distros running apt install build-essential libpam0g-dev libxcb-xkb-dev as root should install all the dependencies for you.

Support

The following desktop environments were tested with success

• budgie
• cinnamon
• deepin
• enlightenment
• gnome
• i3
• kde
• lxde
• lxqt
• mate
• sway
• xfce
• pantheon
• maxx
• windowmaker

Ly should work with any X desktop environment, and provides basic wayland support (sway works very well, for example).

systemd?

Unlike what you may have heard, Ly does not require systemd, and was even specifically designed not to depend on logind. You should be able to make it work easily with a better init, changing the source code won't be necessary :)

Cloning and Compiling

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/xcession/ly-artix-runit.git

Fetch submodules

make github

Compile

make

Install Ly and the runit service file

sudo make install

You can disable getty-tty2

sudo unlink /run/runit/service/agetty-tty2

Now enable the runit service to make it spawn on startup

sudo ln -s /etc/runit/sv/ly/ /run/runit/service/

Configuration

You can find all the configuration in /etc/ly/config.ini. The file is commented, and includes the default values.

Controls

Use the up and down arrow keys to change the current field, and the left and right arrow keys to change the target desktop environment while on the desktop field (above the login field).

.xinitrc

If your .xinitrc doesn't work make sure it is executable and includes a shebang. This file is supposed to be a shell script! Quoting from xinit's man page:

If no specific client program is given on the command line, xinit will look for
a file in the user's home directory called .xinitrc to run as a shell script to
start up client programs.

On ArchLinux, the example .xinitrc (/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc) starts like this:

#!/bin/sh

Tips

The numlock and capslock state is printed in the top-right corner. Use the F1 and F2 keys to respectively shutdown and reboot. Take a look at your .xsession if X doesn't start, as it can interfere (this file is launched with X to configure the display properly).

PSX DOOM fire animation

To enable the famous PSX DOOM fire described by Fabien Sanglard, just uncomment animate = true in /etc/ly/config.ini. You may also disable the main box borders with hide_borders = true.

Additional Information

The name "Ly" is a tribute to the fairy from the game Rayman. Ly was tested by oxodao, who is some seriously awesome dude.