Noctalia is a native desktop shell developed for Linux Wayland environments. Rather than combining multiple small tools as is conventional, it integrates shell-layer functions—such as bars, widgets, docks, launchers, a control center, notifications, wallpaper, lock screen, session management, clipboard history, OSD, tray integration, and desktop widgets—into a single tool.
Integrated Desktop Shell for Wayland Noctalia v5 Released in Beta
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This project is built directly on Wayland and OpenGL ES, with no dependencies on Qt or GTK. It is characterized by a design where the UI, rendering, configuration, and IPC model are all integrated into a cohesive shell.
The currently available version is the v5 beta. While the core functions and architecture are moving toward stability, the developers stated that adjustments to settings and behavior may occur before the final release.
Supported compositors are those that support the layer-shell protocol. The current integration list includes Niri, Hyprland, Sway, Scroll, Mango, Labwc, Triad, and dwl. It may work with other compositors, but the scope of integration may be limited depending on the protocol or IPC specifications.
Noctalia is a desktop shell, not a complete desktop environment. Window management, tiling, file management, mounting removable drives, printer management, and screen mirroring are left to the roles of the compositor, dedicated applications, or system services.
It also features a plugin system, allowing users to add extensions for bar widgets, launcher providers, desktop widgets, panels, shortcuts, background services, compositor-specific functions, hardware-specific controls, and third-party service integrations.