ly

# Ly

![Ly screenshot](.github/screenshot.png)

_Note: the above animation can be found
[here](https://codeberg.org/fairyglade/ly-community/src/branch/main/animations/dur/blackhole-smooth-240x67.dur)!_

Ly is a lightweight TUI (ncurses-like) display manager for Linux and BSD,
designed with portability in mind and doesn't require systemd to run.

Join us on Matrix over at
[#ly-dm:matrix.org](https://matrix.to/#/#ly-dm:matrix.org)!

> [!NOTE]
>
> Development happens on [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/fairyglade/ly) with a
> mirror on [GitHub](https://github.com/fairyglade/ly).

## Dependencies

### Compile-time

- zig 0.17.x (you must use a **release version** of zig; check that `zig
  version` does not have a `-dev*` suffix)

- libc

- pam

- xcb (optional, required by default; needed for X11 support)

### Runtime (default config)

- xorg

- xorg-xauth

- brightnessctl

### Distro-specific

#### Debian

```console
# apt install build-essential libpam0g-dev libxcb-xkb-dev xauth xserver-xorg brightnessctl
```

#### Fedora

```console
# dnf install kernel-devel pam-devel libxcb-devel zig xorg-x11-xauth xorg-x11-server brightnessctl
```

> [!WARNING]
>
> Distributions using SELinux such as Fedora and openSUSE Tumbleweed may
> encounter issues. If you encounter such issues, such as session launch
> failures, proceed with the following steps:
>
> ```console
> # ausearch -m avc -ts recent
> ```
>
> If SELinux is denying process context transition, you will see this output:
>
> ```ini
> denied { transition } for pid=XXXX comm="ly" path="/usr/bin/bash"
> scontext=system_u:system_r:unconfined_service_t:s0
> tcontext=unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0
> tclass=process permissive=0
> ```
>
> Pipe this output into `audit2allow` to generate a security module package.
> This will persist regardless of changes to filesystem permissions:
>
> ```console
> # ausearch -m avc -ts recent | audit2allow -M ly-local
> ```
>
> ```console
> # semodule -i ly-local.pp
> ```
>
> _This fix has been confirmed on Fedora 39 and 44 and openSUSE Tumbleweed.
> (#494)_

#### FreeBSD

```console
# pkg install ca_root_nss libxcb git xorg xauth
```

#### Nix

Enter a development shell with all dependencies:

```console
$ git clone https://codeberg.org/fairyglade/ly.git && cd ly
$ nix develop
```

Then follow [Manually building](#manually-building) from the `zig build` step.

## Availability

[![Packaging status](https://repology.org/badge/vertical-allrepos/ly-display-manager.svg?exclude_unsupported=1)](https://repology.org/project/ly-display-manager/versions)

## Custom animations & user scripts

If you want to pimp your Ly installation even further than what the traditional
configuration file allows you to, a
[community repository](https://codeberg.org/fairyglade/ly-community) exists
containing custom animations & scripts, so go check it out!

## Support

Every environment that works on other login managers also should work on Ly.

- Unlike most login managers Ly has an xinitrc a