Top 5 Hyprland Plugins for Enhanced Usability

Hyprland is an advanced, Wayland-based window manager designed for Linux users. It boasts a range of innovative features, including a custom display compositor and the capability to install third-party plugins through its package manager. In this article, we’ll explore the 5 best plugins available for Hyprland and provide a guide on how to install them on your system.

Preparing Your System for Hyprland Plugins

Unlike conventional desktop environments, Hyprland treats its plugins as direct extensions to the window manager. This method is somewhat similar to dwm, where patches are applied by manually editing the source code of the window manager.

Due to this unique setup, you must first install a few dependencies before you can proceed with installing plugins for Hyprland. Execute the following command:

If you are on Arch Linux, you can use the pacman package manager:

For Ubuntu, install these dependencies with apt:

Use the built-in package manager in Hyprland to prepare the tools necessary for installing third-party plugins:

Now that we’ve set everything up, let’s explore some of the best Hyprland plugins you can install on your desktop today.

1. hy3

Hy3 is a robust extension for Hyprland that allows for manual tiling of windows, reminiscent of i3 and Sway. It leverages Hyprland’s window groups feature to modify the orientation of splits based on your current settings, enabling you to enforce either horizontal or vertical splits using a Hyprland dispatch command.

Hy3 also features an “auto tiling” option which alternates between horizontal and vertical splits, providing greater flexibility for window layouts, especially for dynamic workspaces.

To install Hy3 on your Hyprland session, run the following commands:

Next, enable the Hy3 plugin and load it into your current session:

Edit your Hyprland config file with your preferred text editor:

Locate the “general” section and change the layout variable from “dwindle” to “hy3.”

Save your changes and apply the new settings by pressing Ctrl + O.

2. Hyprbars

Title bars play a crucial role in desktop environments, providing context for the currently running window. However, many window managers have opted for a minimalist design, making it challenging to identify active windows within a workspace.

Hyprbars is a straightforward plugin for Hyprland that reinstates these useful title bars. It includes numerous customization options, allowing you to adjust the height, color, and even fonts of your window bars.

Furthermore, Hyprbars can integrate interface elements into its title bars, enabling you to replicate traditional desktop environment controls such as “Close,” “Minimize,” and “Maximize.”

To install Hyprbars, execute the following command in a new terminal session:

Activate the Hyprbar plugin using the “enable” subcommand:

Press Win + Q to open a new terminal and verify that Hyprland is adding title bars to your windows.

3. HyprEasymotion

A common frustration with window managers is the lack of quick and efficient methods for selecting a window within a workspace. For example, in Hyprland, window selection often requires using the mouse or cycling through windows using keyboard shortcuts.

HyprEasymotion addresses this by implementing the Easymotion system from Vim, enabling swift navigation directly to the desired window without the need for cycling through others.

Additionally, HyprEasymotion extends beyond mere window focusing; you can create custom keybindings to perform actions, such as closing a selected window while in Easymode.

To add the HyprEasymotion plugin, run the following command in a terminal:

As with other plugins, start it in your current session with the enable subcommand:

While HyprEasymotion is active, you still need to configure a keybind for proper functionality. To do this, open Hyprland’s configuration file with your preferred text editor:

Navigate to the Keybindings section, and add the following line at the end of the first keybind block:

Save your changes and verify operation by pressing Win + Z to ensure the Easymode indicators appear on your windows.

4. Hyprexpo

Hyprexpo is an ingenious plugin for Hyprland that adds an overview mode for your entire desktop session, akin to the features seen in KDE and GNOME. This overview provides a comprehensive view of all active windows across your various workspaces, making it a vital tool for productivity.

Moreover, Hyprexpo comes with several customization options, enabling you to tailor how active workspaces are displayed and even implement macOS-like gestures to toggle the overview mode.

To install Hyprexpo, execute the following command:

After installation, enable the Hyprexpo plugin in your current session:

Edit your Hyprland config file to add the following line to the Keybindings section:

Save your changes, then press Win + I to test if Hyprexpo is functioning correctly.

5. Virtual Desktops

A notable drawback of Hyprland’s multi-monitor approach is that each monitor maintains its own set of independent workspaces. While this might seem beneficial, it often leads to confusion when managing multiple windows scattered across different desktops. I’ve personally struggled with switching windows from another workspace unintentionally because my cursor was on a secondary monitor.

Virtual-desktops is a clever plugin that addresses this issue by creating a unified class of desktop workspaces within Hyprland. This approach allows the window manager to view your entire multi-monitor setup as a single “virtual monitor,” streamlining workspace management similar to environments like GNOME or KDE.

To install the virtual-desktops plugin, run the command below in a new terminal:

Enable the virtual-desktops plugin using Hyprpm’s enable command:

Open your Hyprland config file with your preferred text editor.

Press Ctrl + W and type “workspace” to jump to the relevant configuration area regarding workspace bindings.

Remove the lines that correspond to workspaces 6 to 10, and replace the “workspace” keyword in keybinds for workspaces 1 to 5 with “vdesk.”

Scroll down, remove the movement keybinds for workspaces 6 to 10, and substitute the “movetoworkspace” value with “movetodesk.”

Press Ctrl + O to save and implement your updated Hyprland configuration.

Finally, check that the plugin operates correctly by pressing Win + 1 twice.

Exploring and installing some of the top plugins for Hyprland is just the beginning of your journey into the diverse realm of window managers and desktop environments. Are you ready to adopt a comprehensive solution?

Image credit: Justin Morgan via Unsplash. All modifications and screenshots by Ramces Red.

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