• Requirements
  • Dependencies
  • Terminal Emulator
• Installation
  • Pip install
  • Manual/Git install
  • OS/Distro Packages
    • Arch Linux
    • Nixpkgs/NixOS
    • Void Linux
    • Source Mage GNU/Linux

• linux or bsd or macOS (iTerm2) or windows (no terminal support)
• python 3.5+
• imagemagick
  • Colorscheme generation.
• pidof (procps)
  • Detection of running programs.
• xfce, gnome, cinnamon, mate
  • Desktop wallpaper setting.
• feh, nitrogen, bgs, hsetroot, habak, display
  • Universal wallpaper setting.

To use wal your terminal emulator must support a special type of escape sequence. The command below can be used as a test to see if wal will work with your setup.

Run the command below, does the background color of your terminal become red?

printf "%b" "\033]11;#ff0000\007"

Note: Before the test, clean your current memory's Xresources with xrdb -remove *. The .Xresources file overrides the printf "%b" "\033]11;#ff0000\007" command.

If your terminal's background color is now red, your terminal should work with wal.

Terminals that DON'T work with wal.

• Konsole. #24
• Hyper. https://github.com/zeit/hyper/issues/2038
• Terminal.app.
• Terminology. #50
• st.

System-wide install (sudo) - not reccomended!!!

pip3 install pywal16

User install (No sudo)

old way

pip3 install --user pywal16

# Add local 'pip' to PATH:
# (In your .bashrc, .zshrc etc)
export PATH="${PATH}:${HOME}/.local/bin/"

new way as per PEP668

with pipx

# install pipx from your package manager
# example for debian based distros
sudo apt install pipx
# install with pipx
pipx install pywal16

with venv

# install the venv module from your package manager
# example for debian based distros
sudo apt install python3-venv
# create a virtual environment
python3 -m venv ~/.local/lib/python
# Add the venv after your path
# (In your .bashrc, .zshrc etc)
. ~/.local/lib/python/bin/activate
# finally install as always
pip3 install pywal16

git clone https://github.com/eylles/pywal16
cd pywal16
pip3 install --user .

# Add local 'pip' to PATH:
# (In your .bashrc, .zshrc etc)
export PATH="${PATH}:${HOME}/.local/bin/"

none of these installations will provide the backends or binaries like imagemagick, however for python based backends you can append the desired backend name to your pip call, for example:

pip install "pywal16[colorthief]"

for all python based backends we have the all shortcut:

pip install "pywal16[all]"

Same story when you install from source or when checking out a branch for development:

No dependencies, MUST provided native executables:

python -m pip install -e .

Install colorthief backend along:

python -m pip install -e ".[colorthief]"

Install all python based backends:

python -m pip install -e ".[all]"

If you want to enable alternative backends, install the supported backend via pip. To install colorz for example:

pip3 install --user colorz