🚀 Getting Started •
⚡ Quick Start •
📚 Contents •
🌐 Communities •
🤝 Contribute •
📜 Code of Conduct
Welcome to the ultimate resource for Linux desktop customization - commonly known as "ricing" 🍚✨
This curated collection helps you discover tools, themes, and techniques to transform your Linux desktop into a personalized productivity powerhouse. Whether you're a beginner taking your first steps or a veteran ricer seeking inspiration, you'll find:
Feature
Description
🔍 Discovery
Popular tools + hidden gems across all customization categories
🧭 Guidance
Beginner-friendly explanations, difficulty ratings, and pro tips
🔗 Compatibility
Clear X11/Wayland tags and version notes
🎯 Curated
Quality over quantity - only tested, maintained resources
🔄 Living Document
Regularly updated with community contributions
💡 Fun Fact : "Ricing" originated from car culture ("rice rocket") and was adopted by the Linux community to humorously describe the pursuit of aesthetic perfection in desktop setups. [[3]]
👋 New to Linux Ricing? Start Here! Ricing = extensively customizing your Linux desktop environment for aesthetics, workflow efficiency, or both. Think of it as digital interior design + productivity optimization.
Recommended Learning Path
graph LR
A[Choose a WM/DE] --> B[Pick a Color Scheme]
B --> C[Set Up Terminal + Shell]
C --> D[Add Bar + Widgets]
D --> E[Theme Apps + Icons]
E --> F[Polish: Fonts, Cursors, Wallpapers]
F --> G[Share on r/unixporn! 🎉]
Loading
Backup your config : cp -r ~/.config ~/.config.backupInstall a package manager : pacman, apt, dnf, or nixStart small : Theme your terminal before rewriting your entire WM configUse dotfiles : Track configs with Git for easy backup & sharing [[25]]Join communities : r/unixporn, Discord servers for help & inspiration [[34-39]]
⚠️ Warning : Ricing is addictive. You may lose hours tweaking configs instead of working. Proceed with caution. 😉
🔧 30-Minute Rice Setup (Beginner-Friendly) # 1. Install essential tools# 2. Clone a starter config (example: simple polybar setup)~ /.config/polybar
# 3. Set up your shell" $( curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh) " echo ' starship init zsh | source' >> ~ /.zshrc
# 4. Pick a color scheme~ /.config/kitty/themes/catppuccin
# 5. Set wallpaper & launch~ /wallpapers/your-choice.jpg
exec polybar main & # Similar flow with apt:# ... follow same steps above
Use stow or chezmoi to manage dotfiles cleanly [[24]]
Test changes in a VM or spare user account first
Keep a "known-good" config backup for emergencies
📚 WM Fundamentals
Term
Definition
Best For
Window Manager (WM) Controls window placement, decoration, and behavior
Minimalists, keyboard-centric users
Desktop Environment (DE) Full suite: WM + file manager + panel + apps + settings
Beginners, users wanting out-of-box experience
Stacking WM Windows overlap freely (like Windows/macOS)
Traditional workflow, mouse-heavy use
Tiling WM Windows auto-arrange without overlap
Keyboard workflow, multi-tasking efficiency
Dynamic WM Switch between tiling/stacking modes
Flexibility seekers
X11 Legacy display server (mature, compatible)
Nvidia users, legacy app support
Wayland Modern display protocol (secure, smooth)
New hardware, future-proofing
💡 Pro Tip : Use loginctl show-session $XDG_SESSION_ID -p Type to check if you're on X11 or Wayland.
Stacking WMs 🖱️ Mouse-Friendly
Project
Protocol
Difficulty
Description
GNOME X11 + Wayland
⭐
Modern, polished DE with extensions ecosystem
KDE Plasma X11 + Wayland
⭐⭐
Highly customizable, feature-rich DE
XFCE X11
⭐
Lightweight, stable, traditional desktop
Openbox X11
⭐⭐⭐
Minimalist WM, highly configurable via XML
Tiling WMs ⌨️ Keyboard-Centric
Project
Protocol
Difficulty
Highlights
bspwm X11
⭐⭐⭐
Binary tree layout, scriptable via shell
i3 X11
⭐⭐
Simple config, great docs, beginner-friendly tiling
sway Wayland
⭐⭐
i3-compatible, native Wayland support
herbstluftwm X11
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Manual tiling, runtime scripting
leftwm X11
⭐⭐⭐
Rust-based, themable, dynamic workspaces
Dynamic WMs 🔄 Best of Both Worlds
Project
Protocol
Difficulty
Why Choose It
Hyprland Wayland
⭐⭐⭐
Animated, GPU-accelerated, vibrant community [[8-16]]
awesome X11
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lua-scriptable, widget-ready, highly extensible
QTile X11 + Wayland
⭐⭐⭐
Python-configurable, built-in bar/widgets
XMonad X11
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Haskell-based, rock-solid, infinitely customizable
dwm X11
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Source-patch workflow, minimal, ultra-fast
niri Wayland
⭐⭐⭐
Scrollable tiling, PaperWM-inspired, smooth animations
🔑 Quick Reference: WM Keyboard Shortcuts
Common Keybindings Cheat Sheet
Action
i3/Sway
Hyprland
Awesome
bspwm
Open Terminal
Mod+EnterMod+ReturnMod+ReturnMod+Shift+Enter
Close Window
Mod+Shift+QMod+Shift+QMod+Shift+CMod+Shift+C
Split Layout
Mod+V/HMod+V/HMod+Spacebspc node -s @south/north
Toggle Float
Mod+Shift+SpaceMod+Alt+FMod+Ctrl+Spacebspc node -t floating
Workspace 1
Mod+1Mod+1Mod+1bspc desktop -f 1
Move Window
Mod+Shift+1Mod+Shift+1Mod+Shift+1bspc node -d 1
Resize Mode
Mod+RMod+RMod+Ctrl+Rbspc node -z left/right 10/0
💡 Customize these in your WM's config file (usually ~/.config/<wm>/config).
🎨 Color Theory for Ricers A cohesive color scheme ties your entire desktop together. Key considerations:
Contrast : Ensure readability (WCAG AA minimum for text)Consistency : Use the same palette across terminal, WM, browser, etc.Mood : Dark themes reduce eye strain; light themes boost daytime productivityAccent Colors : Use sparingly for highlights, buttons, and notifications
🎯 Pro Tip : Use Coolors or Huemint to generate accessible palettes.
Theme
Vibe
Best For
Link
Catppuccin 🧁 Soft pastels
All-day comfort, modern aesthetic
🔗
Gruvbox 🍂 Retro warm
Terminal lovers, vintage feel
🔗
Nord ❄️ Arctic blue
Professional, calm focus
🔗
Everforest 🌲 Natural green
Nature-inspired, easy on eyes
🔗
Tokyo Night 🌃 Neon urban
Modern, vibrant, high contrast
🔗
Dracula 🧛 Dark playful
Fun, high-contrast, widely supported
🔗
Rose Pine 🌹 Elegant minimal
Sophisticated, soft contrast
🔗
Tool
Purpose
Protocol
Notes
pywal Auto-generate themes from wallpapers
X11 + Wayland
Integrates with 50+ apps
wpgtk Theme/wallpaper manager with GUI
X11 + Wayland
Template system for bulk theming
Paletty Browser-based palette generator
Web
Export to Kitty, Alacritty, Ghostty, etc.
Tool
Protocol
Features
hyprpaper Wayland
Fast, IPC-controlled, multi-monitor
swaybg Wayland
Simple, reliable, wlroots-compatible
mpvpaper Wayland
Animated/video wallpapers via mpv
awww Wayland
Animated wallpapers with runtime control
feh X11
Lightweight, scriptable, slideshow mode
💡 Pro Tip : Use pywal + wal-restore to auto-apply color schemes when wallpaper changes.
🔤 Font Fundamentals
Type
Use Case
Examples
Sans-Serif UI text, headings, general readability
Roboto, Inter, Google Sans
Monospace Terminals, code editors, aligned output
JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, Iosevka
Nerd Fonts Icons in terminal/status bars
Any font + Nerd Fonts patcher
Ligatures : Combined glyphs (e.g., =>, !=) that improve code readability. Enable in your terminal/editor if supported.
Font
Ligatures
Best For
Link
Google Sans ✅
Modern UI, clean headings
🔗
Inter ❌
UI text, excellent readability
🔗
Roboto ❌
Android-style, versatile
🔗
Monospace Fonts (Coding/Terminal)
🔧 Setup Tip : Install via getnf or patch your own with font-patcher .
# Example: Install JetBrainsMono Nerd Font# Then set in terminal config:# font_family = "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font"
Tool
Protocol
Language
Highlights
Waybar Wayland
C++/JSON
Highly modular, CSS-styled, active development
Polybar X11
C++/INI
Mature, scriptable, huge community
Eww X11 + Wayland
Rust/YAML
Widget-focused, reactive UI, animations
AGS X11 + Wayland
JS/TS
GNOME Shell-like, extensible, modern
Quickshell X11 + Wayland
QML/Qt
QtQuick-based, smooth animations
💡 Pro Tip : Use exec-once = waybar in your WM config to auto-start your bar.
Icon Theme
Style
Best For
Link
Papirus Pixel-perfect, extensive
General use, GTK apps
🔗
Tela Flat, vibrant
Modern desktops
🔗
Colloid Playful, colorful
Fun, expressive setups
🔗
Candy Icons Gradient, glossy
Eye-catching aesthetics
🔗
🔧 Apply Icons : gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme 'Tela-circle' (GTK) or edit ~/.config/qt5ct/qt5ct.conf (Qt).
Tool
Protocol
Highlights
Link
Rofi X11 + Wayland fork
Scriptable, themed, multi-mode
🔗
wofi Wayland
Simple, wlroots-native, CSS-styled
🔗
tofi Wayland
Minimal, fast, config-light
🔗
Anyrun Wayland
Modular plugins, modern UI
🔗
Ulauncher X11 + Wayland
Extensions, web search, workflows
🔗
Daemon
Protocol
Features
Link
Dunst X11 + Wayland
Lightweight, scriptable, themable
🔗
Mako Wayland
Simple, wlroots-native, config-light
🔗
SwayNC Wayland
Control center, widgets, GTK UI
🔗
💡 Pro Tip : Use dunstify or notify-send to test notifications during config.
Widget
Purpose
Protocol
Link
Conky System monitor, desktop widgets
X11
🔗
GLava OpenGL audio visualizer
X11 + Wayland
🔗
Kando Cross-platform pie menu
X11 + Wayland
🔗
Eww Widgets Custom reactive widgets
X11 + Wayland
🔗
Logout Menus
Tool
Protocol
Description
Link
wlogout Wayland
Simple, themed, icon-based menu
🔗
rofi-power-menu X11 + Wayland
Rofi-based, highly customizable
🔗
Tool
Protocol
Features
Link
hyprlock Wayland
GPU-accelerated, animated, Hyprland-native
🔗
swaylock Wayland
Simple, secure, wlroots-compatible
🔗
i3lock X11
Minimal, scriptable, widely supported
🔗
swaylock-effects Wayland
swaylock + blur, pixelate, fade effects
🔗
Terminal
Protocol
Highlights
Link
kitty X11 + Wayland
GPU-rendered, tabs, ligatures, scriptable
🔗
alacritty X11 + Wayland
Fastest, minimal config, cross-platform
🔗
ghostty X11 + Wayland
Modern, GPU-accelerated, macOS-native feel
🔗
wezterm X11 + Wayland
Multiplexer built-in, Lua config, tabs/panes
🔗
foot Wayland
Lightweight, wlroots-native, fast startup
🔗
Prompt
Shell
Features
Link
Starship Any
Blazing fast, cross-shell, auto-config
🔗
Powerlevel10k zsh
Instant prompt, rich icons, wizard setup
🔗
oh-my-posh Any
Cross-platform, JSON themes, Nerd Font icons
🔗
Tool
Highlights
Best For
Link
tmux Mature, scriptable, huge plugin ecosystem
Remote work, persistent sessions
🔗
zellij Rust-based, layouts, pane sync
Modern workflows, beginners
🔗
byobu tmux/screen wrapper, Ubuntu-friendly
Sysadmins, quick setup
🔗
Tool
Language
Highlights
Link
yazi Rust
Blazing fast, async, preview, vim-like
🔗
ranger Python
Vim-like, extensible, preview support
🔗
superfile Go
Modern UI, tabs, preview, themable
🔗
nnn C
Tiny, fast, plugin system, low memory
🔗
Editor
Type
Highlights
Link
Neovim Modal
Extensible, LSP-ready, Lua config
🔗
Helix Modal
Built-in LSP, multiple selections, Rust
🔗
micro Modeless
Intuitive, mouse support, plugin system
🔗
Tool
Features
Link
btop Beautiful UI, mouse support, themes
🔗
htop Interactive, tree view, search
🔗
bottom Cross-platform, customizable widgets
🔗
Tool
Highlights
Link
eza Modern ls, icons, git status, tree view
🔗
lsd Icons, colors, tree mode, git integration
🔗
Tool
Language
Highlights
Link
fastfetch C
Blazing fast, modular, 50+ modules
🔗
neofetch Bash
Classic, widely themed, simple
🔗
macchina Rust
Fast, minimal, themable, extensible
🔗
Browser
Engine
Privacy Focus
Ricing Potential
Link
Firefox Gecko
🔒🔒🔒
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (userChrome.css)
🔗
Floorp Gecko
🔒🔒🔒
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Firefox-based + extras)
🔗
Thorium Chromium
🔒🔒
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Chromium + patches)
🔗
Brave Chromium
🔒🔒🔒
⭐⭐⭐ (limited CSS theming)
🔗
App
Desktop
Highlights
Link
Yazi Terminal-first
Blazing fast, async, preview
🔗
Double Commander Cross-platform
Dual-pane, plugin system
🔗
Nautilus GNOME
Clean, extensions, search
🔗
Dolphin KDE
Powerful, split view, plugins
🔗
Category
App
Highlights
Link
Music Amberol Minimal, GTK4, adaptive UI
🔗
Music Feishin Modern, self-hosted, Jellyfin/Navidrome
🔗
Video mpv Minimal, scriptable, high-quality
🔗
Images imv Fast, tiling-WM friendly, keyboard-driven
🔗
App
Type
Highlights
Link
Obsidian Notes
Markdown, graph view, plugins
🔗
AppFlowy Workspace
Open-source Notion alternative
🔗
qnote Notes
Minimal, Markdown, PDF export, Tauri
🔗
App
Type
Highlights
Link
Krita Painting
Professional, brush engines, animation
🔗
GIMP Photo Editing
Powerful, plugin ecosystem, scriptable
🔗
Inkscape Vector
SVG-native, extensions, cross-platform
🔗
App
Type
Highlights
Link
Kdenlive Video Editing
Multi-track, effects, proxy editing
🔗
OBS Studio Streaming/Recording
Plugins, scenes, cross-platform
🔗
Ardour DAW
Professional audio, mixing, routing
🔗
App
Type
Highlights
Link
Blender 3D Suite
Modeling, animation, rendering, VFX
🔗
FreeCAD Parametric CAD
Engineering, BIM, Python scripting
🔗
Launcher
Platform
Highlights
Link
Steam Multi
Proton, Big Picture, cloud saves
🔗
Heroic Epic/GOG
Native Linux, Wine/Proton support
🔗
Lutris Multi
Unified library, installer scripts
🔗
🎮 Pro Tip : Join r/linux_gaming for ProtonDB tips, Wine configs, and performance tweaks.
Startpage
Features
Link
nightTab Customizable, color accents, widgets
🔗
Excalith Terminal-inspired, search, bookmarks
🔗
Bento Next Vue 3, Tailwind, widgets
🔗
Mod
Highlights
Link
Vencord Lightweight, plugin system, active dev
🔗
BetterDiscord Mature, huge theme/plugin library
🔗
DM
Protocol
Highlights
Link
SDDM X11 + Wayland
QML-themable, KDE-native
🔗
Ly TUI
Console-based, minimal, fast
🔗
GDM X11 + Wayland
GNOME-integrated, secure
🔗
📦 Dotfiles & Config Management ✨ NEW
🔧 Why Manage Dotfiles? Dotfiles (~/.config, ~/.bashrc, etc.) are your personalized system configs. Managing them with Git enables:
✅ Backup & restore across machines
✅ Version history & rollback
✅ Easy sharing & collaboration
✅ Automated deployment
Popular Dotfiles Repositories
Tool
Language
Highlights
Link
chezmoi Go
Secure, templating, multi-machine
🔗
GNU Stow Perl
Simple symlink manager
🔗
yadm Bash
Git-based, encrypted files support
🔗
dotter Rust
Templating, conditions, profiles
🔗
💡 Pro Tip : Use git init --bare $HOME/.cfg + alias for a clean dotfiles repo without cluttering ~. [[24]]
🌐 Communities & Resources ✨ NEW
Platform
Members
Focus
Link
r/unixporn Discord
10k+
Real-time help, showcases
🔗
Arch Linux Discord
43k+
Arch-specific support
🔗
Linux.Chat
2.7k+
General Linux discussion
🔗
Hyprland Discord
15k+
Hyprland development & configs
🔗
🌟 Pro Tip : When asking for help, include: WM version, distro, config snippets, and neofetch/fastfetch output.
❓ Common Issues & Fixes # GTK apps: Reload settings# Qt apps: Ensure qt5ct/qt6ct is configuredexport QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt5ct
# Check theme paths:~ /.themes ~ /.local/share/themes /usr/share/themes⌨️ Keyboard Not Working in WM? # Check input devices:# Hyprland# X11# Reload config:# Hyprland# i3🖥️ Wayland App Not Launching on X11 (or vice versa)?
Use Xwayland for X11 apps on Wayland (usually auto-enabled)
Check app flags: --ozone-platform-hint=auto for Electron apps
Verify WAYLAND_DISPLAY / DISPLAY env vars
# Profile shell startup:time zsh -i -c exit
# Disable unused Oh My Zsh plugins# Use starship --print-config to optimize prompt# Check PipeWire/Pulse:# Restart audio:
📥 Installation & Configuration 🐧 Package Manager Quick Reference
Distro
Command
Example
Arch/Manjaro
pacman -Ssudo pacman -S kitty zsh
Debian/Ubuntu
apt installsudo apt install kitty zsh
Fedora
dnf installsudo dnf install kitty zsh
NixOS
nix-env -iAnix-env -iA nixos.kitty
Flatpak
flatpak installflatpak install flathub org.kde.krita
~ /.config/ # XDG config directory (most apps)~ /.local/share/ # XDG data directory~ /.cache/ # XDG cache directory# System-wide configs (requires sudo)
💡 Pro Tip : Use xdg-ninja to find unwanted files cluttering your $HOME. [[24]]
We welcome all helpful contributions! 🙌
Fork the repoCreate a branch : git checkout -b feature/awesome-toolAdd your resource following the template:
- [ Tool Name] ( https://link ) <sup >Protocol</sup > - Brief, compelling description.Test links and ensure markdown validitySubmit a PR with a clear description
✅ Only include actively maintained projects (last commit <2 years)
✅ Add protocol tags: X11 , Wayland , or X11 + Wayland
✅ Include difficulty rating if notable: ⭐ (easy) to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (expert)
❌ No self-promotion without significant value-add
❌ No duplicate entries (check existing categories first)
📖 Full guidelines: CONTRIBUTING.md
This list exists because of contributors like you.Open an Issue or Submit a PR !
Made with ❤️ by the Linux Ricing Community 🟡 filesdot community!11
