Dotfiles to customize your Hyprland desktop on Arch and EndeavourOS

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If you've just made the jump to Arch or EndeavourOS and want a beautiful environment with Hyprland without spending weeks tinkering, the dotfiles to customize the Hyprland desktop They're exactly what you need. They allow you to have a usable, elegant, and more or less "turnkey" system, while you gradually learn how everything is assembled underneath.

Throughout this article we are going to review various collections of dotfiles for Hyprland (JaKooLit, ML4W, HyDE, Hecate, minimalist battery-optimized configurations, etc.), what they offer, what type of user they are recommended for, and how they fit into real-world needs: work, gaming, laptops with short battery life, or a desire to delve deeply into Arch. We'll also cover installation details, common keyboard shortcuts, and alternative options like bspwm or Qtile if Hyprland doesn't quite convince you.

What are dotfiles and why are they key to Hyprland?

In the Linux ecosystem, the dotfiles are hidden configuration files (starting with “.”) that define the appearance and behavior of your environment: window manager, terminal, bar, app launcher, editor, etc. In Hyprland they play an even more critical role because, being a highly configurable Wayland compositor, much of the experience is built precisely from these files.

Instead of manually editing each file from scratch, many users share their ready-made dotfile repositoriesOften using automated installation scripts, this allows you to have a modern desktop in minutes with Waybar, Rofi, Kitty, Neovim, notifications, dynamic themes, and shortcuts ready to use, and then customize it further.

Hyprland is a great fit for those looking for a desk highly customizable and with a “wow” effectThe "ricing" community has embraced it wholeheartedly: fluid animations, transparencies, dynamic backgrounds, and themes that change depending on the wallpaper. Well-designed dotfiles let you enjoy all of that without struggling with every little detail from day one.

If you're coming from more traditional environments like KDE Plasma or GNOME, these dotfiles function as a kind of “advanced template” for HyprlandIt offers sensible shortcuts, a well-chosen set of applications, and a polished aesthetic, without sacrificing the fine-tuning that Arch provides. Ideal for those coming from Zorin OS, Ubuntu, or similar systems who want something more "hardcore" but still usable for work.

Popular dotfiles for Hyprland: JaKooLit, ML4W, HyDE, End-4 and others

Several names are repeated in the community when someone asks about friendly dotfiles for installing HyprlandEach pack has its own personality, philosophy, and level of complexity, so it's a good idea to understand what each one offers before jumping in.

The dotfiles of JaKooLit y My Linux For Work (ML4W) They are often cited as fairly complete options for those who want a ready-to-use desktop environment, with guided installation and good application integration. HyDE and End-4, on the other hand, are also strong contenders in the industry, with somewhat different approaches but sharing the idea of ​​giving you a beautiful Hyprland without starting from scratch.

If you have already tried several of these packs and now use, for example, HyDE, but you're encountering some minor problemsIt's normal to wonder what other option might give you something more stable, more modular, or easier to understand so you can learn at your own pace.

Furthermore, there are users who prioritize PC gaming, especially with NVIDIA graphics cards, and wonder if it's worth sticking with Hyprland or switching to other configurations. bspwm or other window managerswhich historically have given NVIDIA less trouble than some Wayland compositors, or even trying a kernel Liquorix optimized for gaming.

Hyprland on Arch and EndeavourOS: stability, tinkering, and daily work

Hyprland works wonderfully with Arch-type distributions, and by extension with EndeavourOS, which is a "friendly" Arch OSFor someone coming from Zorin OS who wants to maintain a stable work environment but without losing the ability to tinker with everything, this combo is very attractive.

EndeavourOS gives you a graphical installer, a selection of base packages, and tools for managing the system, while pure Arch requires following a step-by-step installation guide (partitioning with cfdisk, mounting partitions, configuring locale, GRUB, users, etc.). Both paths are compatible with Hyprland dotfiles, so it depends on how complicated you want to make things at the beginning.

The charm of mixing Arch/EndeavourOS with Hyprland is that you can combine a highly flexible “rolling release” system with an ultra-flexible desktop environmentWith some good dotfiles you have something functional for working and studying, but with the freedom to change each section of the configuration: shortcuts, animations, themes, bars, widgets, etc.

For those who need a stable machine because they work with it daily, the key is in Choose dotfiles that don't overuse unstable plugins and that offer sensible maintenance scripts, for example to update the system, create snapshots, or adjust power depending on whether you are on battery or plugged in.

Dotfiles optimized for laptops: battery, eye candy, and autoswitch

One approach that is increasingly common is that of dotfiles focused on Optimize battery life on laptopswithout completely sacrificing the visual appeal when you're plugged in. A typical example is a Framework 13 configured with Hyprland, where idle power consumption is around 3.5 W and 4-8 W during light use, allowing for 8-10 hour coding sessions.

The idea is to play with two “modes” of use: with battery and charger connectedWhen the system detects that you don't have an external power source, battery life is prioritized: Hyprpaper is turned off, a more subdued static theme is chosen, Hyprland animations and effects are toned down or disabled, and more aggressive power-saving settings are enabled.

As soon as you plug in the charger, the desktop transforms: tools like Wallust and Matugen to dynamically recolor the system Depending on the wallpaper, animations, transparencies, and eye candy are restored in Hyprland, and a random background is activated. It's a very convenient way to have both a "work and autonomy" mode and a "showy desktop" mode without having to manually change each parameter.

This type of dotfile usually opts for a compact and legible typography like Iosevka Nerd FontDesigned to maximize the amount of information displayed on the screen without straining the eyes, especially useful in code and terminal.

The application selection also follows a fairly defined pattern: Hyprland as the compositor, Waybar as the status bar, Rofi as the launcher, Kitty as the terminal, Zsh with Oh My Zsh and Powerlevel10k as the main shell, Neovim for text editing, Dolphin and Yazi as file managers, Mako for minimalist notifications, Obsidian for notes, and Firefox with a customized userChrome and integration with tools like pywalfox or wallust for color customization. All of this, completely tinted by the colors of the wallpaper.

Typical application stack in Hyprland dotfiles

Beyond the variations between repositories, there is a "combo" of applications that is repeated quite often in the Top-rated dotfiles for Hyprlandprecisely because they integrate very well with dynamic themes and offer a comfortable workflow.

Visually, Hyprland acts as Wayland compositor with support for advanced animationsWhile hyprpaper or similar tools handle the wallpaper, Waybar is often the preferred toolbar because it's lightweight, configurable in JSON or CSS, and supports custom modules.

To launch applications, most people opt for Rofi (or Wayland-friendly alternatives)Kitty can be themed to match the rest of the desktop. In the terminal, Kitty stands out for its performance and ease of integration with dynamic color systems, similar to Ghostty, Foot, or Alacritty in other more experimental configurations.

On the command line, it is common to find Zsh with Oh My Zsh and Powerlevel10kIt provides a very informative prompt with icons, git status, and colors adapted to the overall theme. For editing code and configuration, Neovim enhanced with color plugins (such as neopywal in combination with wallust) is a classic.

The “desktop” section is completed with Dolphin and/or Yazi as file managersMako is used for minimalist notifications, and Obsidian for notes, to which a specific theme (such as "Border") can be applied and then recolored with Matugen. Finally, Firefox is often customized through userChrome and extensions like pywalfox so that all browsing matches the system color scheme.

Arch/Endeavour installation and system preparation for dotfiles

Before you start installing Hyprland dotfiles, it's important to have the Arch system base properly configuredEspecially if you opt for a manual installation rather than something like EndeavourOS. In short, the process involves preparing the disk, configuring the base system, and setting up the environment for automated scripts.

Partitioning is usually done with cfdisk for its ease of usecreating something like this: 300 MB for the EFI partition (EFI System type), a swap partition of about 15 GB (adjustable according to your RAM), and the rest of the space for the root “/”. Once created, the partitions are formatted, the swap is activated, and the drives are mounted. file systems in /mnt.

Next, the fstab file with UUID is generated so that the partitions are automatically mounted at boot, and the new system is accessed using chroot on /mntThere, basic aspects such as the time zone are configured using a symbolic link, the hardware clock is synchronized, and the locales in /etc/locale.gen are edited to enable the desired language.

After generating the locales and setting the LANG variable (e.g., Spanish), the keyboard is adjusted via /etc/vconsole.conf to use a Spanish mapThe hostname is defined and a strong password is assigned to the root user. A regular user is also created, granted sudo permissions (by editing the sudoers file appropriately), and the NetworkManager service is enabled.

The final step in the process is usually to install and configure GRUB in EFI modeThis generates its configuration file and restarts to verify that the Arch boot manager appears correctly. Once inside the installed system, utilities such as xdg-user-dirs are installed to create the basic user folders (Desktop, Downloads, Music, etc.), and the install.sh script from the chosen dotfiles is invoked to automate package installation and configuration copying.

Automation with scripts: install.sh, Ansible and profiles

Many modern dotfile repositories include fully automated installation scriptsFrom simple install.sh commands that use pacman and yay to more advanced setups with Ansible capable of rebuilding your entire configuration on a new machine.

A common way of working is to have a .dotfiles.v2 file designed for Arch, while a Old v1 may be geared towards Ubuntu with i3 or other environmentsRebuilding the configuration with Ansible makes installing packages, copying configuration files, and applying system settings reproducible, which is ideal if you frequently reinstall or manage more than one computer.

Some projects like Hecate take this further and offer a modular installer with profile selectionDuring the process you can choose if you want a minimalist profile, a development-oriented profile, a gaming-focused profile, or a "madlad" profile that installs everything at once (dev and gaming packages).

These advanced installers also usually let you choose your favorite terminal (kitty, ghostty, foot, alacritty) and your preferred shell (bash, zsh, fish), as well as your primary browser. In this way, dotfiles They adapt to your tastes without forcing you into a closed configuration.but maintaining the overall structure of the system.

In some cases, extra scripts are included, such as system update tools that also create snapshots before updating, or small helpers to change themes, regenerate the color palette from the wallpaper, or adjust services like Docker and VirtualBox after installation.

Hecate: Modular dotfiles for Hyprland with dynamic profiles and themes

Within the Hyprland ecosystem, Hecate is one of the most interesting dotfile collections for anyone who wants somewhat modular but relatively guidedTheir author conceived them as a personal learning project, but they have matured to a sufficiently stable beta state for others to use and contribute to them.

Hecate is based on a Hyprland's fully modular configurationwhere the installer builds the system according to your choices. Instead of forcing a single pre-configured environment, it offers usage profiles (minimalist, developer, gamer, madlad) to adjust the packages and services that will be installed.

In addition, it allows you to select different terminals (kitty, ghostty, foot, alacritty) and shells (bash, zsh, fish) It's included in the installer itself, along with your preferred browser. This flexibility makes it a good option both for beginners and for those who already know what they want but don't want to set everything up from scratch.

One of its strengths is the Automatic theming based on wallpaperYou change the wallpaper and the rest of the system recolors, maintaining visual consistency across apps and the taskbar. It also includes custom update scripts that not only update the system but also generate snapshots so you can revert to a previous state if something goes wrong.

As an extra, Hecate includes an application called Pulse, developed in Go and Wails, which graphically displays CPU, RAM, and GPU statistics and the system, integrating with the rest of the experience. In general, all automation relies on shell scripts and a centralized configuration in toml filesThis makes it easier to maintain control without losing flexibility.

ML4W, HyDE, JaKooLit and other collections “to get off to a good start”

When someone is new to Linux or Hyprland, they usually look for dotfiles that allow "install and use" without too much of a learning curveThis is where packs like ML4W, HyDE, and JaKooLit come into play, prioritizing a good experience from the very beginning.

ML4W (My Linux For Work) has become popular for offering a productivity-oriented environment with a striking design but without excessive artificeIt's usually a good choice for those who, in addition to tinkering, need something serious to work with: good terminal integration, a clear bar, well-thought-out shortcuts, and a sensible selection of applications.

HyDE, for its part, is betting quite heavily on the visual appearance and modern desktop feelIf you're currently using it but experiencing some issues, it could be due to Hyprland updates, plugins that aren't compatible with the latest version, or minor package conflicts. Even so, it's a highly regarded project for those seeking a visually appealing setup.

JaKooLit offers dotfiles that tend to be friendly to those who are starting outWith very clear scripts and a relatively easy-to-understand and modify configuration structure, it's one of the names that comes up most often when someone asks in forums which dotfiles to use for first-timers with Hyperland and Arch/Endeavour.

End-4 and other less well-known repositories complete the picture, offering variations in aesthetics, application sets, and level of automation. The important thing to understand is that, although they all run on Hyprland, There is no universal “best”It depends on whether you prioritize stability, beauty, gaming, laptops, learning, or a balanced mix of everything.

Typical keyboard shortcuts in Hyprland dotfiles

One common point in almost all of these dotfiles is that They define a generous battery of keyboard shortcutsThis is usually done by using the Windows key as a "mod" key. This allows you to control windows, open applications, and move between workspaces quickly, which is crucial in window managers like Hyprland.

Among the most common shortcuts you'll find combinations like mod + ENTER to open terminal (usually Kitty), mod + E to launch the file explorer (for example Nemo or Dolphin), mod + M to open the application launcher (Rofi) and mod + B to launch the browser (Brave, Firefox or another depending on the pack).

Other common shortcuts are mod + C to open the code editor (VS Code or Neovim in terminal), mod + S for screenshots, mod + L to lock the desktop (for example with swaylock), mod + W to close the active window, mod + F to toggle floating mode, and mod + Space to switch a window to full screen.

Regarding navigation between windows, the normal practice is to map mod + H/J/K/L to move focus Left/down/up/right (inspired by Vim), and combinations with ALT to actually move the window in those directions. Additionally, shortcuts using SHIFT and the arrow keys are often defined to resize active windows without having to drag with the mouse.

Well-documented dotfiles often include tables or lists of shortcuts in the repository's README, which makes things much easier. learn the “language” of the settings without having to delve into all of Hyprland's files from the start.

Additional services and tools: Docker, VirtualBox, KeePass, and screen sharing

Some dotfile repositories are not limited to Hyprland and its direct ecosystem, but also include configurations and notes for development and virtualization services such as Docker or VirtualBox, as well as complementary applications for daily life.

It is relatively common to find scripts or instructions for installing Docker, enabling its service, Add your user to the Docker group and ensure everything is ready to work with containers. Sometimes additional repositories with examples or specific configurations for Docker projects are also linked.

With VirtualBox, the idea is usually: install the main package, add the load the LTS kernel headers and the necessary modulesAdd the user to the vboxusers group and install the Guest Additions to improve integration and performance of virtual machines.

In the area of ​​security and password management, KeePass often appears installed via yay or another AUR helper, including steps for Add the Spanish language and the necessary plugins copying them to their corresponding folders on the system. All of this can be automated from the dotfiles' scripts themselves or documented in the README.

Finally, for screen sharing in Wayland environments, many packages already include the necessary configuration in the dotfiles, so that with install a handful of screen sharing packages (portal, PipeWire support, etc.) have it practically ready. If something goes wrong, it's recommended to review the official documentation on Screen Sharing and adapt it to the specific version of Hyprland and portals you're using.

Hyprland vs bspwm, Qtile and other alternatives for playing and learning

Although Hyprland is very popular, it's not the only option. If you plan to use your PC for gaming and you have NVIDIA graphics cardYou might be interested in considering window managers like bspwm, which have traditionally had fewer problems with drivers and compatibility than some recent Wayland compositors.

There are some very well-crafted dotfiles for bspwm, such as those by gh0stzk, designed for a classic, understated, and lightweight tiling desktop. For gaming, this can be a winning combination, as many tools and games continue to function. more directly under X11 which is under Wayland, although this is improving over time.

Another interesting alternative is Qtile, a dynamic window manager for X11. fully configurable in PythonIt's minimalist, highly hackable, and has a solid foundation, perfect if you also fancy learning a bit of Python while customizing your environment.

If you're curious, some users share their Qtile dotfiles on GitHubReady to download and install. As with Arch, it's highly recommended to follow the official step-by-step installation guide to ensure everything is compatible with your hardware and operating system.

In any case, the famous phrase "Arch is not for beginners" is becoming increasingly debatable. With a willingness to learn, patience, and good dotfiles as a starting point, You can use Arch/EndeavourOS with Hyprland, bspwm or Qtile even if you haven't been using Linux for years.provided you take the time to understand what you are installing.

With this whole landscape of dotfile collections for Hyprland, modular profiles like Hecate, fine-tuned configurations for laptops, complete application stacks, and alternatives like bspwm or Qtile, you have plenty of room to find a balance between stability for work, options for gaming, and that "ricing" touch that makes your desktop as personal as you want, starting with something functional from the first boot and reserving the fine tinkering for when you feel like dissecting every configuration file.