Screen Annotation for Wayland

A ZoomIt-like screen annotation tool for Linux, written in Rust

Get Started Read the Docs View on GitHub

Includes built-in zoom for quick callouts and spotlights.

Works on GNOME, KDE, Hyprland, Sway, River, and other compositors with wlr-layer-shell

This project is a gift exchange, not a contract. Read the ethos.

Watch wayscriber in action

See how quickly you can highlight, annotate, and guide your audience with real-time drawing tools.

wayscriber pages and presets preview — GIF preview (top) · loads on demand to save data.

Video demo (bottom) · plays only when you press play. Switch between pages and load tool presets so every scene starts ready.

What is wayscriber?

wayscriber is a powerful screen annotation tool designed for Linux desktops (Wayland compositors). Perfect for live presentations, classroom sessions, and screenshares, it lets you toggle drawing mode with a single key, save tool presets, and annotate your screen instantly without breaking your flow.

Small memory footprint: v0.9.7 on Fedora KDE runs at about 14 MB RAM.

Features at a Glance

Drawing Tools

✓ Freehand pen
✓ Straight lines
✓ Rectangles
✓ Ellipses & circles
✓ Arrows
✓ Auto-numbered arrows
✓ Multi-line text annotations
✓ Sticky notes (N)
✓ Step markers (numbered bubbles)
✓ Highlight brush + marker tools
✓ Eraser tool

Board Modes

✓ Whiteboard mode
✓ Blackboard mode
✓ Named boards + custom backgrounds
✓ Auto pen contrast
✓ Isolated frames
✓ Transparent overlay
✓ Board pages for multi-step guides

Customization

✓ Quick color palette (8 colors)
✓ Adjustable line thickness
✓ Custom fonts (Pango)
✓ Scroll wheel adjustments
✓ Customizable toolbars (show/hide sections)
✓ TOML configuration file

Presets

✓ Save tool + color + size combos
✓ Apply presets instantly (1-5)
✓ Save presets quickly (Shift+1-5)
✓ Optional toasts and toolbar slots

User Experience

✓ Status bar with live feedback
✓ In-app help overlay (F1, F10 alt)
✓ Quick reference (Shift+F1)
✓ Native configurator (F11)
✓ Freeze mode (Ctrl+Shift+F or --freeze argument at start)
✓ Presenter mode (Ctrl+Shift+M)
✓ Command palette (Ctrl+K)
✓ Session persistence with tray/config toggle
✓ Selection properties panel (Ctrl+Alt+P)
✓ Background daemon mode
✓ System tray integration

Zoom & Callouts

✓
Zoom in/out Ctrl+Alt + scroll or Ctrl+Alt++ / Ctrl+Alt+-
✓
Reset zoom instantly Ctrl+Alt+0
✓
Lock the zoomed view Ctrl+Alt+L
✓
Pan the zoom window Middle drag or arrow keys

Install & Set Up

Pick your desktop to get both installation steps and the best way to start/trigger wayscriber.

Install (GNOME / RPM)

Repo (auto-updates, recommended)

sudo install -d /usr/share/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://wayscriber.com/apt/WAYSCRIBER-GPG-KEY.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/wayscriber.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/wayscriber.gpg] https://wayscriber.com/apt stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wayscriber.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wayscriber

One-off .deb (no auto-updates)

wget -O wayscriber-amd64.deb https://github.com/devmobasa/wayscriber/releases/latest/download/wayscriber-amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./wayscriber-amd64.deb

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

Repo package

sudo apt install wayscriber-configurator

Prefer a one-off install? Grab the matching .deb from the release page.

Set up & use (GNOME)

Keep the daemon running

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Add a GNOME shortcut (Settings → Keyboard → Custom Shortcuts)

Click +, name it Wayscriber Toggle.
Command: pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber.
Set a key (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+D).

One-shot without the daemon

wayscriber --active

F1 shows help (F10 alt), F11 opens the configurator when installed.

Install (GNOME / RPM)

Repo (auto-updates)

sudo install -d /usr/share/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://wayscriber.com/apt/WAYSCRIBER-GPG-KEY.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/wayscriber.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/wayscriber.gpg] https://wayscriber.com/apt stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wayscriber.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wayscriber

One-off .deb (no auto-updates)

wget -O wayscriber-amd64.deb https://github.com/devmobasa/wayscriber/releases/latest/download/wayscriber-amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./wayscriber-amd64.deb

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

Repo package

sudo apt install wayscriber-configurator

Prefer a one-off install? Grab the matching .deb from the release page.

Set up & use (KDE)

Keep the daemon running

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Create a global shortcut

Open Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
Select Add new → Command or Script, then click OK.
Set Command to pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber.
Set Name to Wayscriber Toggle.
Assign a key (e.g., Meta+Shift+D) and apply.

Adding a global shortcut in Kubuntu to toggle the wayscriber daemon — Example Kubuntu shortcut targeting the daemon toggle

Quick one-shot

wayscriber --active

Install

Repo (auto-updates)

sudo install -d /usr/share/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://wayscriber.com/apt/WAYSCRIBER-GPG-KEY.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/wayscriber.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/wayscriber.gpg] https://wayscriber.com/apt stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wayscriber.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wayscriber

One-off .deb (no auto-updates)

wget -O wayscriber-amd64.deb https://github.com/devmobasa/wayscriber/releases/latest/download/wayscriber-amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./wayscriber-amd64.deb

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

Repo package

sudo apt install wayscriber-configurator

Prefer a one-off install? Grab the matching .deb from the release page.

Set up & use (GNOME)

Daemon toggle for any desktop/WM

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Bind this command to a shortcut

pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber

One-shot (no service)

wayscriber --active

Tip: F11 opens the configurator when installed; F1 shows help (F10 alt).

Install

Repo (auto-updates, recommended)

cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/wayscriber.repo
[wayscriber]
name=Wayscriber Repo
baseurl=https://wayscriber.com/rpm
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
repo_gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://wayscriber.com/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-wayscriber.asc
EOF
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf install wayscriber

One-off .rpm (no auto-updates)

wget -O wayscriber-x86_64.rpm https://github.com/devmobasa/wayscriber/releases/latest/download/wayscriber-x86_64.rpm
sudo rpm -Uvh wayscriber-x86_64.rpm

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

Repo package

sudo dnf install wayscriber-configurator

Prefer a one-off install? Grab the matching .rpm from the release page.

Set up & use

Keep the daemon running

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

GNOME shortcut (Settings → Keyboard → Custom Shortcuts)

Click +, name it Wayscriber Toggle.
Command: pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber.
Set a key (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+D).

One-shot

wayscriber --active

Install (KDE / RPM)

Repo (auto-updates, recommended)

cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/wayscriber.repo
[wayscriber]
name=Wayscriber Repo
baseurl=https://wayscriber.com/rpm
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1
repo_gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://wayscriber.com/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-wayscriber.asc
EOF
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf install wayscriber

One-off .rpm (no auto-updates)

wget -O wayscriber-x86_64.rpm https://github.com/devmobasa/wayscriber/releases/latest/download/wayscriber-x86_64.rpm
sudo rpm -Uvh wayscriber-x86_64.rpm

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

Repo package

sudo dnf install wayscriber-configurator

Prefer a one-off install? Grab the matching .rpm from the release page.

Set up & use (KDE)

Keep the daemon running

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Create a global shortcut

Open Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
Select Add new → Command or Script, then click OK.
Command: pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber.
Name: Wayscriber Toggle.
Set a key (e.g., Meta+Shift+D) and apply.

Adding a global shortcut in KDE to toggle the wayscriber daemon — Example KDE shortcut targeting the daemon toggle

One-shot

wayscriber --active

Ensure systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service is active so the toggle works.

Install (AUR)

Pick helper + package type

yay

yay -S wayscriber

yay -S wayscriber-bin

wayscriber = builds from source; wayscriber-bin = prebuilt binaries for faster installs.

paru

paru -S wayscriber

paru -S wayscriber-bin

wayscriber = builds from source; wayscriber-bin = prebuilt binaries for faster installs.

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

yay

yay -S wayscriber-configurator

paru

paru -S wayscriber-configurator

Set up & use

Daemon (recommended)

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Hyprland example binding

bind = SUPER, D, exec, pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber

One-shot (no service)

wayscriber --active

Tip: Apply similar bindings in Sway, River, or other WMs using the same toggle command.

Install (Nix Flake)

Run without installing

nix run github:devmobasa/wayscriber

Install to profile

nix profile install github:devmobasa/wayscriber

Add to NixOS configuration (flake)

# flake.nix inputs
inputs.wayscriber.url = "github:devmobasa/wayscriber";

# In configuration
environment.systemPackages = [
  inputs.wayscriber.packages.${pkgs.system}.default
];

Optional: install the configurator (GUI)

nix profile install github:devmobasa/wayscriber#wayscriber-configurator

Set up & use

Daemon (recommended)

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Hyprland example binding

bind = SUPER, D, exec, pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber

One-shot (no service)

wayscriber --active

Development shell

nix develop github:devmobasa/wayscriber

Tip: The flake provides both wayscriber and wayscriber-configurator packages.

Build from Source (advanced)

For contributors and power users

Show build steps Collapsed by default

Install dependencies (pick your distro):

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get install build-essential pkg-config libxkbcommon-dev libcairo2-dev libwayland-dev libpango1.0-dev

Fedora

sudo dnf install gcc gcc-c++ make pkgconf-pkg-config cairo-devel wayland-devel pango-devel libxkbcommon-devel cairo-gobject-devel

Screenshot tools (source/tarball only):

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get install wl-clipboard grim slurp

Fedora

sudo dnf install wl-clipboard grim slurp

Then build:

git clone https://github.com/devmobasa/wayscriber.git
cd wayscriber
cargo build --release

Don't have Rust yet? Install it with rustup:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

How to Use

Daemon Mode (Background Service)

Preferred

Recommended: faster to toggle, more reliable, and better for daily use.

Run wayscriber in the background and toggle with a keybind:

# Enable the service
systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Hyprland keybinding steps

Add to ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf:

bind = SUPER, D, exec, pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber

Reload Hyprland:

hyprctl reload

Ubuntu (GNOME) keybinding instructions

Open Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts.
Scroll to the bottom, select Custom Shortcuts, then click + (Add).
Set Name to Wayscriber Toggle.
Set Command to pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber.
Click Set Shortcut and press Ctrl+Shift+D.

Make sure the wayscriber daemon is running; this shortcut sends it the toggle signal.

Ubuntu (KDE) keybinding instructions

Open Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
Select Add new → Command or Script, then click OK.
Command: pkill -SIGUSR1 wayscriber.
Name: Wayscriber Toggle.
Set a key (e.g., Meta+Shift+D) and apply.

Ensure systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service is active so the toggle works.

One-Shot Mode (Simple)

Quick launch for occasional use; exit when done:

wayscriber --active

Hyprland keybinding (one-shot)

Add to ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf:

bind = SUPER, D, exec, wayscriber --active

Press F1 for help (F10 alt), Shift+F1 for quick reference, F11 for configurator, toggle toolbars with F2 (F9 alt), freeze with Ctrl+Shift+F, enter presenter mode with Ctrl+Shift+M, open the command palette with Ctrl+K, exit with Escape/Ctrl+Q, and toggle the status bar with F4 (F12 alt).

Session Continuity

Enable Session storage in the configurator to pick up where you left off. wayscriber keeps per-monitor boards, pen color, and thickness between launches, and you can disable the feature anytime for a clean slate.

Quick Controls Reference

Drawing

Freehand: Drag with mouse
Line: Shift + drag
Rectangle: Ctrl + drag
Ellipse: Tab + drag
Arrow: Ctrl+Shift + drag
Text: Press T, click, type
Sticky note: Press N, click, type

Modes

Whiteboard: Ctrl+W
Blackboard: Ctrl+B
Transparent: Ctrl+Shift+T

Colors

R - Red
G - Green
B - Blue
Y - Yellow
O - Orange
P - Pink
W - White
K - Black

Editing

Undo: Ctrl+Z
Redo: Ctrl+Shift+Z
Clear all: E
Toolbars: F2 / F9
Help: F1 (F10)
Configurator: F11
Command palette: Ctrl+K
Status bar: F4 / F12
Selection props: Ctrl+Alt+P
Freeze: Ctrl+Shift+F
Exit: Escape / Ctrl+Q

Presets

Apply: 1 - 5
Save: Shift+1 - Shift+5
Clear: Set in config

Zoom

Zoom in/out: Ctrl+Alt + scroll
Step zoom: Ctrl+Alt++ or Ctrl+Alt+-
Reset: Ctrl+Alt+0
Lock: Ctrl+Alt+L
Pan: Middle drag or arrows

Ready to Get Started?

Check out the full documentation and source code on GitHub

View on GitHub