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 Hyprland, Sway, River, Wayfire, Niri/COSMIC, KDE Plasma/KWin, GNOME via fallback, and other Wayland 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
✓ Paste PNG/JPEG images as movable objects
✓ Eraser tool

Board Modes

✓ Whiteboard mode
✓ Blackboard mode
✓ Named boards + custom backgrounds
✓ Pan solid boards with Space+Drag
✓ Auto pen contrast
✓ Isolated frames
✓ Transparent overlay
✓ Right-click reset + zoom menu
✓ Board pages for multi-step guides

Customization

✓ Quick color palette (8 colors)
✓ Adjustable line thickness
✓ Custom fonts (Pango)
✓ Scroll wheel adjustments
✓ Radial menu (middle-click) for tool/color + size
✓ Per-button drag tool bindings
✓ Customizable toolbars (show/hide sections)
✓ TOML configuration file

Presets

✓ Save full per-tool profile snapshots
✓ Restore fill, opacity, text, eraser, and drag settings
✓ 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)
✓ Named sessions and session manager
✓ Light passthrough click-through mode
✓ Selection properties panel (Ctrl+Alt+P)
✓ Context menu copy/paste at cursor
✓ Background daemon mode
✓ System tray integration

Zoom & Callouts

✓
Zoom in/out Ctrl+Alt + scroll, or Ctrl+Alt++ / -
✓
Reset zoom instantly Ctrl+Alt+0
✓
Lock the zoomed view Ctrl+Alt+L
✓
Pan the zoom window Middle drag, or ↑ ↓ ← →

Install & Set Up

Choose one install path: Option A (no CLI, click and install) or Option B (CLI/package manager with auto-updates). Daemon mode is preferred for daily use because it toggles instantly and keeps your session.

Option A: No CLI (click and install)

Direct links

Use these if you prefer installing from your browser/file manager instead of typing package-manager commands.

Important: Direct GitHub .deb/.rpm installs are one-off installs and do not auto-update. Use the repo install commands below for automatic updates.

DEB: Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, and other Debian-based distros

wayscriber-amd64.deb wayscriber-configurator-amd64.deb (optional)

RPM: Fedora, RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Nobara, and other RPM-based distros

wayscriber-x86_64.rpm wayscriber-configurator-x86_64.rpm (optional)

Need the full assets list? Open latest release.

After install, start daemon mode once (preferred): systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Recommended Option B: CLI/package-manager install steps for auto-updates

Install (GNOME / DEB)

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)

Daemon mode (recommended)

preferred

Wayscriber stays running in the background. You toggle the overlay on/off with a keyboard shortcut — instant, no startup delay. Best for daily use.

1. Start the daemon

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

2. Add a keyboard shortcut (Settings → Keyboard → Custom Shortcuts)

Click +, name it Wayscriber Toggle.
Command: wayscriber --daemon-toggle
Set a key (e.g., Super+G).

On Ubuntu GNOME, Super+D is often already reserved, so Super+G is a safer default.

3. Press your shortcut to draw, press it again to hide

One-shot mode (alternative)

Opens the overlay once and exits when you close it. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in the Activities overview — no terminal needed.

wayscriber --active

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

Install (KDE / DEB)

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)

Daemon mode (recommended)

preferred

Runs in the background; toggle the overlay instantly with a shortcut.

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 wayscriber --daemon-toggle.
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

One-shot mode (alternative)

Opens once and exits when done. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in the application launcher — no terminal needed.

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

Daemon mode (recommended)

preferred

Runs in the background; toggle the overlay instantly with a shortcut. Best for daily use.

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Bind this command to a shortcut in your desktop/WM

wayscriber --daemon-toggle

Define the toggle only once. If your desktop shortcut environment does not resolve wayscriber from PATH, use the absolute path from command -v wayscriber.

One-shot mode (alternative)

Opens once and exits when done. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in your application menu or launcher — no terminal needed.

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

Daemon mode (recommended)

preferred

Runs in the background; toggle the overlay instantly with a shortcut.

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

GNOME shortcut (Settings → Keyboard → Custom Shortcuts)

Click +, name it Wayscriber Toggle.
Command: wayscriber --daemon-toggle.
Set a key (e.g., Super+G).

On GNOME, Super+D is frequently reserved, so Super+G is recommended.

One-shot mode (alternative)

Opens once and exits when done. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in the Activities overview — no terminal needed.

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)

Daemon mode (recommended)

preferred

Runs in the background; toggle the overlay instantly with a shortcut.

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Create a global shortcut

Open Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
Select Add new → Command or Script, then click OK.
Command: wayscriber --daemon-toggle.
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 mode (alternative)

Opens once and exits when done. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in the application launcher — no terminal needed.

wayscriber --active

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 mode (recommended)

preferred

Runs in the background; toggle the overlay instantly with a shortcut.

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Hyprland example binding

bind = SUPER, D, exec, wayscriber --daemon-toggle

Define the toggle only once. If Hyprland does not resolve wayscriber from PATH, use the absolute path from command -v wayscriber.

One-shot mode (alternative)

Opens once and exits when done. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in your application menu or launcher — no terminal needed.

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 mode (recommended)

preferred

Runs in the background; toggle the overlay instantly with a shortcut.

systemctl --user enable --now wayscriber.service

Hyprland example binding

bind = SUPER, D, exec, wayscriber --daemon-toggle

Define the toggle only once. If Hyprland does not resolve wayscriber from PATH, use the absolute path from command -v wayscriber.

One-shot mode (alternative)

Opens once and exits when done. Good for quick tests.

Or just search for Wayscriber in your application menu or launcher — no terminal needed.

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, wayscriber --daemon-toggle

Define the toggle only once. If Hyprland does not resolve wayscriber from PATH, use the absolute path from command -v 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 wayscriber --daemon-toggle.
Click Set Shortcut and press Super+G.

Make sure the wayscriber daemon is running. Define the toggle only once, and if your shortcut environment does not resolve wayscriber from PATH, use the absolute path from command -v wayscriber. On Ubuntu GNOME, Super+D is often already reserved.

Ubuntu (KDE) keybinding instructions

Open Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
Select Add new → Command or Script, then click OK.
Command: wayscriber --daemon-toggle.
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, enter light passthrough with Ctrl+Shift+L while the overlay has focus, use a global wayscriber --light-toggle shortcut to get back out, open the command palette with Ctrl+K, open the radial menu with middle-click (scroll to adjust size), exit with Esc / Ctrl+Q, and toggle the status bar with F4 (F12 alt).

Session Continuity

Enable Session storage to pick up where you left off, or use named session files for one drawing set per lecture, meeting, or project. The overlay Session panel can open, save as, inspect, clear, and reopen recent sessions; the configurator manages the catalog and inactive files.

Read the session manager guide

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
Select/move: Alt + drag or V
Drag maps: Configurable per button

Boards & Modes

Whiteboard: Ctrl+W
Blackboard: Ctrl+B
Transparent: Ctrl+Shift+T
Board slots: Ctrl+Shift+1 - 9
Pages: Ctrl+Alt + Left/Right
New page: Ctrl+Alt+N
Light passthrough: Ctrl+Shift+L while focused
Global light exit/toggle: wayscriber --light-toggle
Examples: Hyprland and KDE

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
Copy: Ctrl+Alt+C
Paste: Ctrl+Alt+V
Context menu: Right-click / Shift+F10
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
Stores: Full per-tool profile
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