grim
A command-line tool that grabs screenshots from a Wayland compositor.
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About grim
grim takes screenshots on Wayland desktops from the command line. It can capture all outputs, a single named output or a given region, and write the image to a file or to standard output so it can be piped to wl-copy for the clipboard.
It pairs with slurp for selecting a region with the mouse, and works with scripts, for example using swaymsg and jq to capture the focused monitor or window under Sway. The project has moved its development to gitlab.freedesktop.org.
Strengths
- Small and scriptable
- Captures outputs, regions or windows
- Pipes output to other tools such as wl-copy
- Works with slurp for region selection
Limitations
- Wayland only
- No graphical interface or annotation
- Development has moved away from the listed page
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source.
- License
- MIT
- Developer
- Simon Ser (emersion)
- Platforms
- Linux, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Wayland users on Sway and similar compositors who script their screenshots
- Categories
- Screen capture, CLI tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to grim
Compare allSoftware that can replace grim for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
wayshot
A native command-line screenshot tool for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, written in Rust.
wayshot is a Rust command-line screenshot tool for wlroots Wayland compositors, including libwayshot for use in other programs.
grimblast
A screenshot helper script for the Hyprland compositor, built on grim and slurp.
grimblast wraps grim and slurp with ready-made screenshot commands, but it is intended only for the Hyprland compositor.
Hyprshot
A command-line screenshot utility for Hyprland that captures windows, monitors or regions with the mouse.
Hyprshot captures windows, regions or monitors and copies to the clipboard at once, but works only with the Hyprland compositor rather than Sway and others.
Spectacle
KDE's screenshot and screen recording application for Linux desktops.
Spectacle is KDE's graphical screenshot and recording app, adding video capture but fitting best on a KDE Plasma desktop rather than Sway.
Flameshot
A cross-platform screenshot tool that drops annotation controls right on top of the selection.
Flameshot adds a graphical interface with in-place annotation and a CLI, but on Wayland it needs portal or compositor support that varies by desktop.
ksnip
A screenshot tool with annotation that works on Wayland, which several better-known ones still do not.
ksnip works on Wayland and X11 with a graphical annotation editor, though its releases are slow and its maintenance future is uncertain.
grim as an alternative
Listings that name grim as an alternative.
maim
A command-line screenshot tool for X11 that captures the whole desktop, a window or a region.
grim is an open-source command-line screenshot tool for Wayland compositors, so switching means moving from X11 to Wayland, with slurp handling region selection.
scrot
A simple command-line screenshot utility for X11 that grabs and saves images using imlib2.
grim is an open-source command-line screenshot tool for Wayland compositors, so switching means leaving X11, with slurp used for region selection.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
slurp
A command-line tool that lets you select a screen region on Wayland and prints its geometry.
swappy
A Wayland native screenshot editing tool for annotating captures, inspired by Snappy on macOS.
Satty
Annotate screenshots in a focused Linux application.
wf-recorder
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, using ffmpeg for encoding.
wl-screenrec
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots Wayland compositors that encodes video on the GPU.
