wl-screenrec
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots Wayland compositors that encodes video on the GPU.
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About wl-screenrec
wl-screenrec records the screen on Wayland compositors built on wlroots, such as Sway. It takes frames through dma-buf transfers and uses the GPU for both pixel format conversion and encoding, so raw video data never passes through the CPU.
This keeps the processor free for the applications you are recording. It is a terminal tool with no graphical interface, which suits tiling-window-manager users who bind recording to a key or script it.
Strengths
- Hardware encoding keeps CPU load low
- dma-buf capture avoids copying frames through the CPU
- Easy to script from a terminal or key binding
Limitations
- Only works on wlroots-based Wayland compositors
- Needs a GPU with hardware video encoding
- No graphical interface
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree to use, with source code published on GitHub.
- License
- Proprietary
- Developer
- rosalyntg
- Platforms
- Linux, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Sway and other wlroots compositor users who want low-overhead recording
- 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 wl-screenrec
Compare allSoftware that can replace wl-screenrec for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
wf-recorder
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, using ffmpeg for encoding.
wf-recorder is another command-line recorder for wlroots compositors that encodes through ffmpeg, so it does not require a GPU with hardware video encoding.
OBS Studio
The standard free tool for recording a screen and for live streaming, built around scenes and sources.
OBS Studio is an open-source graphical recorder and streaming tool for Windows, macOS and Linux, needing the PipeWire source on Wayland and having a real learning curve.
Kooha
A simple GTK screen recorder for Linux with a minimal interface, supporting Wayland and X11.
Kooha is an open-source GTK recorder with one-click recording that works on Wayland and X11, trading a scriptable command for a minimal graphical interface.
Blue Recorder
A simple desktop screen recorder built with GTK4 and FFmpeg, with Wayland support on GNOME and KDE.
Blue Recorder is a GTK4 and FFmpeg recorder with a graphical interface that supports Wayland on GNOME and KDE rather than wlroots compositors.
Spectacle
KDE's screenshot and screen recording application for Linux desktops.
Spectacle is KDE's graphical screenshot and screen recording app, fitting best on a Plasma desktop rather than wlroots compositors like sway.
SimpleScreenRecorder
A Linux screen recorder for capturing programs and games, with live streaming and audio recording support.
SimpleScreenRecorder is a graphical Linux recorder with live streaming and custom codec options, though its listing does not mention Wayland support.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
wayshot
A native command-line screenshot tool for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, written in Rust.
grim
A command-line tool that grabs screenshots from a Wayland compositor.
slurp
A command-line tool that lets you select a screen region on Wayland and prints its geometry.
Screenkey
A Linux screencast tool that shows the keys you press on screen while recording.
Show Me The Key
Shows the keys you type on screen, a screenkey alternative that works under Wayland.
