It's all about Sway. If a few moments ago we were talking about Ubuntu Sway 25.04, we now report that the development team of Sway has released version 1.11, a notable update to the i3-inspired Wayland tiling window compositor widely adopted in GNU/Linux environments. This new version integrates numerous features and fixes included in the recent update to wlroots 0.19, the foundational library upon which Sway builds its capabilities.
Among the main new features, Sway 1.11 stands out for expand Wayland protocol support, which translates into a more modern and versatile graphical experience for users. Support for the protocol color-manager-v1, for example, enables advanced color management for displays that support HDR10. In addition, the version incorporates explicit synchronization using linux-drm-syncobj-v1, optimizing communication between graphical applications and the hardware.
Sway 1.11 brings updated features and improved user experience.
As part of the most significant technical improvements, Sway 1.11 adds support for new protocols for screen capture, such as image-copy-capture-v1 y image-capture-source-v1, facilitating more efficient and clearer screen capture. Support is also implemented for alpha-modifier-v1, which allows you to adjust the transparency of surfaces, and ext-data-control-v1, which acts as an alternative for clipboard management.
La output configuration has been reviewed and refined, improving fallback logic and allowing for more agile multi-screen configuration. The ability to use mouse keys in keymaps has also been added, expanding customization and accessibility for users who rely on keyboard shortcuts.
Improvements in security, accessibility and default settings
On the security side, The security-context-v1 metadata is now available from the IPC Sway, giving users and developers more control over title criteria and formats based on security context. The default configuration file has also been updated with ready-made shortcuts for common tools like pactl, brightnessctl, and grim (screenshot). Additionally, wmenu-run has been added as the default menu, removing the previous dependency on dmenu_path.
Another important improvement is that the sway.desktop file is adjusted to define DesktopNames by default and the tap-and-drag lock mode is set to "sticky", following the recommendations of the original developer. All the improvements introduced by wlroots 0.19 are also included, such as the multi-GPU support for output-only devices, exclusive zone management using wlr-layer-shell-v1, and improvements to the scene-graph and memory allocation, boosting overall compositor performance.
Availability and download sources
For those who wish to try out this release of Sway 1.11, the source code and full changelog are accessible via the official repository on GitHub, from which it can be compiled on your preferred GNU/Linux distribution. Regular Sway users will notice a more polished interface, robust output configuration, and better integration with modern graphics devices.
With this release, Sway consolidates its position as the benchmark among Wayland-compatible tiling window managers, offering advanced features without sacrificing lightness and customizationThe new features, improved display management, and improved security mark a significant step forward for those looking to get the most out of their graphical environment under GNU/Linux.