Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is SomeWM?
SomeWM is AwesomeWM ported to Wayland. It aims for 100% Lua API compatibility with AwesomeWM, letting you use your existing rc.lua configuration.
Why "SomeWM"?
It's a play on "AwesomeWM" - if Awesome is great, Some is... adequate? The name reflects that it's a port, not a reimagining.
Can I use my existing AwesomeWM config?
Yes! Most configs work with minimal changes. See Migrating from AwesomeWM for details.
Is SomeWM stable?
SomeWM is in active development. Most AwesomeWM functionality works, but some features are still being implemented. See Current Limitations.
Configuration
Where is my config file?
SomeWM looks for configs in this order:
~/.config/somewm/rc.lua~/.config/awesome/rc.lua- System fallback
How do I reload my config?
Press Mod4 + Ctrl + r to reload your Lua configuration without restarting.
Can I restart SomeWM like AwesomeWM?
No. Wayland compositors can't restart in place - all clients would disconnect. Use config reload instead.
Compatibility
Will all AwesomeWM widgets work?
Yes, all wibox widgets work because the Lua libraries are identical to AwesomeWM.
What about third-party libraries like bling?
Most work without changes. Some may need adjustments if they use X11-specific features.
Why don't X11 tools work?
Tools like xdotool, xrandr, xprop are X11-specific. See Wayland vs X11 for alternatives.
Features
Does the systray work?
Yes, but differently. SomeWM uses the SNI D-Bus protocol instead of X11 embed. Most modern apps support this.
Can I take screenshots?
Yes! Use awful.screenshot or external tools like grim and slurp. See Screenshots.
Does multi-monitor work?
Yes. Screens are detected automatically and you can configure them per-screen in your rc.lua.
Troubleshooting
SomeWM won't start
See Troubleshooting for common issues.
My config isn't loading
Run somewm --check ~/.config/somewm/rc.lua to check for errors.
Widgets aren't rendering
Usually means LGI isn't found. See Installation - LGI Troubleshooting.