Eww
What it is
Eww is a free, MIT-licensed widget system for Linux, written in Rust and designed to work independently of any window manager. Users define widgets, window geometry, behavior, state, and data with the Yuck language, then style them through GTK’s CSS or SCSS engine. Its widget categories include labels, buttons, images, inputs, progress displays, calendars, graphs, tooltips, overlays, stacks, and layout containers. Built-in variables expose CPU, RAM, disk, battery, network, and time information. Polling variables repeatedly run shell scripts, while listening variables update when script output produces a new line. Documentation examples use xprop for focused-desktop tracking and playerctl for currently playing songs. Separate build commands are provided for X11 and Wayland. Building requires Rust, Cargo, and libraries including GTK3, Pango, Cairo, and GLib. Window arguments remain constant after opening, and dynamic literal rendering is described as inefficient.
For and against
For
- Free plan with MIT license
- Works independently of the window manager
- Supports custom layouts and many widget types
- Exposes CPU, RAM, disk, battery, network, and time data
- Provides X11 and Wayland build commands
Against
- Linux only
- Requires Rust, Cargo, and GTK-related libraries
- Window arguments cannot change after opening
- Dynamic literal rendering is inefficient
The verdict
Eww offers extensive control over Linux desktop widgets, data sources, and layouts without tying them to one window manager. Its build requirements and configuration work make it better suited to technically comfortable users.
Who it suits
Eww suits Linux users who want to define their own desktop bars, dashboards, and system-monitoring widgets. It is also relevant to people comfortable building software and configuring Yuck.
Plans and prices
Free
Standalone widget system · MIT licensed
Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Build requirements
- Building Eww requires Rust and Cargo, plus dynamic libraries including GTK3, Pango, Cairo, and GLib.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Built-in system data
- Built-in variables expose data including CPU, RAM, disk, battery, network, and time information.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- Widgets, window geometry, behavior, state, and data are configured with Eww’s Yuck language.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Display backends
- The installation guide provides separate build commands for X11 and Wayland.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Dynamic data
- Polling variables can repeatedly run shell scripts, while listening variables read a script’s output and update when it produces a new line.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Efficiency note
- The documentation says dynamically rendering a widget tree with the literal widget is not very efficient and recommends using it only when necessary.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The documentation gives examples of using xprop to track the focused desktop and playerctl to monitor the currently playing song.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Eww is for people who want to define and customize their own desktop widgets, such as bars and dashboards, for a window manager.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The GitHub repository identifies the project as MIT licensed.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- Window arguments are constant and cannot be updated after a window has opened.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Eww is a standalone widget system written in Rust for creating custom widgets in any window manager.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Styling
- Eww uses CSS or SCSS through GTK’s CSS engine, which does not support all web CSS features, including some animations and layout properties.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
- Support and contribution
- The project invites contributions through GitHub pull requests and links to a beginner-friendly introductory guide.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Window manager independence
- Eww lets users create widgets independently of their window manager.elkowar.github.io · read 8 Oct 2026
