name: dankms version: 1.0 description: DankMaterialShell (DMS) Skill

DankMaterialShell (DMS) Skill

A specialized skill for configuring and customizing DankMaterialShell with Wayland compositors (MangoWC, Niri, Hyprland, Sway, labwc), providing expert guidance on this complete desktop shell replacement built with Quickshell & Go.

Skill Overview

Purpose: Provide comprehensive support for DankMaterialShell configuration, theming, and integration with Wayland compositors in NixOS.

Invoke When:

Setting up DankMaterialShell desktop environment
Configuring DMS with Niri, Hyprland, MangoWC, Sway, or labwc
Customizing DMS theming and appearance
Managing DMS components (launcher, control center, notifications)
Using DMS CLI and IPC system
Troubleshooting DankMaterialShell issues
Replacing traditional Wayland desktop components
Creating custom themes for DMS
Integrating DMS with NixOS/home-manager

Core Capabilities

1. What is DankMaterialShell?

DankMaterialShell (DMS) is a complete desktop shell for Wayland compositors that replaces waybar, swaylock, swayidle, mako, fuzzel, polkit, and everything else you'd normally stitch together to make a desktop.

Built With:

Quickshell: QML-based UI framework for panels and widgets
Go: Backend for CLI tools and system integration

Key Philosophy: Instead of combining multiple separate tools (waybar + mako + fuzzel + swaylock + etc.), DMS provides a unified, cohesive desktop experience.

Project: AvengeMedia/DankMaterialShell Website: danklinux.com Documentation: danklinux.com/docs

2. Architecture & Components

DMS Replaces:

Traditional Tool	DMS Component	Purpose
waybar	DMS Panels	Status bar and panels
swaylock	DMS Session	Screen lock
swayidle	DMS Session	Idle detection
mako/dunst	DMS Notifications	Notification system
fuzzel/rofi	DMS Spotlight	Application launcher
polkit-agent	DMS Polkit	Authentication
nm-applet	DMS Control Center	Network management
blueman	DMS Control Center	Bluetooth management
pavucontrol	DMS Control Center	Audio control

Three-Part Architecture:

Quickshell (QML Interface)
- UI components for panels, widgets, overlays
- System integration modules
- Shared theming resources
Core (Go Backend)
- dms CLI for shell control
- IPC system for external communication
- System integration
Distro (Packaging)
- NixOS/home-manager modules
- Distribution-specific packaging

3. Installation

Method 1: Quick Install (One-Command)

# Automatic installation for most distros
curl -fsSL https://install.danklinux.com | sh

# Supports: Arch, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE, Gentoo

Method 2: NixOS Flake (Recommended for NixOS)

# flake.nix
{
  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";

    home-manager = {
      url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };

    # Add DankMaterialShell
    dms = {
      url = "github:AvengeMedia/DankMaterialShell";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };
  };

  outputs = { nixpkgs, home-manager, dms, ... }: {
    nixosConfigurations.hostname = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
      system = "x86_64-linux";

      modules = [
        home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
        {
          home-manager.users.username = {
            # Import DMS home-manager module
            imports = [ dms.homeModules.dankMaterialShell.default ];

            # Enable DankMaterialShell
            programs.dankMaterialShell = {
              enable = true;

              # Compositor integration
              compositor = "niri";  # or "hyprland", "mangowc", "sway", "labwc"

              # Theming
              theming = {
                matugen.enable = true;  # Wallpaper-based theming
                dank16.enable = true;   # Color scheme generation
              };

              # Components
              components = {
                panels.enable = true;
                spotlight.enable = true;
                notifications.enable = true;
                controlCenter.enable = true;
                session.enable = true;
                polkit.enable = true;
              };
            };
          };
        }
      ];
    };
  };
}

Method 3: Arch Linux (AUR)

# Binary package
yay -S dms-shell-bin

# Git version
yay -S dms-shell-git

Method 4: Manual Build from Source

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/AvengeMedia/DankMaterialShell.git
cd DankMaterialShell

# Build Go backend
cd core
make
make dankinstall

# Run Quickshell
cd ..
quickshell -p quickshell/

4. Compositor Integration

Fully Supported Compositors

DMS works best with these compositors (full workspace switching, overview integration, monitor management):

Niri - Scrollable-tiling compositor
Hyprland - Dynamic tiling with effects
MangoWC - DWM-like Wayland compositor
Sway - i3-compatible Wayland compositor
labwc - Openbox-like stacking compositor
Scroll - Experimental compositor

Other Wayland compositors work with reduced features.

Niri Integration Example

# home.nix
{ config, pkgs, ... }:
{
  # Configure Niri
  programs.niri.settings = {
    # Disable built-in components (DMS replaces them)
    # No need for waybar, etc.

    # Spawn DMS at startup
    spawn-at-startup = [
      { command = [ "dms" "run" ]; }
    ];

    # DMS handles panels, so adjust struts
    layout.struts = {
      top = 40;     # DMS panel height
      bottom = 0;
      left = 0;
      right = 0;
    };

    # Remove keybindings that conflict with DMS
    binds = {
      # Let DMS handle launcher
      # "Mod+Space" removed

      # DMS Spotlight toggle
      "Mod+Space".action = spawn "dms" "ipc" "call" "spotlight" "toggle";

      # DMS Control Center
      "Mod+Shift+C".action = spawn "dms" "ipc" "call" "controlcenter" "toggle";

      # DMS lock screen
      "Mod+L".action = spawn "dms" "ipc" "call" "session" "lock";
    };
  };

  # Enable DankMaterialShell
  programs.dankMaterialShell = {
    enable = true;
    compositor = "niri";
  };
}

Hyprland Integration Example

# home.nix
{ config, pkgs, ... }:
{
  # Configure Hyprland
  wayland.windowManager.hyprland.settings = {
    # Spawn DMS at startup
    exec-once = [
      "dms run"
    ];

    # DMS keybindings
    bind = [
      # Launcher
      "SUPER, Space, exec, dms ipc call spotlight toggle"

      # Control Center
      "SUPER_SHIFT, C, exec, dms ipc call controlcenter toggle"

      # Lock screen
      "SUPER, L, exec, dms ipc call session lock"

      # Volume (DMS handles OSD)
      ", XF86AudioRaiseVolume, exec, dms ipc call audio setvolume +5"
      ", XF86AudioLowerVolume, exec, dms ipc call audio setvolume -5"
      ", XF86AudioMute, exec, dms ipc call audio togglemute"

      # Brightness (DMS handles OSD)
      ", XF86MonBrightnessUp, exec, dms brightness set +10"
      ", XF86MonBrightnessDown, exec, dms brightness set -10"
    ];

    # Layer rules for DMS panels
    layerrule = [
      "blur, dms-panel"
      "ignorezero, dms-panel"
    ];

    # Window rules for DMS components
    windowrulev2 = [
      "float, class:^(dms-spotlight)$"
      "center, class:^(dms-spotlight)$"
      "stayfocused, class:^(dms-spotlight)$"

      "float, class:^(dms-controlcenter)$"
      "move 100%-420 60, class:^(dms-controlcenter)$"
      "size 400 800, class:^(dms-controlcenter)$"
    ];
  };

  # Enable DankMaterialShell
  programs.dankMaterialShell = {
    enable = true;
    compositor = "hyprland";
  };
}

MangoWC Integration Example

# ~/.config/mango/config.conf

# Spawn DMS at startup
spawn-at-startup "dms run"

# DMS keybindings
bind=SUPER,Space,spawn,dms ipc call spotlight toggle
bind=SUPER_SHIFT,c,spawn,dms ipc call controlcenter toggle
bind=SUPER,l,spawn,dms ipc call session lock

# Volume with DMS OSD
bind=,XF86AudioRaiseVolume,spawn,dms ipc call audio setvolume +5
bind=,XF86AudioLowerVolume,spawn,dms ipc call audio setvolume -5
bind=,XF86AudioMute,spawn,dms ipc call audio togglemute

# Brightness with DMS OSD
bind=,XF86MonBrightnessUp,spawn,dms brightness set +10
bind=,XF86MonBrightnessDown,spawn,dms brightness set -10

5. CLI Usage & IPC System

DMS CLI Commands

# ============ Shell Management ============
dms run                           # Start DankMaterialShell
dms stop                          # Stop DankMaterialShell
dms restart                       # Restart DankMaterialShell
dms version                       # Show version info

# ============ IPC Commands ============
# Spotlight (Launcher)
dms ipc call spotlight toggle     # Toggle launcher
dms ipc call spotlight show       # Show launcher
dms ipc call spotlight hide       # Hide launcher

# Control Center
dms ipc call controlcenter toggle # Toggle control center
dms ipc call controlcenter show   # Show control center
dms ipc call controlcenter hide   # Hide control center

# Notifications
dms ipc call notifications show   # Show notification center
dms ipc call notifications clear  # Clear all notifications
dms ipc call notifications dismiss # Dismiss latest

# Audio
dms ipc call audio setvolume 50   # Set volume to 50%
dms ipc call audio setvolume +5   # Increase volume
dms ipc call audio setvolume -5   # Decrease volume
dms ipc call audio togglemute     # Toggle mute
dms ipc call audio getsources     # List audio sources
dms ipc call audio getsinks       # List audio sinks

# Session
dms ipc call session lock         # Lock screen
dms ipc call session unlock       # Unlock screen
dms ipc call session logout       # Logout
dms ipc call session suspend      # Suspend system
dms ipc call session reboot       # Reboot system
dms ipc call session shutdown     # Shutdown system

# Wallpaper
dms ipc call wallpaper set /path/to/image.jpg
dms ipc call wallpaper next       # Next wallpaper
dms ipc call wallpaper previous   # Previous wallpaper
dms ipc call wallpaper random     # Random wallpaper

# Theme
dms ipc call theme set dark       # Set dark theme
dms ipc call theme set light      # Set light theme
dms ipc call theme set auto       # Auto theme (time-based)
dms ipc call theme list           # List available themes

# Night Mode
dms ipc call nightmode toggle     # Toggle night mode
dms ipc call nightmode set 3500   # Set color temperature

# ============ Display Management ============
dms brightness list               # List displays
dms brightness get                # Get current brightness
dms brightness set 50             # Set brightness to 50%
dms brightness set +10            # Increase brightness
dms brightness set -10            # Decrease brightness

# ============ Plugin System ============
dms plugins search <query>        # Search plugin registry
dms plugins list                  # List installed plugins
dms plugins install <plugin>      # Install plugin
dms plugins remove <plugin>       # Remove plugin
dms plugins update                # Update all plugins

# ============ Configuration ============
dms config get <key>              # Get config value
dms config set <key> <value>      # Set config value
dms config reset                  # Reset to defaults

# ============ Debugging ============
dms debug logs                    # Show logs
dms debug status                  # Show system status
dms debug reload                  # Reload configuration

IPC in Scripts

#!/bin/bash
# Example: Volume control with notification

case "$1" in
  up)
    dms ipc call audio setvolume +5
    ;;
  down)
    dms ipc call audio setvolume -5
    ;;
  mute)
    dms ipc call audio togglemute
    ;;
esac

6. Dynamic Theming System

Matugen Integration

DMS automatically generates color schemes from your wallpaper using matugen and dank16.

How It Works:

Set wallpaper via DMS
DMS spawns matugen to extract colors
Color palette generated using Material Design 3
Theme files created for:
- GTK applications
- Qt applications
- Terminals (alacritty, kitty, foot, etc.)
- Text editors (VSCode, VSCodium, Neovim, etc.)
- Shell (bash, zsh, fish)
- DMS itself

Configuration:

# home.nix
programs.dankMaterialShell = {
  theming = {
    # Enable automatic wallpaper-based theming
    matugen = {
      enable = true;
      mode = "auto";  # or "dark", "light"
      scheme = "content";  # or "expressive", "neutral", "vibrant"
      contrast = 0.0;  # -1.0 to 1.0
    };

    # Enable dank16 color scheme
    dank16.enable = true;

    # Custom matugen templates
    customTemplates = [
      "/home/user/.config/matugen/templates/myapp.toml"
    ];
  };

  # Initial wallpaper
  wallpaper = "/home/user/Pictures/wallpaper.jpg";
};

Disable Matugen (if needed):

# Environment variable
export DMS_DISABLE_MATUGEN=1

# Then start DMS
dms run

Custom Themes:

# List available themes
dms ipc call theme list

# Pre-made themes:
# - Cyberpunk Electric
# - Hotline Miami
# - Miami Vice
# - Material Design 3 (default)

# Set custom theme
dms ipc call theme set "Cyberpunk Electric"

Manual Theme Creation:

# Create custom Material Design 3 theme
programs.dankMaterialShell.theming = {
  customTheme = {
    name = "My Custom Theme";
    colors = {
      primary = "#89b4fa";
      secondary = "#cba6f7";
      tertiary = "#f5c2e7";
      error = "#f38ba8";
      background = "#1e1e2e";
      surface = "#313244";
      onPrimary = "#11111b";
      onSecondary = "#11111b";
      onTertiary = "#11111b";
      onError = "#11111b";
      onBackground = "#cdd6f4";
      onSurface = "#cdd6f4";
    };
  };
};

7. DMS Components

7.1 Spotlight (Launcher)

Powerful search supporting:

Applications
Files
Emojis
Running windows
Calculator functions
Extensible plugins

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.spotlight = {
  enable = true;
  keybind = "Super+Space";

  # Search providers
  providers = {
    applications = true;
    files = true;
    emojis = true;
    windows = true;
    calculator = true;
    web = true;
  };

  # File search paths
  fileSearchPaths = [
    "~/Documents"
    "~/Downloads"
    "~/Pictures"
  ];

  # Appearance
  width = 600;
  maxResults = 8;
  fuzzyMatching = true;
};

Usage:

# Toggle spotlight
dms ipc call spotlight toggle

# Or use keybind (default: Super+Space)

7.2 Control Center

Unified interface for system settings:

Network management
Bluetooth
Audio control
Display settings
Night mode
Power management

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.controlCenter = {
  enable = true;
  keybind = "Super+Shift+C";

  # Modules
  modules = {
    network = true;
    bluetooth = true;
    audio = true;
    brightness = true;
    nightMode = true;
    power = true;
  };

  # Appearance
  width = 400;
  height = 800;
  position = "top-right";
};

7.3 Notifications

Rich notification system with:

Grouping support
Rich text rendering
Keyboard navigation
Image previews
Action buttons

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.notifications = {
  enable = true;

  # Position
  position = "top-right";
  offset = {
    x = 10;
    y = 60;
  };

  # Behavior
  timeout = 5000;  # 5 seconds
  maxNotifications = 5;
  grouping = true;

  # Do Not Disturb
  dnd = {
    enable = true;
    schedule = {
      start = "22:00";
      end = "07:00";
    };
  };
};

7.4 Session Management

Handles:

Screen locking
Idle detection
Auto-lock/suspend
AC/battery profiles
Greeter support

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.session = {
  enable = true;

  # Lock screen
  lock = {
    wallpaper = "current";  # or path to image
    showClock = true;
    showDate = true;
    blurBackground = true;
  };

  # Idle detection
  idle = {
    timeout = 300;  # 5 minutes
    actions = {
      lock = true;
      dpms = true;
    };
  };

  # Auto-suspend
  suspend = {
    enable = true;
    timeout = 1800;  # 30 minutes

    # Different timeouts for AC/battery
    acTimeout = 3600;      # 1 hour on AC
    batteryTimeout = 900;  # 15 minutes on battery
  };
};

7.5 Panels

Status panels with widgets:

Workspaces/tags
Window title
System tray
Clock/calendar
System stats (CPU, RAM, etc.)
Weather
Media player
Quick settings

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.panels = {
  enable = true;

  # Top panel
  top = {
    height = 40;
    modules = {
      left = [
        "workspaces"
        "window-title"
      ];
      center = [
        "clock"
      ];
      right = [
        "system-tray"
        "audio"
        "network"
        "battery"
        "power-menu"
      ];
    };
  };

  # Optional bottom panel
  bottom = {
    enable = false;
    height = 30;
  };

  # Appearance
  backgroundColor = "rgba(30, 30, 46, 0.9)";
  foregroundColor = "#cdd6f4";
  accentColor = "#89b4fa";
};

7.6 Media Integration

MPRIS player controls:

Play/pause
Next/previous track
Album art
Track progress

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.media = {
  enable = true;

  # Player controls in panel
  showInPanel = true;

  # Media popup
  popup = {
    enable = true;
    timeout = 3000;  # 3 seconds
    position = "top-center";
  };
};

7.7 Calendar & Weather

Calendar synchronization and weather widgets.

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell = {
  calendar = {
    enable = true;
    provider = "google";  # or "outlook", "caldav"
    # Authentication configured separately
  };

  weather = {
    enable = true;
    location = "New York, NY";
    provider = "openweathermap";
    apiKey = "/run/secrets/openweather-api";
    units = "metric";  # or "imperial"
  };
};

7.8 Clipboard Manager

Clipboard history with:

Text history
Image previews
Search
Pin items

Configuration:

programs.dankMaterialShell.clipboard = {
  enable = true;
  keybind = "Super+V";

  # History
  maxItems = 100;
  persistHistory = true;
  historyPath = "~/.local/share/dms/clipboard";

  # Features
  imageSupport = true;
  searchEnabled = true;
};

8. Plugin System

Browse Plugin Registry

# Search plugins
dms plugins search music

# List categories
dms plugins categories

# Show plugin details
dms plugins info spotify-control

Install Plugins

# Install plugin
dms plugins install spotify-control

# Update plugins
dms plugins update

# Remove plugin
dms plugins remove spotify-control

Declarative Plugin Management (NixOS)

programs.dankMaterialShell.plugins = {
  enable = true;

  # List of plugins from registry
  installed = [
    "spotify-control"
    "github-notifications"
    "pomodoro-timer"
    "weather-extended"
  ];

  # Custom plugins
  custom = [
    {
      name = "my-custom-plugin";
      src = ./plugins/my-plugin;
    }
  ];
};

Plugin Development

// ~/.local/share/dms/plugins/my-plugin/main.qml
import Quickshell
import DMS.Core

DmsPlugin {
    id: plugin

    pluginId: "my-plugin"
    name: "My Custom Plugin"
    version: "1.0.0"
    author: "Your Name"

    // Plugin implementation
    Component.onCompleted: {
        console.log("My plugin loaded!")
    }
}

9. NixOS-Specific Configuration

Complete NixOS Example

# home.nix
{ config, pkgs, inputs, ... }:
{
  imports = [
    inputs.dms.homeModules.dankMaterialShell.default
  ];

  # DankMaterialShell configuration
  programs.dankMaterialShell = {
    enable = true;

    # Compositor integration
    compositor = "niri";  # or "hyprland", "mangowc", "sway"

    # Theming
    theming = {
      matugen = {
        enable = true;
        mode = "auto";
        scheme = "content";
      };
      dank16.enable = true;
    };

    wallpaper = "/home/user/Pictures/wallpaper.jpg";

    # Components
    spotlight = {
      enable = true;
      keybind = "Super+Space";
      providers = {
        applications = true;
        files = true;
        emojis = true;
        calculator = true;
      };
    };

    controlCenter = {
      enable = true;
      keybind = "Super+Shift+C";
      modules = {
        network = true;
        bluetooth = true;
        audio = true;
        brightness = true;
        nightMode = true;
      };
    };

    notifications = {
      enable = true;
      position = "top-right";
      timeout = 5000;
    };

    session = {
      enable = true;
      lock.blurBackground = true;
      idle.timeout = 300;
      suspend.enable = true;
    };

    panels = {
      enable = true;
      top = {
        height = 40;
        modules = {
          left = [ "workspaces" "window-title" ];
          center = [ "clock" ];
          right = [ "system-tray" "audio" "network" "battery" ];
        };
      };
    };

    media.enable = true;
    clipboard.enable = true;
    weather = {
      enable = true;
      location = "New York, NY";
    };

    # Plugins
    plugins = {
      enable = true;
      installed = [
        "spotify-control"
        "github-notifications"
      ];
    };
  };

  # Additional packages for DMS
  home.packages = with pkgs; [
    # Theming dependencies
    matugen
    imagemagick

    # Optional enhancements
    playerctl  # Media control
    brightnessctl  # Brightness control
    pamixer    # Audio control
  ];

  # Environment variables
  home.sessionVariables = {
    # Disable matugen if needed
    # DMS_DISABLE_MATUGEN = "1";
  };
}

System-Level Configuration

# configuration.nix
{ config, pkgs, inputs, ... }:
{
  # Enable required services
  services = {
    dbus.enable = true;
    udisks2.enable = true;
    upower.enable = true;
  };

  # Security for polkit
  security.polkit.enable = true;

  # Audio
  services.pipewire = {
    enable = true;
    alsa.enable = true;
    pulse.enable = true;
  };

  # Network
  networking.networkmanager.enable = true;

  # Bluetooth
  hardware.bluetooth.enable = true;
  services.blueman.enable = false;  # DMS handles Bluetooth

  # Fonts (for DMS UI)
  fonts.packages = with pkgs; [
    (nerdfonts.override { fonts = [ "JetBrainsMono" "FiraCode" ]; })
    noto-fonts
    noto-fonts-emoji
  ];
}

10. Common Patterns and Solutions

Pattern 1: Multi-Compositor Setup

# Switch between compositors easily
let
  currentCompositor = "niri";  # Change this variable
in
{
  programs.dankMaterialShell = {
    enable = true;
    compositor = currentCompositor;
  };

  # Compositor-specific configuration
  programs.niri.enable = currentCompositor == "niri";
  wayland.windowManager.hyprland.enable = currentCompositor == "hyprland";
}

Pattern 2: Custom Keybindings per Compositor

# Compositor-specific keybinds for DMS
wayland.windowManager.hyprland.settings.bind =
  lib.optionals config.programs.dankMaterialShell.enable [
    "SUPER, Space, exec, dms ipc call spotlight toggle"
    "SUPER_SHIFT, C, exec, dms ipc call controlcenter toggle"
    "SUPER, L, exec, dms ipc call session lock"
  ];

Pattern 3: Theming Integration

# Sync DMS theme with system theme
programs.dankMaterialShell.theming = {
  matugen.mode = if config.stylix.polarity == "dark" then "dark" else "light";
};

# Or use Stylix with DMS
stylix = {
  enable = true;
  image = config.programs.dankMaterialShell.wallpaper;
};

Pattern 4: Systemd Integration

# Ensure DMS starts with compositor
systemd.user.services.dankMaterialShell = {
  Unit = {
    Description = "DankMaterialShell Desktop Environment";
    After = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
    PartOf = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
  };

  Service = {
    ExecStart = "${pkgs.dankMaterialShell}/bin/dms run";
    Restart = "on-failure";
  };

  Install.WantedBy = [ "graphical-session.target" ];
};

Pattern 5: Plugin Development Workflow

# Create plugin directory
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/dms/plugins/my-plugin

# Create plugin manifest
cat > ~/.local/share/dms/plugins/my-plugin/plugin.json <<EOF
{
  "id": "my-plugin",
  "name": "My Plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": "Your Name",
  "description": "Plugin description",
  "main": "main.qml"
}
EOF

# Create plugin QML
# Edit ~/.local/share/dms/plugins/my-plugin/main.qml

# Reload DMS
dms restart

Troubleshooting Guide

Issue 1: DMS Won't Start

Problem: DankMaterialShell fails to launch

Solution:

# Check logs
journalctl --user -u dankMaterialShell -f

# Run directly for debugging
dms run --debug

# Check dependencies
dms debug status

# Verify Quickshell installation
which quickshell
quickshell --version

Issue 2: Compositor Not Detected

Problem: DMS doesn't integrate with compositor

Solution:

# Explicitly set compositor
programs.dankMaterialShell.compositor = "niri";

# Verify compositor is running
echo $WAYLAND_DISPLAY
pgrep -a niri

# Check compositor-specific integration
dms debug compositor

Issue 3: Theming Not Working

Problem: Wallpaper colors not applied

Solution:

# Verify matugen is installed
which matugen
matugen --version

# Check if matugen is enabled
echo $DMS_DISABLE_MATUGEN  # Should be empty or unset

# Manually trigger theme generation
dms ipc call wallpaper set /path/to/image.jpg

# Check theme files
ls -la ~/.config/gtk-3.0/
ls -la ~/.config/qt5ct/
ls -la ~/.config/alacritty/

Issue 4: Spotlight Not Responding

Problem: Launcher won't open

Solution:

# Test IPC
dms ipc call spotlight toggle

# Check if process is running
ps aux | grep dms

# Verify keybind
# Check compositor keybinding configuration

# Restart DMS
dms restart

Issue 5: Notifications Not Showing

Problem: No notifications appear

Solution:

# Check notification daemon
systemctl --user status dms-notifications

# Test notification
notify-send "Test" "This is a test notification"

# Check DMS notification settings
dms config get notifications.enable

# Verify Do Not Disturb is off
dms ipc call notifications dnd off

Issue 6: Control Center Empty

Problem: Control center modules not loading

Solution:

# Verify system services are enabled
services.networkmanager.enable = true;
hardware.bluetooth.enable = true;
services.pipewire.enable = true;

# Check module configuration
programs.dankMaterialShell.controlCenter.modules = {
  network = true;
  bluetooth = true;
  audio = true;
};

# Rebuild and test
home-manager switch

Issue 7: High CPU/Memory Usage

Problem: DMS using excessive resources

Solution:

# Check resource usage
dms debug status

# Disable matugen if needed
export DMS_DISABLE_MATUGEN=1
dms restart

# Reduce panel update frequency
# Edit panel configuration

# Disable unused components
programs.dankMaterialShell = {
  media.enable = false;  # If not needed
  weather.enable = false;
};

Best Practices

DO ✅

Use DMS as complete replacement

# Remove individual tools
# programs.waybar.enable = false;
# services.mako.enable = false;
# programs.rofi.enable = false;

# Enable DMS
programs.dankMaterialShell.enable = true;

Enable matugen for cohesive theming
```
theming.matugen.enable = true;
```

Configure compositor integration

compositor = "niri";  # Match your compositor

Use IPC for custom scripts
```
dms ipc call spotlight toggle
```

Leverage plugin system

plugins.installed = [ "useful-plugin" ];

Enable relevant components

# Only enable what you need
media.enable = true;
weather.enable = false;

Use declarative configuration

# NixOS declarative config
programs.dankMaterialShell = { };

Set up systemd integration
```
# Ensure proper startup
```
Configure keybindings in compositor
```
# Bind DMS IPC calls to keys
```

Keep DMS updated

dms plugins update
# Or rebuild NixOS configuration

DON'T ❌

Don't mix DMS with individual tools

# ❌ Bad - conflicts
programs.dankMaterialShell.enable = true;
programs.waybar.enable = true;  # DMS replaces this

# ✅ Good - DMS only
programs.dankMaterialShell.enable = true;

Don't disable matugen without reason

# ❌ Loses automatic theming
# ✅ Keep enabled for best experience
theming.matugen.enable = true;

Don't forget compositor integration

# ❌ No compositor set
# ✅ Specify compositor
compositor = "hyprland";

Don't skip required system services

# ❌ Missing services
# ✅ Enable required services
services.networkmanager.enable = true;
hardware.bluetooth.enable = true;

Don't ignore IPC capabilities

# ❌ Manual tool launching
fuzzel

# ✅ Use DMS IPC
dms ipc call spotlight toggle

Don't hardcode paths

# ❌ Hardcoded
wallpaper = "/home/user/Pictures/wall.jpg";

# ✅ Use variable
wallpaper = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/Pictures/wallpaper.jpg";

Don't disable all components

# ❌ Why use DMS then?
# ✅ Use at least core components

Command Reference

DMS CLI

# Shell management
dms run                           # Start DMS
dms stop                          # Stop DMS
dms restart                       # Restart DMS
dms version                       # Version info

# IPC
dms ipc call <component> <action> [args]

# Brightness
dms brightness list               # List displays
dms brightness get                # Current brightness
dms brightness set <value>        # Set brightness

# Plugins
dms plugins search <query>        # Search registry
dms plugins install <plugin>      # Install plugin
dms plugins remove <plugin>       # Remove plugin
dms plugins update                # Update plugins

# Config
dms config get <key>              # Get value
dms config set <key> <value>      # Set value

# Debug
dms debug logs                    # Show logs
dms debug status                  # System status

IPC Components

# Spotlight
spotlight toggle|show|hide

# Control Center
controlcenter toggle|show|hide

# Notifications
notifications show|clear|dismiss

# Audio
audio setvolume|togglemute|getsources|getsinks

# Session
session lock|unlock|logout|suspend|reboot|shutdown

# Wallpaper
wallpaper set|next|previous|random

# Theme
theme set|list

# Night Mode
nightmode toggle|set

Resources and Documentation

Official Resources

GitHub - DankMaterialShell - Official repository
Dank Linux Website - Project website
Dank Linux Docs - Complete documentation
NixOS Installation Guide - NixOS-specific setup
Application Theming Guide - Theming docs

Community Resources

syslog.space - DMS Article - Overview and features
Plugin Registry - Browse available plugins
DankInstall Docs - Installer documentation

Related Projects

Quickshell - QML framework for DMS
Matugen - Material Design color generation
Community Forks: Various community-maintained versions

Ready to configure DankMaterialShell! Let me know what you need help with. 🎨

dankms

Installation

Details

Usage

Skill Instructions

name: dankms version: 1.0 description: DankMaterialShell (DMS) Skill

DankMaterialShell (DMS) Skill

Skill Overview

Core Capabilities

1. What is DankMaterialShell?

2. Architecture & Components

3. Installation

Method 1: Quick Install (One-Command)

Method 2: NixOS Flake (Recommended for NixOS)

Method 3: Arch Linux (AUR)

Method 4: Manual Build from Source

4. Compositor Integration

Fully Supported Compositors

Niri Integration Example

Hyprland Integration Example

MangoWC Integration Example

5. CLI Usage & IPC System

DMS CLI Commands

IPC in Scripts

6. Dynamic Theming System

Matugen Integration

7. DMS Components

7.1 Spotlight (Launcher)

7.2 Control Center

7.3 Notifications

7.4 Session Management

7.5 Panels

7.6 Media Integration

7.7 Calendar & Weather

7.8 Clipboard Manager

8. Plugin System

Browse Plugin Registry

Install Plugins

Declarative Plugin Management (NixOS)

Plugin Development

9. NixOS-Specific Configuration

Complete NixOS Example

System-Level Configuration

10. Common Patterns and Solutions

Pattern 1: Multi-Compositor Setup

Pattern 2: Custom Keybindings per Compositor

Pattern 3: Theming Integration

Pattern 4: Systemd Integration

Pattern 5: Plugin Development Workflow

Troubleshooting Guide

Issue 1: DMS Won't Start

Issue 2: Compositor Not Detected

Issue 3: Theming Not Working

Issue 4: Spotlight Not Responding

Issue 5: Notifications Not Showing

Issue 6: Control Center Empty

Issue 7: High CPU/Memory Usage

Best Practices

DO ✅

DON'T ❌

Command Reference

DMS CLI

IPC Components

Resources and Documentation

Official Resources

Community Resources

Related Projects

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