First screen, captured 5 days ago. Open the video.

Dux: Free, open-source Wayland desktop shell with file manager and theming

What HN thinks

A Linux shell gets a new name and the thread argues about Latin, Mussolini and curl | sh before getting to the widgets.

Happy long-term users
Several people have run DMS/Dux with Niri for about a year and call it polished and low-maintenance, with QML widgets as a highlight.
Noctalia as the lighter rival
Many weigh it against Noctalia, whose v5 dropped Quickshell and is seen as lighter. Some worry about Quickshell's memory use and battery drain.
Name and install gripes
Some object that 'Dux' echoes Mussolini's title and dislike the curl | sh installer. Others reply that dux just means leader or top student, and that curl | sh risk is overblown.

Consensus: Most agree Dux (formerly Dank Material Shell) is a mature, slick shell for Niri and similar compositors. Opinions split on whether its weight and scope are worth it next to lighter options like Noctalia.

Recommended in the comments

Noctalia (product): Seen as lighter and more performant than DMS, with a well-regarded dev team.
MangoWM ↗ (tool): Called more functional than Niri and focused on getting basic features right.
Niri (tool): The popular pairing for Dux among long-term users.
Triad ↗ (tool): Promises custom-WM flexibility through config, with shell compatibility built in.
Umbriel (tool): A commenter has really been enjoying it.
KDE Plasma (product): Described as polished, and able to replicate a Unity-style layout.

Summarised by Claude from the comment thread 4 days ago.

Points: 332
Comments: 134
Best rank: #1
Posted: 2026-11-08 by indigodaddy
Category: Open source

wayland linux-desktop desktop-shell niri hyprland file-manager theming

All captures:

Full page

Captured 5 days ago. Click for the whole screenshot.

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