[FEATURE] GUI Settings Application / Integration for Umbriel

[May-git-kit]

Scope checklist

• I read SCOPE.md and this request is not in the out of scope list.
• I am not requesting a new tiling layout or a new layout paradigm.
• I checked the documentation and examples/config.toml, and this is not already possible with configuration, window or layer rules, keybinds, submaps, or umbriel msg.
• This needs the compositor. A desktop shell, an ordinary client, or a script over umbriel msg cannot do it.
• I have searched existing issues and pull requests for the same request.
• I understand this can be closed as out of scope, and that this is a decision about the project, not about the idea.

Problem

Currently, configuring Umbriel relies primarily on manually editing TOML configuration files and issuing CLI/IPC commands. While dotfile configuration is ideal for power users and reproducible setups, other desktop users expect an accessible visual interface for hardware setup, visual tuning, and input configuration.

A unified GUI settings suite would elevate Umbriel + Noctalia from an advanced tiling compositor setup to a cohesive, out-of-the-box desktop experience comparable to COSMIC or Plasma.

What you already tried

Currently, configuring Umbriel relies primarily on manually editing TOML configuration files.

Area

Configuration

Proposed behavior

A settings interface that interacts dynamically with Umbriel via its local IPC and runtime inspection protocol:

1. Displays & Monitors (Display Management)

• Visual drag-and-drop monitor layout arrangement (relative positioning, alignment).
• Resolution, refresh rate, VRR/Adaptive Sync toggles.
• Per-output fractional scaling and orientation/rotation controls.
• Color management and gamma adjustments (via Wayland output/gamma protocols).

2. Appearance, Effects & Animations

• Real-time sliders for window gaps, borders, corner radius, and shadow offsets.
• Blur toggle, blur radius, and opacity settings for focused/unfocused windows.
• Visual animation curve preview (spring physics / cubic-bezier curves for transitions, workspace scrolling, and overview).
• Noctalia palette/theme synchronizer.

3. Window Management & Layout Rules

• Interactive layout toggling (Scrolling, Dwindle, Master) with live gap/margin tweaks.
• GUI window rule builder (match by app-id, title, floating/tiled state, initial output, scratchpad assignments).
• Visual Scratchpad and Workspace assignment manager.

4. Input & Peripherals

• Touchpad & Mouse: Pointer speed, natural scrolling, acceleration profiles, tap-to-click, and gesture configuration (multi-finger swipes for overview/scrolling layouts).
• Keyboard: Visual keybinding manager with conflict detection, submap editor, layout/variant switcher, and XKB options.

5. System & IPC Sync

• Bidirectional synchronization: Changes in the GUI write cleanly to the configuration files while manual file edits trigger live reload in the GUI.

Scope fit

• This is a GUI tool for compositor for settings configuration itself.
• This doesn't want umbriel to do new things.
• Definitely nothing to do with wlroots and umbrielfx.
• In-built settings module just like noctalia v5 has.

Prior art and references

No response

Participation

• I am willing to implement this myself, after the scope is agreed.
• I can test an implementation in my own session.

Additional context

No response

[Yocraft-2000]

This should be either a noctalia plugin or a separate application (like hyprmod or nirimod), but I don't think a gui should be integrated to the compositor.