`wal` is a script that takes an image (or a directory of images), generates a colorscheme (using `imagemagick`) and then changes all of your open terminal's colorschemes to the new colors on the fly. `wal` then caches each generated colorscheme so that cycling through wallpapers while changing colorschemes is instantaneous. `wal` finally merges the new colorscheme into the Xresources db so that any new terminal emulators you open use the new colorscheme.
To use `wal` your terminal emulator must support a special type of escape sequence. The command below can be used as a test to see if `wal` will work with your setup.
Run the command below, does the background color of your terminal become red?
```sh
printf "%b" "\033]11;#ff0000\007"
```
If your terminal's background color is now red, your terminal will work with `wal`.
## Installation
### Pip install
```sh
pip install pywal
```
### Manual install
Just grab the script (`wal`) and add it to your path.
## Setup
**NOTE:** If you get junk in your terminal, add `-t` to all of the `wal` commands.
### Applying the theme to new terminals.
`wal` only applies the new colors to the currently open terminals. Any new terminal windows you open won't be using the new theme unless you add a single line to your shell's start up file. (`.bashrc`, `.zshrc` etc.) The `-r` flags tells `wal` to find the current colorscheme inside the cache and then set it for the new terminal.
Add this line to your shell startup file. (`.bashrc`, `.zshrc` or etc.)
```sh
# Import colorscheme from 'wal'
(wal -r &)
```
Here's how the extra syntax above works:
```sh
& # Run the process in the background.
( ) # Hide shell job control messages.
```
### Making the colorscheme persist on reboot.
On reboot your new colorscheme won't be set or in use. To fix this you have to add a line to your `.xinitrc` or whatever file starts programs on your system. This `wal` command will set your wallpaper to the wallpaper that was set last boot and also apply the colorscheme again.
Without this you'll be themeless until you run `wal` again on boot.
```sh
# Add this to your .xinitrc or whatever file starts programs on startup.
wal -i "$(< "${HOME}/.cache/wal/wal")"
```
## Usage
Run `wal` and point it to either a directory (`wal -i "path/to/dir"`) or an image (`wal -i "/path/to/img.jpg"`) and that's all. `wal` will change your wallpaper for you and also set your terminal colors.
