Wayland compositor Niri 26.04 adds blur effects, pointer warping, and optional includes

Niri 26.04 has been released as the latest version of this scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor for Linux. It introduces highly requested blur effects, including normal and xray blur, for windows and layer-shell components using the ext-background-effect Wayland protocol. Xray blur, which efficiently displays the wallpaper, is enabled by default. In addition, pop-up menus can now be customized with transparency and background effects for a more tailored appearance.

Following these visual enhancements, new configuration options now allow for optional includes. When an optional include file is missing, Niri shows a warning in the logs on every configuration reload without failing to load existing settings. Should the file be created later, Niri automatically reloads and applies the updated settings.

In terms of navigation, the pointer will now warp from one side of the screen to the other during view scrolling gestures, making it easier to navigate through multiple windows, even at monitor edges. Screencasting gains features such as enhanced pointer display in window recordings, delayed start for dynamic targets, improved inter-process communication, and bug fixes.

Addressing long-standing usability issues, this release fixes GTK 4 pop-ups with input fields and input method editors, while the Escape key now cancels drag-and-drop operations. Additional improvements include smoother animations, better input device support, GPU profiling, rendering optimizations, and wider compatibility with older laptops.