# Replace gtklock with hyprlock Design

**Date:** 2026-05-25
**Status:** Approved

## Summary

Migrate the lockscreen from `gtklock` to `hyprlock`. Hyprlock has native fprintd polling: touching the reader on the lockscreen unlocks immediately, without the user having to first type / press Enter to trigger PAM (the limitation that motivated this change).

## Current Behaviour

- `gtklock` is the lockscreen, bound to `Mod+Shift+E` and to swayidle's 10-minute lock + before-sleep hooks.
- `gtklock/style.css` (72 lines) + `gtklock/config.ini` are tracked and symlinked to `~/.config/gtklock/`.
- `/etc/pam.d/gtklock` has `auth sufficient pam_fprintd.so` (from `scripts/enable-fingerprint.sh`).
- Pain point: gtklock doesn't poll fprintd until PAM is invoked, which only happens once the user submits something in the password field. Touching the reader on a freshly-locked screen does nothing.

## Target Behaviour

- `hyprlock` is the lockscreen, bound to the same keybind, called by the same swayidle hooks.
- Touch the reader on the locked screen → unlocks immediately.
- Type the password and press Enter → also unlocks (fallback).
- Visual: centred 96 px clock, smaller date below, password input field with placeholder text, blurred-screenshot background. Colors map the Tomorrow Night palette.

## Implementation

### `hyprlock/hyprlock.conf` (new)

Single Hyprlang file, deployed to `~/.config/hypr/hyprlock.conf`:

```hyprlang
general {
    grace = 0
    hide_cursor = true
}

background {
    monitor =
    path = screenshot
    blur_passes = 3
    blur_size = 8
}

label {
    monitor =
    text = cmd[update:1000] date +"%-I:%M %p"
    font_size = 96
    color = rgba(c5c8c6ff)
    position = 0, 150
    halign = center
    valign = center
}

label {
    monitor =
    text = cmd[update:60000] date +"%A, %B %-d"
    font_size = 24
    color = rgba(969896ff)
    position = 0, 40
    halign = center
    valign = center
}

input-field {
    monitor =
    size = 300, 50
    outline_thickness = 2
    dots_size = 0.25
    dots_spacing = 0.4
    inner_color = rgba(282a2eff)
    outer_color = rgba(81a2beff)
    font_color = rgba(c5c8c6ff)
    fail_color = rgba(cc6666ff)
    check_color = rgba(b5bd68ff)
    placeholder_text = <i>Touch fingerprint or type password</i>
    fail_text = <i>$FAIL</i>
    fade_on_empty = false
    position = 0, -50
    halign = center
    valign = center
}
```

Color mapping:
- `c5c8c6` = `@tn-fg` (clock text, input font)
- `969896` = `@tn-fg-dim` (date label)
- `282a2e` = `@tn-bg-alt` (input fill)
- `81a2be` = `@tn-blue` (focus ring)
- `cc6666` = `@tn-red` (auth failure)
- `b5bd68` = `@tn-green` (auth success)

### `packages.txt`

Swap `gtklock` → `hyprlock`. Drop the AUR `gtklock-userinfo-module` entry too (not used in the new config). `hyprlock` is in the `extra` repo — no AUR helper needed for it.

### `install.sh`

Remove the two gtklock symlink lines:
```bash
ln -sf "$(pwd)/gtklock/config.ini" ~/.config/gtklock/config
ln -sf "$(pwd)/gtklock/style.css" ~/.config/gtklock/style.css
```

Replace with:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.config/hypr
ln -sf "$(pwd)/hyprlock/hyprlock.conf" ~/.config/hypr/hyprlock.conf
```

Also drop the `gtklock` entry from the brace-expansion `mkdir -p` near the top of install.sh.

### `niri/config.kdl`

Three changes:
1. The keybind `Mod+Shift+E { spawn "gtklock" "-d"; }` → `Mod+Shift+E { spawn "hyprlock"; }`
2. Swayidle's 600 s timer action `"gtklock" "-d"` → `"hyprlock"`
3. Swayidle's `before-sleep` action `"gtklock" "-d"` → `"hyprlock"`

`hyprlock` takes no `-d` flag — it daemonises by default.

### `scripts/enable-fingerprint.sh`

Change `TARGETS=(/etc/pam.d/sudo /etc/pam.d/gtklock)` → `TARGETS=(/etc/pam.d/sudo /etc/pam.d/hyprlock)`. The script remains idempotent for the new target. Existing `/etc/pam.d/gtklock` pam_fprintd line stays untouched (harmless dead config; the user can `sed -i '/pam_fprintd/d' /etc/pam.d/gtklock` if they want).

### `gtklock/` (deletion)

Delete the tracked directory: `gtklock/config.ini` + `gtklock/style.css`. The packages get uninstalled (or remain installed, user's call); the tracked config files are gone.

### Documentation updates

- `README.md`: change Tooling table row for Lockscreen from `gtklock` to `hyprlock`. Update the `### One-time fingerprint setup` subsection's reference to gtklock's lockscreen (test instruction mentions `Mod+Shift+E`, still valid).
- `ARCHITECTURE.md`: same table row change.
- `CLAUDE.md`: replace "gtklock" mentions with "hyprlock" in the Theming + Tooling sections.

### Theme

The repo's `theme/colors.css` is the source of truth for GTK CSS variables. Hyprlock doesn't use CSS — colors are hand-mapped in `hyprlock.conf`. Not a regression in DRY (the values map 1:1 to entries in `theme/colors.json`); no new color source created.

## Files Touched

| File | Action |
|---|---|
| `hyprlock/hyprlock.conf` | created |
| `packages.txt` | swap `gtklock` → `hyprlock`; drop `gtklock-userinfo-module` if present |
| `install.sh` | swap symlinks (and mkdir entry) |
| `niri/config.kdl` | swap 3 gtklock invocations to hyprlock |
| `scripts/enable-fingerprint.sh` | swap target in `TARGETS` array |
| `gtklock/config.ini` | deleted |
| `gtklock/style.css` | deleted |
| `README.md` | update lockscreen reference |
| `ARCHITECTURE.md` | update lockscreen reference |
| `CLAUDE.md` | update lockscreen reference |

## Manual user steps after merge

1. `bash install.sh` — installs hyprlock, deploys config, replaces symlinks.
2. `sudo bash scripts/enable-fingerprint.sh` — re-runs idempotently; adds `pam_fprintd.so` to the new `/etc/pam.d/hyprlock`.
3. Test: `Mod+Shift+E` to lock → touch reader → unlocks immediately.
4. Optional cleanup: `sudo pacman -Rns gtklock gtklock-userinfo-module` if you want the old package gone.

## Verification

- `which hyprlock` returns `/usr/bin/hyprlock`
- `grep pam_fprintd /etc/pam.d/hyprlock` shows the line
- `hyprlock` (run from terminal) launches the lockscreen with clock, date, input field; Ctrl-C in the terminal won't kill it (it's its own GPU surface); use the password to unlock.
- Touching the reader unlocks without typing anything first.

## Out of Scope

- **Porting gtklock's CSS layout / theming verbatim.** Hyprlock doesn't use CSS. The new config achieves a comparable look via the palette mapping; further visual polish (avatars, music controls, last-login time) is a future incremental edit to `hyprlock.conf`.
- **Migrating swayidle's behaviour beyond changing the lock command.** Timers stay (300/600/1800 s).
- **Cleaning up `/etc/pam.d/gtklock`** — the existing pam_fprintd line in that file becomes harmless dead config since gtklock won't be launched. Manual cleanup if desired.
- **Uninstalling the `gtklock` system package** — out of scope; user decides.
- **Hyprlock styling beyond colors + clock + input field** — keep it minimal.
- **Solid-color background fallback** if the blurred screenshot renders poorly — easy follow-up edit, not part of this spec.
- **Custom font selection** — uses system default (likely JetBrainsMono Nerd Font since it's installed).