macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install wtypelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install wtype with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper
Xdotool type for wayland. Version 0.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-07.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add wtypeAlpine Linux edge package indexes · wtype · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install wtypeDebian stable package indexes · wtype · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install wtypeFedora Rawhide package metadata · wtype · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#wtypenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/wt/wtype/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S wtypeArch Linux sync databases · wtype · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install wtypeopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · wtype · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Xdotool type for wayland
Project links
Commands and aliases
- wtype
history
Project history and usage
wtype is a small Wayland command-line utility that fills the role historically occupied by `xdotool type` on X11: programmatically injecting keyboard input into a desktop session. Its upstream README describes it tersely as "xdotool type for wayland", and the Arch manual clarifies that it works through the Wayland virtual-keyboard protocol.
Project history
The project was started by Josef Gajdusek, with a manual page written by Michael Vetter. The public project is intentionally compact: the GitHub repository shows a C/Meson codebase, a small number of releases, and version 0.4 as the latest GitHub release dated January 27, 2022.
Adoption history
wtype became useful during the desktop transition from X11 automation tools to Wayland compositors. Debian describes it as the Wayland counterpart to xdotool and packages it in the utilities section, while the Arch manual ships the upstream man page for version 0.4. That places wtype in the practical layer of Wayland migration: not a compositor itself, but a tiny tool scripts can call when a compositor supports the relevant protocol.
How it is used
Typical usage is direct text injection, typing from standard input, adding delays between keystrokes, and pressing or releasing modifiers or named keys. The upstream examples cover typing arbitrary text, holding Ctrl while sending `c`, reading from stdin, and inserting sleeps for more complicated key sequences.
Why package nerds care
Package maintainers care about wtype because it is one of the minimal Wayland-native answers to a familiar X11 automation problem. It is small, MIT-licensed, and sits near related desktop plumbing such as libxkbcommon, virtual keyboard protocols, and compositor policy decisions about whether simulated input should be allowed.
Timeline
- 2020-11-23: The Arch-rendered man page records wtype 0.4 and credits the project starter and man-page author.
- 2022-01-27: GitHub lists v0.4 as the latest upstream release.
- 2026: Debian unstable packages wtype 0.4 and describes it as the Wayland pendant for xdotool.
Related projects
- wtype is directly comparable to xdotool on X11, but uses Wayland's virtual-keyboard protocol rather than X11's input mechanisms. Debian also lists xdotool and libxdo-related packages as similar packages, showing the lineage of the use case.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for wtype. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 2 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 3 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
wtype | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.4
manager updated2026-06-07
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.4
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:wtype |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/wtype |
| Homepage | https://github.com/atx/wtype |
| Repository | https://github.com/atx/wtype |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/atx/wtype#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/atx/wtype/archive/refs/tags/v0.4.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-07T14:51:57Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libxkbcommon, wayland, wayland-protocols |
| Build dependencies | meson, ninja, pkgconf |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | wtype |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Requirements |
|
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
wtype 0.4-3
xdotool type for wayland
sudo apt install wtype- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
Nix95%
wtype
nix profile install nixpkgs#wtype- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
Ubuntu apt95%
wtype 0.4-3
xdotool type for wayland
sudo apt install wtype- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
apk95%
wtype 0.4-r0
xdotool type for wayland
sudo apk add wtype- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: wtype
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
apk95%
wtype-doc 0.4-r0
xdotool type for wayland (documentation)
sudo apk add wtype-doc- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: wtype
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
dnf95%
wtype 0.4-11.fc44
xdotool type for Wayland
sudo dnf install wtype- License: MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: wtype
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
pacman95%
wtype 0.4-2
xdotool type for wayland
sudo pacman -S wtype- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
zypper95%
wtype 0.4-1.12
Xdotool type for Wayland
sudo zypper install wtype- License: MIT
- Category: System/X11/Utilities
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: wtype
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtype
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Nucleus package database
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment