Where Is the swaylock Config File?
Where swaylock reads its config on Linux, and how it pairs with swayidle for auto-locking.
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swaylock reads ~/.config/swaylock/config for colors, background image, and indicator behavior. Flags on the command line override the file for one run, which is handy for previews.
Most setups pair it with swayidle: idle timeouts and lid events trigger swaylock automatically. Keep both configs small and versioned together. A broken image path still locks, just without the wallpaper, so failures stay safe.
Where swaylock stores this, by platform
~/.config/swaylock/config
Lock screen config (image, colors, indicator, scaling). CLI flags override per run. Usually triggered by swayidle timeouts configured in the Sway config.
Frequently asked questions
How do I configure the lock screen?
Write ~/.config/swaylock/config with image, scaling, and indicator lines, then test with swaylock -C ~/.config/swaylock/config. Add exec swayidle with timeout and before-sleep hooks in your Sway config for idle locking.
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