Ross ROSS = Recommend OSS · open-source software intelligence for agents

polybar/polybar

A fast and easy-to-use status bar observed · 2026-08-28

github.com/polybar/polybar · homepage · C++ · MIT (permissive) observed · 2026-08-28

Health v2 · maintenance only

42/100

  • Activity 43
  • Release rhythm 8
  • Longevity 100
How is this computed?

round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-02. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.

  • gap_med: n/a
  • age_days: 3758
  • days_rel: n/a
  • days_push: 343
  • n_releases_24m: 0

Full methodology

Adoption not part of the score

15334 stars · 728 forks observed · 2026-08-28

What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded

Polybar is a fast and easy-to-use tool for creating highly customizable status bars on Linux desktop environments. It provides built-in modules for common system information like volume, network, CPU load, workspaces, and media playback, without requiring shell scripting.

Use cases

  • create a custom status bar for i3 or bspwm
  • display system stats like CPU load and disk usage in a top bar
  • show volume and media playback controls on the desktop
  • add a workspace panel to a tiling window manager
  • customize the look of my Linux desktop panel
  • show network connection details and date/time in a bar

When to choose

  • you use a tiling window manager like i3 or bspwm and want a polished status bar
  • you want built-in modules for common system info without writing shell scripts
  • you need a fast, lightweight, highly themeable bar on X11

When to avoid

  • you are on Wayland, where support is limited or unavailable
  • you need a full desktop panel with application launcher and system tray beyond basic systray support
  • you want a drop-in bar for a full desktop environment like GNOME or KDE

Facets

application · maturity stable

gui developer-tools desktop-applications operating-systems developer-tools cpp status-bar window-manager i3wm bspwm desktop-customization system-monitoring linux x11

2 sources

Member repositories

RepositoryRoleHealth v2
polybar/polybarmain42

For agents

markdown · JSON · MCP: product_card(name="polybar/polybar")

Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem