slop (Select Operation) is an interactive selection tool for X11. Instead of taking a screenshot itself, it lets you mark an area of the desktop or choose a window, then prints the resulting geometry to standard output.
This makes slop useful as a front end for screenshot and screen-recording commands. A script can receive the selected coordinates and pass them to another program, such as maim, ImageMagick, or a video recorder, without maintaining its own graphical selection interface.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Changes the pointer to a crosshair and supports click-and-drag selection of rectangular screen regions.
- Highlights windows under the pointer and allows a window to be selected with a click.
- Reports x and y offsets, width, height, window ID, geometry, and cancellation status through customizable output formatting.
- Adjusts the threshold between a click and a drag, allowing window selection or pixel selection to be forced.
- Customizes selection borders, padding, colours, and transparency to match the desktop.
- Offers a filled highlight mode as an alternative to displaying a selection outline.
- Supports two-click region selection without holding down the mouse button.
- Can ignore window decorations when locating the desired capture area, with adjustable detection levels.
- Uses OpenGL acceleration where available, with an option to disable it if rendering problems occur.
- Supports custom vertex and fragment shaders for visual selection effects, including chained shaders.
- Allows an X display to be selected explicitly and unnecessary diagnostic output to be suppressed.
- Allows keyboard cancellation to be disabled for specialized selection workflows.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD.
Website: github.com/naelstrof/slop
Support:
Developer: Dalton Nell
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
slop is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| CLI Screen Capture Tools | |
|---|---|
| maim | Make Image aims to improve on scrot |
| scrot | SCReenshOT is a simple command line screen capture utility |
| slop | Queries for a selection from the user and prints the region to stdout |
| wayshot | Screenshot tool for wayland compositors |
| termframe | Terminal output SVG screenshot tool |
| grim | Utility to take screenshots of Wayland desktops |
| shotman | Uncompromising screenshot tool for Wayland compositors |
| shotgun | Minimal screenshot utility |
| ImageMagick | Create, edit, and compose bitmap images |
| HyprCap | Capture screenshots and screen recordings on Hyprland |
| grimblast | Capture windows, selected areas, and screens on Hyprland |
| lqth | Simple but fast screenshot utility inspired by xscreenshot |
| grimshot | Capture windows, selected areas, and screens under Sway |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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