Overview
Wayland Prompter is a desktop teleprompter that keeps a scrolling script visible over other applications, including fullscreen presentations. I built it for KDE Plasma on Wayland using Python, PyQt6, QML, and LayerShellQt.
The central challenge was window placement. On Wayland, an ordinary always-on-top window hint does not guarantee that an overlay stays above a fullscreen application. The prompter uses a layer-shell overlay on supported compositors to keep the script where it is needed during a presentation.
The interface is a translucent strip with adjustable size, vertical position, font size, and opacity. A reading line marks the current position, while playback controls let me pause, reset, and change scrolling speed. Mirroring is available for teleprompter setups that need it.
Scripts can include paragraph-level speed cues, making it possible to slow down for a dense explanation or move faster through a familiar section. The tool opens text, Markdown, and SRT files, and provides keyboard shortcuts for common playback actions.
This is a focused desktop utility with a working KDE Wayland implementation. Overlay behavior depends on compositor support, and its fallback window mode does not offer the same fullscreen guarantee. The current version scrolls according to manual controls and script cues; speech-following is a possible future extension.
Technologies: Python, PyQt6, QML, LayerShellQt, Wayland
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