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FedeDP/Clight

Free

A C daemon that turns your webcam into a light sensor. It will adjust screen backlight based on ambient brightness.

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About FedeDP/Clight

Clight is a C user daemon utility that manages display brightness and color temperature by using a webcam or Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) to measure ambient light. It automatically adjusts screen backlight, supports external monitors and keyboard backlight, and can manage screen temperature (similar to redshift). Additional features include screen dimming after a configurable timeout and DPMS management. Clight works on X11, Wayland, and TTY, and all features can be toggled via its config file. It exposes a DBus API for integration and scripting, and supports user-built custom modules. The project is open-source under GPL-3.0, with a community-developed Qt GUI available. Clight relies on Clightd, a system DBus service, and libmodule for modularity.

Key Features

Automatic screen backlight adjustment based on ambient brightness from webcam or ALS
Screen color temperature management (similar to redshift) for reduced eye strain
External monitor and keyboard backlight support
Screen dimming after a configurable timeout
DPMS (Display Power Management Signaling) control
Works on X11, Wayland (with specific protocols), and TTY
All features configurable and individually toggleable
Exposes a DBus API for scripting and integration
Supports custom user-built modules for extensibility
Community-developed Qt GUI available with tray applet

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Free and open-source under GPL-3.0, with full source code available on GitHub
  • Comprehensive display management: brightness, temperature, dimming, and DPMS in one daemon
  • Works across multiple display systems: X11, Wayland, and TTY
  • Highly configurable via configuration file and DBus API
  • Supports both internal laptop displays and external monitors/keyboards
  • Active community with regular releases (v4.11, March 2024) and available Qt GUI
Cons
  • Requires a webcam or Ambient Light Sensor for ambient brightness measurement
  • Wayland support depends on compositor implementing specific protocols
  • Not a typical AI tool—it is a system utility with limited AI-related functionality beyond basic sensor input
  • Setup may require manual configuration for non-standard hardware or environments

Best For

Automatically adjust laptop screen brightness in varying lighting conditions to reduce eye strainEnable seamless brightness transitions when moving between indoor and outdoor environmentsAutomate screen dimming when idle to save battery powerUse with external monitors to maintain consistent perceived brightnessIntegrate with scripting or desktop environments via DBus API for custom automation

FAQ

How does Clight measure ambient brightness?
Clight captures frames from a webcam or uses an Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) to compute ambient brightness levels.
Does Clight support Wayland?
Yes, Clight works on Wayland, but it requires specific protocols implemented by your compositor. See the project wiki for details.
Is there a graphical user interface?
Yes, a community-developed Qt GUI (clight-gui) is available with a tray applet for easier control.
Can Clight adjust external monitor brightness?
Yes, Clight supports adjusting external monitors and keyboard backlight in addition to the built-in display.
Does Clight offer programmable automation?
Yes, it exposes a DBus API that allows scripting and integration with other tools. Custom modules can also be developed.