Wavry Overview
Wavry is a low-latency remote compute stack for sessions where input responsiveness matters more than perfect visual smoothness.
In practical terms, Wavry is software for running and controlling remote desktop/game/app sessions with encrypted transport, Linux-first runtime behavior, and an operator-owned control plane.
Wavry is engineered with a Linux-first runtime model and aims to provide best-in-class Wayland behavior for interactive workloads.
What Wavry Includes
Wavry is a full stack, not just a desktop UI:
rift-core: transport protocol, congestion control, FECrift-crypto: handshake, identity, replay protection, encryptionwavry-serverandwavry-client: host/client runtime loopswavry-desktop: desktop control surface (Linux and Windows Tauri, macOS native Swift release)- Control plane services (
gateway,relay) distributed as Docker images
Wavry is not a passive video CDN or buffered media playback stack. It is designed for interactive control and low-latency input round-trip.
What Ships in Releases
Wavry release artifacts are intentionally scoped:
- Desktop apps
- Host/runtime binaries (
wavry-server,wavry-master) - Android app artifacts
- Checksums and release manifest
Control-plane services are Docker-only:
ghcr.io/<owner>/<repo>/gateway:<tag>ghcr.io/<owner>/<repo>/relay:<tag>
See Release Artifacts for exact names.
60-Second Session Flow
- Client and host negotiate via the control plane or direct route.
- Peers establish encrypted session state.
- Host captures and encodes frames, sends encrypted packets.
- Client decrypts, reorders/reconstructs, decodes, and renders.
- Input flows back to host over encrypted path.
- Direct route is preferred; relay is fallback-only.
Who Wavry Is For
Wavry is a fit for:
- Remote desktop where control latency is critical
- Interactive streaming where packet delay stability matters
- Teams that need self-hosting and operational control
- Linux-heavy deployments, including Wayland environments
Wavry is not designed as a long-buffer media playback/CDN product.
Documentation Paths
Pick a path based on your role:
| Role | Start Here | Then Read |
|---|---|---|
| New evaluator | Getting Started | Architecture, Lifecycle |
| Linux operator | Linux and Wayland Support | Operations, Troubleshooting |
| Platform engineer | Architecture | Configuration Reference, Security |
| Infra/DevOps | Docker Control Plane | Operations, Runbooks and Checklists |
| Control-plane owner | Control Plane Deep Dive | Docker Control Plane, Versioning and Release Policy |
| Commercial evaluator | Deployment Modes | Pricing, FAQ |
| New contributor | Codebase Reference | Developer Workflows, Internal Design Docs |
Licensing Summary
Wavry is open-source under AGPL-3.0 for compliant use.
- AGPL-compatible usage: free
- Commercial/private distribution and certain SaaS/integration models: commercial agreement required
RIFT implementation in this repository is covered by the same open-source licensing model documented for Wavry.
See Deployment Modes, Pricing, and LICENSE.