A design effort for a new generation of compact, cost-effective, power-efficient FEL facilities, based on X-band technology, has been launched. High-frequency X-band acceleration implies strong wakefields, tight alignment and mechanical tolerances, and challenging stability issues. In this paper a design is proposed for the injector and the linacs, including the two bunch compressors. RF gun and injector simulations have been performed, successfully meeting the stringent requirements in terms

more »

... minimum projected emittance, sliced emittance and minimum bunch length. In the design of the linac and bunch compressors wakefield effects and misalignment have been taken into account. Start-to-end tracking simulations through the optimized lattice are presented and discussed.