Is Wayland Ready to Replace X11 on the Linux Desktop?

TLDRWayland has made significant updates and improvements over the past year, but there are still some issues to address. It has better support for gaming, work, and everything in between. Nvidia problems still persist, and some desktop environments do not yet support Wayland. Overall, Wayland is usable and can replace X11 for certain applications, but further development and adaptation are needed for broader usage.

Key insights

Wayland has received numerous updates and optimizations in the past year, improving its overall user experience.

Wayland provides better support for gaming, work, and general usage on the Linux desktop.

Nvidia users may still encounter problems with Wayland, including lack of support for certain features.

Some desktop environments do not yet fully support Wayland, limiting its adoption.

While Wayland is usable and can replace X11 for certain applications, further development and adaptation are needed for broader usage.

Q&A

Are there still issues with Wayland?

—Yes, while Wayland has made improvements, there are still some issues to address, particularly with Nvidia support and limited desktop environment adoption.

Is Wayland better for gaming?

—Yes, Wayland has better support for gaming, providing lower input-to-display latency and reducing tearing.

Which desktop environments fully support Wayland?

—Gnome and KDE Plasma have good Wayland support, while others are still working on implementing it.

Can Wayland replace X11 for all applications?

—No, Wayland is usable and can replace X11 for certain applications, but some programs and features still rely on X11.

What is the future of Wayland?

—The future of Wayland depends on further development and adoption by both developers and desktop environments.

Timestamped Summary

00:00One year ago, it was discussed whether Wayland was ready to be used on the Linux desktop.

02:36Wayland is a display protocol that consists of three parts: the kernel, the compositor, and the client.

04:41Previous issues with Wayland, such as extension breakage and multi-monitor setup problems, have been addressed over the past year.

06:02Nvidia support on Wayland is not as comprehensive as AMD support, with issues like variable refresh rate and tearing.

09:20Fractional scaling, capture stuttering, and tearing for games have been improved in recent Wayland updates.

12:58Not all desktop environments fully support Wayland yet, and this may limit its adoption.

14:30Applications need to be adapted to work with Wayland, and some features like screen sharing still need improvement.

18:00Wayland is usable and can replace X11 for certain applications, but further development and adaptation are needed for broader usage.

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