How to Check if You are Using Wayland or Xorg?

There’s a technical transition going down within the desktop Linux world.

Most mainstream distros have began to maneuver to the Wayland show server by default.

However not all legacy parts are appropriate with the newer Wayland. They work solely with the nice previous X or Xorg show server.

So, when you find yourself having hassle together with your Linux system, it will be sensible to examine if the issue is coming due to the show server.

Let me present you the right way to examine which show server you might be utilizing.

Verify whether or not Wayland or Xorg is in use

The best and maybe essentially the most dependable approach is to make use of the next command in a terminal:

echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

If you’re utilizing Wayland, it is best to get ‘wayland’ within the output:

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[email protected]:~$ echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE 
wayland

If you happen to use xorg (X show server), it is best to get x11 within the output.

[email protected]:~$ echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE 
x11

To summarize:

• Verify the worth of $XDG_SESSION_TYPE variable in terminal
• For Wayland, you get wayland and for Xorg you get within the output.

A ridiculous however enjoyable strategy to know in case you are utilizing Wayland on GNOME

I discovered it on Fedora Subreddit. If you’re utilizing GNOME, press Alt+F2, sort r within the dialogue field and press enter. Usually it restarts the GNOME shell. Nevertheless it received’t work in Wayland. It would show ‘restart isn’t obtainable on Wayland’.

To Wayland or not?

GNOME has put a lot emphasis on Wayland to supply a contemporary desktop expertise. Ubuntu, Fedora and plenty of different distros have switched to Wayland by default however many purposes are lagging behind in Wayland assist.

Many display recorders and screenshot software program don’t work with Wayland. Switching again to Xorg is the one possibility at instances. Fortunately, it’s fairly straightforward to change between Xorg and Wayland. Simply log off and click on the person profile after which click on the gear image on the backside to decide on the session you need.

Personally, I recommend sticking with what your distribution supplies. Solely swap to the opposite when it’s required.