Is Wayland Replacing Xorg?

Yes, Wayland is gradually replacing Xorg as the default display server protocol in many Linux distributions. While Xorg has remained the standard for decades, Wayland offers significant advantages, including improved performance, better security features, and a simpler architecture.

A Beautiful Mess in Linux Desktops

Linux desktop operating systems are a magnificently beautiful mess. Each developer is pursuing their own path, often catering to their personal preferences. X Window System (Xorg) has been the de facto display server technology for close to 40 years. It was cutting-edge tech then, and now it's time to let go.

Wayland: The New Standard

Wayland has been trying to replace Xorg for 13 years. Many modern desktop environments, such as GNOME and KDE Plasma, have already adopted native support for Wayland. This transition is not universal, but it is gaining momentum, driven by improvements in Wayland's capabilities and compatibility.

Desktop Environments and Support

Both Gnome and KDE Plasma, two of the biggest desktop environments in the Linux world, have first-class support for Wayland. These environments are likely to require the adoption of Wayland for their users. Similarly, if you develop an application for Linux today, it will be Wayland-compatible by default, as modern GUI toolkits like QT, GTK, and Electron are designed to work with Wayland.

The Challenges of Legacy Applications

However, the transition is not without challenges, particularly for legacy applications. For example, GIMP, a widely-used image editing tool, was built using the GTK2 toolkit, which is Xorg-only. Rewriting the code to make it Wayland-compatible is a complex task.

Nevertheless, the trend is clear: Wayland is slowly but surely replacing Xorg. This is the nature of the Linux world, where change and evolution are continuous.

Prediction for the Future

Given the current trajectory, it is highly likely that by 2029, Wayland will replace Xorg as the default display server protocol in the Linux ecosystem. Both KDE and Gnome are already using Wayland as their default, demonstrating the accuracy of this prediction.