Let’s talk about the plumbing behind your Linux desktop: the often-invisible but critical layer that makes windows draw, move, resize, and flop around like sizzling sausages on the grill. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between X 11 (also “X11”) and Wayland — and why your distro keeps telling you “Wayland recommended, fallback X11” — this post is for you. And yes: like any good barbecue, there are charred bits (legacy baggage), juicy bits (new features), and perhaps a few flare-ups (bugs) that will make you pause the grill and reach for a cooler drink.
What the heck are X11 and Wayland, anyway?
In simplest terms:
- X11 is the old guard. It’s a display-server protocol (via typically the X.Org Server) that’s been around for decades. It handles drawing windows, processing input, and shuttling graphics commands to your display. It’s mature, battle-scarred, and supports a lot of legacy stuff. TUXEDO Computers+2LinuxCommunity.io+2
- Wayland is the modern contender. It’s a newer protocol (and ecosystem) designed to replace or succeed X11 for Linux GUI sessions. It takes a simpler, more streamlined approach: the compositor (which draws windows) is tightly coupled with the display-server tasks, reducing duplicate layers and improving efficiency. Wikipedia+2TUXEDO Computers+2
- Because we’re in a transition era, many desktop environments and distributions support both, often defaulting to Wayland (if compatible) with X11 as fallback.
Why the fuss? Because computing, graphics, monitors, GPUs and user expectations have changed a lot since X11’s heyday. Wayland is meant to better support modern hardware (HDR, multiple high-refresh monitors, GPU command streams), better security (isolating clients more), and reduce complexity of the plumbing. TUXEDO Computers+1
Why Linux is moving to Wayland
Imagine you’re hosting a BBQ. X11 is the old grill you’ve used for years: reliable, known, you know where the charcoal goes, you know when a hot-spot appears. But maybe it’s got rust, uneven heating, and it’s hard to clean. Wayland is a new high-tech gas grill with temperature zones, smarter controls, and less mess. Sure, you might still fire up the old grill if you want old-school flavor — but the new grill is where the future is.
In more concrete terms:
- Many major desktop environments are defaulting to Wayland sessions. For example, KDE Plasma’s blog states that “these days … Wayland … makes using X11 painful by comparison.” KDE Blogs
- Some distributions ship with Wayland by default (when hardware supports it) and are positioning X11 as legacy. Wikipedia+1
- Wayland simplifies some of the “messy behind-the-scenes” of X11 (where the display server, window manager, compositor, input handlers all hang out separately) and reduces potential for tearing, input lag, and weird legacy hacks. Linux+1
All of which is to say: yes — Linux is moving to Wayland. It’s not yet perfect for every use-case, but for many users it’s “ready enough” and becoming the default.
Advantages and disadvantages: X11 vs Wayland
Here’s a table (with no marketing fluff) comparing the two so you can decide “Which grill do I use today?”
| Feature | X11 (X.Org) | Wayland |
|---|---|---|
| Maturity / compatibility | Very mature. Tons of apps, tools, workflows support X11. Strong compatibility with older hardware/older GPU drivers. | Still maturing. Many apps support it natively, but some legacy or niche ones may have issues. |
| Remote desktop / forwarding / legacy protocols | Strong remote access support (e.g., ssh -X, X11 forwarding) built-in historically.Lots of tooling. LinuxCommunity.io | Remote access is improving, but historically weaker. Some protocols don’t work as seamlessly or require special support (e.g., screen capture, portals). |
| Performance, input lag, tearing | Because it’s old and layered, some inefficiencies exist (e.g., more hops, legacy code-paths). | Designed for modern hardware: fewer layers, better handling of GPU compositing, potentially lower input latency and better support for things like fractional scaling or high-refresh displays. Linux |
| Security / isolation | Less isolation: many clients can snoop or interfere more easily. Legacy privileges. Fedora Discussion | Better isolation of clients, smaller trusted code base, more modern security model. |
| Multi-monitor / high DPI / modern hardware | Works, but may struggle more (e.g., with HDR, varying per-monitor scaling) as complexity increases. Some recent commentary: “This was painful using X11 again” when the author switched back from Wayland. KDE Blogs | Stronger support for modern setups, better handling of newer GPUs, high refresh rates, HDR, per-monitor scaling. |
| Legacy application/tool support (games, screen capture, etc) | Broad support. Most tools assume X11. | Some apps still need X11 or XWayland compatibility layer; some workflows may have glitches. |
| Complexity of codebase / future maintainability | Big, old, lots of baggage, harder to evolve. One could say: “It’s like trying to add modern features to a 30-year-old grill.” | Simpler, more future-oriented. Less legacy baggage. |
| Use-case for special workflows (OBS, screencast, screen sharing, virtual cameras) | Usually more robust because many tools target X11. | Some issues reported, particularly around screencast/pipewire/window capture and Wayland session quirks. |
| Default status in distros | Often the fallback or “legacy” session. | Increasingly the default (where hardware allows). |
Short takeaway: If you want “everything works, and I don’t want surprises” then X11 remains a safe choice. If you’re using a modern desktop environment, newer hardware, and want to be on the forward rails, Wayland is where you should be—or will be—anyway.
(Of course: each setup is different; your mileage will vary.)
My own experience — OBS, Zoom, and Wayland-based Garuda Linux
Now for the bread and barbecue anecdote. On my Garuda Linux setup (Wayland session), I ran into a frustrating workflow issue: when using OBS Studio + Zoom in a Wayland session, I experienced frequent screen freeze situations — the capture or sharing would lock up, video would pause while audio kept going (or simply nothing would update). After much fiddling, I switched back to an X11 session for all my YouTube screen-capture work and reserved Wayland for daily use (browsing, coding, general stuff). This hybrid approach has worked well: Wayland for speedier feel, X11 for capture reliability.
Is this issue documented with others? Yes. For example: users on Arch and other distros report that screen sharing and capturing under Wayland sessions, especially with PipeWire and window capture, can freeze or fail. In one Arch forum thread: under Wayland the “Screen Capture (PipeWire)” source in OBS would crash the app. Arch Linux Forums In another issue, Zoom screen sharing under a Wayland compositor (Hyprland) failed: blank screen, share never completed. GitHub One Reddit thread on r/kde noted that window capture under Wayland would freeze when going active. Reddit So yes: what I experienced is not unique. If you rely on screen capture, streaming, virtual cameras, or Zoom sharing, X11 (or at least XWayland fallback) still has the edge.
My practical workflow:
- Use Wayland for “daily driver” stuff: coding, browser, multiple monitors, touchpad gestures, smoothness.
- Use X11 when I fire up OBS or Zoom screen capture/streaming sessions. That way I’m riding the smoother “gas grill” for everyday use but keep the reliable “charcoal grill” for when I’m cooking serious content.
- If you’re setting up something similar, test both modes — and if screen capture freezes, know it may be the session type, not necessarily hardware or GPU driver. Enabling X11 (or forcing XWayland capture mode) may save you hours of frustration.
Final thoughts
The display-server protocol world may not sound sexy, but your desktop’s feel, your capture software’s reliability, and your “does that window move without lag” all hinge on it. While Wayland is clearly the future (and in many cases the present), X11 remains relevant — especially for workflows involving screen capture, legacy tools, remote access, or niche hardware.
If you’re running Linux today: try a Wayland session (many distros let you pick it at login), see how your apps behave. If everything’s fine — great, you’re living in the future. If something misbehaves (OBS freezing—yes, I salute you), keep X11 in your back pocket like an emergency backup grill. After all: barbecue is all about having the right tool for the job, and no one wants burnt sausages just because they picked the wrong grill.