Ubuntu 24.04 defaults to a Wayland session under GNOME, and after years of “Wayland is the future but not ready yet,” the honest answer in 2026 is: it is ready for most people, but not everyone. Screen sharing works, fractional scaling is solid, Nvidia proprietary drivers cooperate (mostly), and security is genuinely better. But if you rely on X11-specific tools, remote desktop via VNC, or certain accessibility software, Xorg remains the safer choice. This guide compares both display protocols from a practitioner’s perspective, covers the specific scenarios where each excels, and shows you how to switch between them. We have been running both sessions in parallel since Wayland landed in Ubuntu 17.10 and can detail exactly where the rough edges remain.
What Changed Between X11 and Wayland
X11 (often called “Xorg” after the server implementation) dates to 1984. It was designed for networked terminals, and its architecture reflects that: any application can read input events from any other window, grab the screen contents at will, and reposition windows arbitrarily. This flexibility enabled powerful tools (xdotool, xclip, screenshot utilities) but created a security model where any application can keylog every other application.
Wayland, started in 2008, redesigns the display stack. The compositor is the display server — there is no separate server process. Applications communicate only with the compositor through a well-defined protocol, cannot see each other’s windows, and cannot capture input not directed at them.
The practical result: Wayland is more secure by default, but applications that relied on X11’s permissive access model need to be rewritten to use Wayland-native protocols (like XDG Desktop Portal for screen sharing).
When Wayland Works Perfectly
- Standard desktop use: Web browsing, office work, media playback, coding in native editors
- GNOME desktop: GNOME is Wayland-first; its gestures, animations, and scaling work better under Wayland
- KDE Plasma 5.27+: Plasma’s Wayland session is mature for daily use
- Nvidia with driver 535+: GNOME Wayland works with Nvidia’s proprietary driver 535 and later. Earlier drivers had severe issues.
- Fractional scaling: Wayland handles 125%, 150%, 175% scaling natively without the blurriness of Xorg hacks
- Mixed-DPI multi-monitor: Each display can have its own scale factor under Wayland (compositor-dependent)
- Touchpad gestures: Three-finger swipe for workspaces, pinch-to-zoom — all work better under Wayland
When to Stay on Xorg
- Screen recording/sharing with older tools: OBS Studio works on Wayland (via PipeWire), but some older recording tools do not
- Remote desktop via VNC: Traditional VNC servers (x11vnc, TigerVNC) are X11-only. For Wayland remote access, use RDP (built into GNOME) or Sunshine/Moonlight
- xdotool and automation scripts: If your workflow depends on xdotool, xte, or xclip, these do not work under Wayland. Alternatives exist (wtype, wl-clipboard) but require rewriting scripts
- Some accessibility tools: Not all screen readers and input helpers have Wayland support yet
- Xfce and Cinnamon: Neither has a production Wayland session as of 2026
- Wine and older games: Wine’s Wayland support is improving rapidly, but some older Windows games may exhibit input lag or rendering glitches
How to Switch Between Sessions
At the Login Screen
On GDM (GNOME’s display manager), click your username, then click the gear icon in the bottom-right corner. You will see:
- Ubuntu — GNOME on Wayland (default)
- Ubuntu on Xorg — GNOME on X11
Select your preference and log in. The choice persists across sessions until you change it.
Checking Your Current Session
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
Returns wayland or x11.
Making Xorg the Default
If you need Xorg to be the default for all users:
sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf
Uncomment or add:
[daemon]
WaylandEnable=false
Restart GDM: sudo systemctl restart gdm3. This forces all sessions to Xorg.
Performance Comparison
On the same hardware (AMD Ryzen 7, Radeon RX 6700 XT, 32 GB RAM), tested with GNOME 46 on Ubuntu 24.04:
| Metric | Wayland | Xorg |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop compositor latency | 8ms (triple-buffered) | 12ms |
| Firefox scrolling smoothness | Excellent | Good (occasional judder) |
| Window resize fluidity | Smooth | Occasional tearing |
| Gaming (native Vulkan) | Same | Same |
| Screen capture (OBS) | PipeWire portal | Direct X11 capture |
| CPU idle usage | ~2% | ~3% |
The performance difference is subtle but Wayland generally feels smoother, especially with GNOME’s triple buffering and direct scan-out support.
XWayland: The Compatibility Layer
Applications that have not been ported to Wayland run through XWayland, an X11 server embedded within the Wayland compositor. Most users never notice — Firefox, LibreOffice, and Electron apps all have native Wayland support or work well through XWayland.
Check whether a specific window is running natively or through XWayland:
xlsclients # Lists X11/XWayland clients
Or use xprop — it works on XWayland windows but fails on native Wayland windows, which is a handy test.
The PipeWire Revolution
One of the biggest enablers of Wayland adoption is PipeWire, which replaces PulseAudio for audio and provides the screen-capture plumbing that Wayland lacks natively. On Ubuntu 24.04, PipeWire is the default audio server, and the xdg-desktop-portal-gnome package provides screen sharing and recording via the XDG Desktop Portal protocol.
This means OBS, Discord screen sharing, and video conferencing tools (Zoom, Teams) can capture your screen on Wayland — as long as they use the portal. If an app shows a blank screen during sharing, it probably hasn’t been updated to use the portal yet.
Our Recommendation
If you are setting up a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 system in 2026: start with Wayland (the default). Use it for a week. If you hit a specific blocker — a tool that doesn’t work, a workflow that breaks — switch to Xorg for that specific need and file a bug. The more people use Wayland, the faster the remaining gaps close.
For servers: display servers are irrelevant. For headless or remote-only systems, neither Wayland nor Xorg matters.
If you’re finding the display server layer fascinating and want to understand how Linux graphics, compositing, and input handling all fit together, Mastering Linux – The Comprehensive Guide is a solid structured resource for going deeper.
Related Reading
- KDE Plasma HiDPI and Multi-Monitor — Plasma’s Wayland session in detail
- Restart X / Reset Desktop Session — recovery for both Wayland and X11 sessions
- Best Screenshot Tools for Ubuntu 2026 — Wayland-compatible capture tools
