LINUX

Analysis: Xfce Desktop Environment Is Getting a Rust-Based Wayland Compositor

👤 By Connect Quest Analyst via Connect Quest Artist

📅 27-01-2026 23:15

✅ Analytical - Independent Analysis

⏱️ 3 min read

Xfce Unveils New Wayland Compositor for a Seamless Transition

The Xfce project, a popular lightweight desktop environment, has announced its plans to develop a brand-new Wayland compositor named Xfwl4. This move aims to provide users with seamless support for both X11 and Wayland sessions in future Xfce releases.

A New Era for Xfce

Xfwl4, a fresh Wayland compositor for Xfce, is designed to offer the same functionality and behavior as the current Xfwm4 window manager but for Wayland sessions. The new compositor will be led by Xfce core developer Brian Tarricone, who plans to reuse existing configuration dialogs and xfconf settings from Xfwm4.

Funding the Future

The Xfce development team has chosen to invest the generous donations from their community in funding Brian Tarricone to create Xfwl4. This decision reflects the project's commitment to improving its compatibility with modern display servers and ensuring a smooth transition for its users.

Porting to Wayland: Challenges and Opportunities

The journey towards porting Xfce to Wayland began a few years ago, with an experimental Wayland session included in the Xfce 4.20 release in 2024. However, the initial attempt to port Xfwm4 to Wayland was deemed unsuitable, according to developer Brian Tarricone.

For Xfwl4, Tarricone will utilize the Smithay project, a Rust-based tool for creating Wayland compositors, instead of the more popular wlroots. This choice is driven by Smithay's support for most/all official Wayland protocol extensions, lack of a high-level abstraction layer, and excellent documentation.

Implications for North East India and Beyond

The development of Xfwl4 has broader implications for the tech landscape in India, including the North East region. As more projects adopt Wayland, a modern display server protocol, we can expect improved performance, better power management, and enhanced security for desktop environments.

Looking Ahead: Xfce 4.22 and Beyond

With the groundwork laid, Xfce's brand-new Xfwl4 Wayland compositor is expected to be ready for the next major release, Xfce 4.22, slated for 2026. This milestone will mark a significant step forward in Xfce's evolution, providing users with a seamless experience across both X11 and Wayland sessions.

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