Arch Linux Display Server Configuration - ryzendew/Linux-Tips-and-Tricks GitHub Wiki

Arch Linux Display Server Configuration Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to display servers on Arch Linux, including X11 vs Wayland comparison, switching between them, and configuration.

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding Display Servers
  2. X11 Configuration
  3. Wayland Configuration
  4. Switching Display Servers
  5. Troubleshooting

Understanding Display Servers

X11 vs Wayland

X11:

  • Traditional display server
  • Mature and stable
  • Wide compatibility

Wayland:

  • Modern display server
  • Better security
  • Improved performance

X11 Configuration

Install X11

Install Xorg:

# Install Xorg
sudo pacman -S xorg xorg-server

# Install drivers
sudo pacman -S xf86-video-intel  # Intel
sudo pacman -S xf86-video-amdgpu  # AMD
sudo pacman -S nvidia  # NVIDIA

X11 Configuration

Create config:

# Generate config
sudo Xorg :0 -configure

# Or create manually
sudo vim /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Wayland Configuration

Install Wayland

Install compositor:

# GNOME (uses Wayland)
sudo pacman -S gnome

# KDE (uses Wayland)
sudo pacman -S plasma-wayland-session

# Sway
sudo pacman -S sway

# Hyprland
yay -S hyprland

Wayland Configuration

Configure compositor:

# Sway config
vim ~/.config/sway/config

# Hyprland config
vim ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf

Switching Display Servers

Switch at Login

Select session:

  • X11 session: Xorg
  • Wayland session: Wayland

Check Current Server

Check display:

# Check
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

# Or
loginctl show-session $(loginctl | grep $(whoami) | awk '{print $1}') -p Type

Troubleshooting

Display Issues

Check logs:

# Xorg logs
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

# Wayland logs
journalctl -b | grep wayland

Driver Issues

Reinstall drivers:

# Reinstall graphics drivers
sudo pacman -S xf86-video-amdgpu

Summary

This guide covered X11 and Wayland configuration, switching, and troubleshooting.

Next Steps

This guide is based on the ArchWiki. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official ArchWiki.