Re:On Abandoning the X Server
by roenxi on Wednesday October 28, 2020 @05:37PM
(#24924399)
> Hell, I'd be happy if there was just fewer bugs.
There are strategic and tactical issues here.
Tactical issues are obvious. Wayland's problem with screenshots and all the bugs from not having a decades long lineage.
Strategic issues are less obvious. As this blog pos alludes to the standard X server is reaching a maintainability crisis where long term devs don't think the project is a good idea.
I think Wayland is a tactical mis-step myself for reasons you and GP mention, but I think now that the bad has been covered someone needs to mention the good:
The reference X server cannot practically be replaced. The reference Wayland compositor quite possibly isn't ever going to get established before being replaced. This is an excellent thing - it beings evolutionary pressure to the display system.
Wayland has problems, but unlike the current X ecosystem the problems can be fixed by replacing bits of software. The Wayland protocol seems light enough that Wayland+1 can implement it as a compatibility layer. When the dust settles, leaving X will have been a good idea.
There are strategic and tactical issues here.
Tactical issues are obvious. Wayland's problem with screenshots and all the bugs from not having a decades long lineage.
Strategic issues are less obvious. As this blog pos alludes to the standard X server is reaching a maintainability crisis where long term devs don't think the project is a good idea.
I think Wayland is a tactical mis-step myself for reasons you and GP mention, but I think now that the bad has been covered someone needs to mention the good:
The reference X server cannot practically be replaced. The reference Wayland compositor quite possibly isn't ever going to get established before being replaced. This is an excellent thing - it beings evolutionary pressure to the display system.
Wayland has problems, but unlike the current X ecosystem the problems can be fixed by replacing bits of software. The Wayland protocol seems light enough that Wayland+1 can implement it as a compatibility layer. When the dust settles, leaving X will have been a good idea.