Wayland is a communication protocol that specifies communication between a display server and its clients. By default, the Ubuntu 20.04 desktop does not start Wayland, but instead loads the Xorg display server X11.
In this tutorial you will learn:
- How to enable Wayland
- How to disable Wayland
| category | Software versions required, agreed upon or used |
|---|---|
| system | Installed Ubuntu 20.04 or upgraded Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa |
| software | N/A |
| Other | Access the Linux system as root or through the sudo command. |
How to enable/disable wayland on Ubuntu 20.04 step by step instructions
Step 1. Assuming GDM3 is your default display manager, edit /etc/gdm3/custom.conf to disable or enable Wayland:
$ sudo edit /etc/gdm3/custom.conf
Wayland is enabled
Wayland is disabled
Step 2. Restart GDM3 or restart Ubuntu 20.04 desktop:
$ sudo systemctl restart gdm3Step 3. To log in to Ubuntu 20.04 using Wayland, click on the gear button and select the Ubuntu on Wayland option before logging in. If you disabled the Wayland display server by following step 1 above, this option will not be available at all.
Login to Ubuntu 20.04 using Wayland Display Server