Arch Linux Display Server Configuration

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.

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Table of Contents

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

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Understanding Display Servers

X11 vs Wayland

X11:

• Traditional display server
• Mature and stable
• Wide compatibility

Wayland:

• Modern display server
• Better security
• Improved performance

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Summary

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

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Next Steps

• Arch Linux Desktop Environments - Desktop setup
• Arch Linux Graphics Drivers - GPU setup
• ArchWiki Xorg: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xorg
• ArchWiki Wayland: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Wayland

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