New X.Org Server Release While Maintaining Separate XWayland Being Discussed

Last week marked a X.Org Server 21.1 development snapshot being released. While that snapshot noted there will "most likely be no proper release", there is discussion now over creating such a X.Org-Server-Without-XWayland release.

As Phoronix readers should know, since earlier this year there has been standalone XWayland releases that take the upstream XWayland code living within the xorg-server Git repository and from there creating new releases of that code for handling X11 clients on Wayland. These XWayland releases are standalone without any of the rest of the X.Org Server.

While more Linux desktops are switching to Wayland (and relying on XWayland for legacy X11 application/game support), there still are some Linux distributions and other operating systems like BSDs and Solaris relying on traditional X.Org Server support. It's been three years since the X.Org Server 1.20 release and while no major vendors are backing a new X.Org release, it's looking like something will happen.

Developer Povilas Kanapickas carried out that X.Org Server 21.1 snapshot last week and following that he issued a proposal for just releasing X.Org/Xvfb standalone releases in a similar manner to XWayland. Under the original proposal for Xorg-only release branches was basically issuing new xorg-server releases but without the XWayland code as well as no Xephyr / KDrive, Xwin, Xnest, XQuartz, DMX, or other components.

But that draft RFC saw feedback from upstream developers preferring to see X.Org Server releases happen rather than the standalone X.Org/Xvfb-only releases. So the latest effort now seems centered on indeed issuing a new X.Org Server release sans the XWayland code since that is now seeing its own separate releases as to avoid duplication or confusion. However, the support aspect of such future X.Org Server releases is yet to be determined with Povilas seemingly the only developer willing to step up to manage and get out a new X.Org Server release after the three year hiatus.