Wayback - Revision history

John3-16: 1. Pre-requisites and xinitrc/xinit passages elaborated on, including related subheadings; 2. Style/grammar amended.

2025-12-29T01:10:07Z

1. Pre-requisites and xinitrc/xinit passages elaborated on, including related subheadings; 2. Style/grammar amended.

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:10, 29 December 2025
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	== Prerequisites ==		== Prerequisites ==

			XWayland and wlroots are pulled in as dependencies of Wayback.
	* The [[Repositories#Managing_repositories\|community repository must be enabled]].		* The [[Repositories#Managing_repositories\|community repository must be enabled]].
	* A ''seat manager'' - [[Elogind\|elogind]] or [[Seatd\|seatd]] enabled in openrc init installations. Although '''systemd-logind''' is an alternative listed in the [https://wayback.freedesktop.org/docs/faq/#do-i-need-a-seat-manager-for-wayback FAQs upstream], this package is not available on Alpine Linux as of December 2025; enabling '''Elogind''' should suffice when employing Wayback with systemd on Alpine Linux – not tested for wiki.		* A ''seat manager'' - [[Elogind\|elogind]] or [[Seatd\|seatd]] enabled in openrc init installations. Although '''systemd-logind''' is an alternative listed in the [https://wayback.freedesktop.org/docs/faq/#do-i-need-a-seat-manager-for-wayback FAQs upstream], this package is not available on Alpine Linux as of December 2025; enabling '''Elogind''' should suffice when employing Wayback with systemd on Alpine Linux – not tested for wiki.
	* An X11 window manager or X11-based desktop: see [[Desktop_environments_and_Window_managers\|Desktop environments and Window managers]].		* An X11 window manager or X11-based desktop: see [[Desktop_environments_and_Window_managers\|Desktop environments and Window managers]].
	* {{Pkg\|xinit}} ~~would~~ be useful ~~only if launching and customizing (an) X11 window manager(s) under~~ that ~~facility~~. If a ~~[[Display_manager~~\|~~display~~ manager]] is ~~used~~ to ~~autolaunch~~ Wayback ~~sessions~~ for ~~more than one window manager~~ in ~~turn~~, ~~then~~ '''xinit''' would ~~not~~ be ~~invoked and would~~ be ~~redundant; see the [[#Configuration~~/~~xinit\|xinit configuration]] and [[#Autostart\|Autostart]] sections~~.		* Neither an {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} executable nor the {{Pkg\|xinit}} package that supplies the {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}} executable are potentially necessary in many cases:-
			** The usual X11 {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} file could be reviewed and used without even installing '''xinit''', if one so chooses. However, it could be useful to cause ''other packages to autolaunch'' as part of the instructions in that file. Nevertheless, if the use of the {{Path\|.xinitrc}}/{{Path\|xinitrc}} ecosystem could be avoided, then the absence of such additional layer of complexity would be a preferred configuration.
			** Wayback is hard-coded to look for {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} only whenever a session manager is not specified directly to the {{ic\|wayback-session}} i.e. if {{ic\|wayback-session}} or {{ic\|exec wayback-session}} is the sole instruction. In such cases, Wayback will search for {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}}. If such file does not exist, Wayback will fall back to {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}}; in that case, the '''xinit''' package would be required to be installed so as to supply that executable.
			** The same applies if Wayback is autolaunched e.g. through {{Path\|~/.profile}} or through a display manager.

	== Installation ==		== Installation ==
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	The immediate required configuration would be:-		The immediate required configuration would be:-
	* for ~~'''~~xinit~~''' where~~ customization ~~is desired using that~~ facility~~; and if a single X11 window manager is expected to be launched~~.		* for {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} or {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}} if customization/X11 package autostarts are used with such a facility.
	* for your X11 window manager with its own configuration/customization files.		* for your X11 window manager with its own configuration/customization files.

	=== ~~xinit~~ ===		=== .xinitrc ===
	~~Install {{Pkg\|xinit}}:~~		A previously used {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} file could be reviewed for conflicts and imported, or create one for the user to customize using a text editor. Wayback does not search for such a file using any user-specified configuration path, currently.
	~~{{Cmd\|$ doas apk add xinit}}~~		{{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} requires a shebang line ({{ic\|#!/bin/sh}}) at the top. For example, to enable the ''Right Alt'' key as the [[Compose key]], one could install {{Pkg\|setxkbmap}}, and then edit as follows:

	~~Create an~~ {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} file for the user to customize using a text editor, ~~and add~~ a shebang line ({{ic\|#!/bin/sh}}) at the top. For example, to enable the ''Right Alt'' key as the [[Compose key]], one could install {{Pkg\|setxkbmap}}, and then edit as follows:
	{{Cat\|~/.xinitrc\|#!/bin/sh		{{Cat\|~/.xinitrc\|#!/bin/sh
	/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option compose:ralt &}}		/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option compose:ralt &}}
Line 48:		Line 50:
	Make the file executable by the user:		Make the file executable by the user:
	{{Cmd\|$ chmod 700 ~/.xinitrc}}		{{Cmd\|$ chmod 700 ~/.xinitrc}}
			{{Note\|If {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}} were preferred to be customized instead of {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}}, then the {{Pkg\|xinit}} package would supply that file:
			{{Cmd\|$ doas apk add xinit}}
			As this {{ic\|xinitrc}} file is already an executable, a {{ic\|chmod}} instruction similar to the above would ''not''' be applicable.
			}}

	== Usage ==		== Usage ==

	=== Launching from a tty ===		=== Launching from a tty ===
	==== From a tty without ~~xinit~~ ====		==== From a tty without .xinitrc ====
	A Wayback session may be launched from a tty user prompt – never as root for the sake of security – simply by running {{ic\|wayland-session}} followed by the window manager launcher name, instead of {{ic\|startx}} followed by the window manager launcher name and its path, as used in X11. From {{ic\|man wayback-session}}:		A Wayback session may be launched from a tty user prompt – never as root for the sake of security – simply by running {{ic\|wayland-session}} followed by the window manager launcher name, instead of {{ic\|startx}} followed by the window manager launcher name and its path, as used in X11. From {{ic\|man wayback-session}}:
	wayback-session optionally takes the command to launch a session.		wayback-session optionally takes the command to launch a session.
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	{{Cmd\|$ wayland-session cwm}}		{{Cmd\|$ wayland-session cwm}}

	==== From a tty using ~~xinit configurations~~ ====		==== From a tty using .xinitrc ====
	Continuing on from the passage above in {{ic\|man wayback-session}}:		Continuing on from the passage above in {{ic\|man wayback-session}}:
	If no command is specified it will try to launch ~/.xinitrc. If ~/.xinitrc is not found, it will launch /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.		If no command is specified it will try to launch ~/.xinitrc. If ~/.xinitrc is not found, it will launch /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.

	In that fashion, once {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} is [[#Configuration/~~xinit~~\|installed and configured]], then, from a ''tty'' as user – never as root for the sake of security:		In that fashion, once {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} or {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}} is [[#Configuration/.xinitrc\|installed and configured]], then, from a ''tty'' as user – never as root for the sake of security:

	{{Cmd\|$ wayland-session}}		{{Cmd\|$ wayland-session}}
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	</pre>		</pre>

	This test ensures~~: (a) a launch test in {{Path\|~/.profile}} to deny starting X within another session by testing with {{ic\|if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ]}});~~ and ~~(b)~~ that ~~{{ic\|wayback-session}}~~ only runs once i.e. on a specific ''tty'' , ''tty1'', as stated in that suggested code.		This test ensures that Wayback only launches provided that no display server is already running and that it only runs once i.e. on a specific ''tty'' , ''tty1'', as stated in that suggested code.

	~~This~~ code requires that ~~'''~~xinit~~'''~~ be configured to launch the selected window manager. If ~~'''xinit'''~~ is not ~~desired~~ to be ~~installed~~ and only one window manager would be ~~launched~~, then the ~~line~~ {{ic\|exec wayback-session}} will need to be expanded to specify the intended window manager e.g. {{ic\|exec wayback-session cwm}} .		That code requires that {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} or {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}} be configured to specify and to launch the selected window manager. If such a facility is preferred not to be used, and if only one X11 window manager would ever be autostarted by Wayback using {{Path\|~/.profile}}, then the {{ic\|exec wayback-session}} line will need to be expanded to specify the intended window manager e.g. {{ic\|exec wayback-session cwm}} .

	==== Autostart from a display manager - ~~xinit redundant~~ ====		==== Autostart from a display manager - without .xinitrc ====
	A [[Display_manager\|display manager]] e.g. [[SDDM]], [[LXDM]] or [[SLiM]] may be configured to autostart one or more window managers at a time under Wayback.		A [[Display_manager\|display manager]] e.g. [[SDDM]], [[LXDM]] or [[SLiM]] may be configured to autostart one or more window managers at a time under Wayback.

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	Comment=cwm running under Wayback</nowiki>}}		Comment=cwm running under Wayback</nowiki>}}

	~~No '''xinit''' file will be read if a~~ session name ~~is specified~~ in ~~the~~ fashion ~~above (~~i.e. {{ic\|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session</nowiki> <var>sessionname</var>}}). ~~In that case~~, ~~'''xinit'''~~ would be redundant.		As {{ic\|wayback-session}} is fed the session name in that fashion, i.e. {{ic\|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session</nowiki> <var>sessionname</var>}}, no {{Path\|.xinitrc}} or {{Path\|xinitrc}} executable will be read, and any such executable would be redundant.

	Make the file readable by all and writable by root only:		Make the file readable by all and writable by root only:
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	Comment=XFCE running under Wayback</nowiki>}}		Comment=XFCE running under Wayback</nowiki>}}

	==== Autostart only one window manager from a display manager - ~~xinit required~~ ====		==== Autostart from a display manager - using .xinitrc ====
	In case ''only one'' X11 window manager is expected to be launched on the system, with or without Wayback, then the {{ic\|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session cwm</nowiki>}} line in {{Path\|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-cwm.desktop}} and all other lines, plus that filename, could be shortened to omit the mention of {{ic\|cwm}}. ~~This~~ would ~~require~~ that the ~~'''xinit'''~~ configuration steps above were followed in order to specify the intended window manager in ~~the~~ {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} file instead.		Alternatively to stating the session name in the {{Path\|.desktop}}'s {{ic\|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session</nowiki> <var>sessionname</var>}} line, the {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} or {{Path\|/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc}} executables could be used and configured to select what window manager to launch depending on a variable conditional stated there: see example above [[#Configuration/.xinitrc\|using {{Path\|$HOSTNAME}}]]. A generic {{Path\|.desktop}} file to launch Wayback through the DM could be employed in that case, including shortening the line to {{ic\|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session</nowiki>}}.

			==== Autostart only one window manager from a display manager - .xinitrc optional ====
			In case ''only one'' X11 window manager is expected to be launched on the system, with or without Wayback, then the {{ic\|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session cwm</nowiki>}} line in {{Path\|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-cwm.desktop}}, and all other lines, plus that filename, could be shortened to omit the mention of {{ic\|cwm}}. However, this would introduce an additional layer of complexity, requiring that the [[#Configuration/.xinitrc\|.xinitrc configuration steps above]] were followed in order to specify the intended window manager in that {{Path\|~/.xinitrc}} file instead.

	== Further steps ==		== Further steps ==

John3-16: Initial writeup after launch of wayback 0.3; contributions encouraged.

2025-12-27T05:21:31Z

Initial writeup after launch of wayback 0.3; contributions encouraged.

New page

[https://wayback.freedesktop.org/ Wayback] is an X11 compatibility layer that enables hosting a full X11 desktop environment on Wayland. It acts as a minimal (stub) compositor that enables Xwayland to run in rootful mode, i.e. Xwayland owning the root window, which then behaves like a full X11 server. This is unlike Xwayland run without Wayback, as it then acts as an X server running as a client on Wayland and can then only enable certain X11 applications during a Wayland session. As one of the benefits of Wayback supplying a dedicated X11 server environment, it can run applications originally developed for X11 that cannot operate correctly under rootless Xwayland.

The aim is to eventually make Wayback "a [https://wayback.freedesktop.org/news/2025/07/23/wayback-0.1-released/ drop-in replacement] to the Xorg binary". This may imply a limited need to amend user configurations/session scripts such as {{Path|.xinitrc}} and reducing the maintenance burden in development. Wayback uses wlroots and Xwayland, and its 0.3 release is of alpha quality. It is available in the community repositories of Alpine Linux Edge and v3.23. {{Pill||text=v3.23.x}}

Note that Wayback cannot be launched from within a Wayland compositor (e.g. from [[Sway]] or [[River|river-classic/River]]): both need complete control of the graphics stack by their nature as display servers/compositors.

== Prerequisites ==

* The [[Repositories#Managing_repositories|community repository must be enabled]].
* A ''seat manager'' - [[Elogind|elogind]] or [[Seatd|seatd]] enabled in openrc init installations. Although '''systemd-logind''' is an alternative listed in the [https://wayback.freedesktop.org/docs/faq/#do-i-need-a-seat-manager-for-wayback FAQs upstream], this package is not available on Alpine Linux as of December 2025; enabling '''Elogind''' should suffice when employing Wayback with systemd on Alpine Linux – not tested for wiki.
* An X11 window manager or X11-based desktop: see [[Desktop_environments_and_Window_managers|Desktop environments and Window managers]].
* {{Pkg|xinit}} would be useful only if launching and customizing (an) X11 window manager(s) under that facility. If a [[Display_manager|display manager]] is used to autolaunch Wayback sessions for more than one window manager in turn, then '''xinit''' would not be invoked and would be redundant; see the [[#Configuration/xinit|xinit configuration]] and [[#Autostart|Autostart]] sections.

== Installation ==

To install Wayback, plus the {{ic|-doc}} ''man'' pages for {{ic|Xwayback}} and {{ic|wayback-session}} with the license agreement:
{{Cmd| $ doas apk add wayback wayback-doc}}

To launch, say, the {{Pkg|cwm}} window manager in a Wayback session, install it first:
{{Cmd|$ doas apk add cwm}}

== Configuration ==

The immediate required configuration would be:-
* for '''xinit''' where customization is desired using that facility; and if a single X11 window manager is expected to be launched.
* for your X11 window manager with its own configuration/customization files.

=== xinit ===
Install {{Pkg|xinit}}:
{{Cmd|$ doas apk add xinit}}

Create an {{Path|~/.xinitrc}} file for the user to customize using a text editor, and add a shebang line ({{ic|#!/bin/sh}}) at the top. For example, to enable the ''Right Alt'' key as the [[Compose key]], one could install {{Pkg|setxkbmap}}, and then edit as follows:
{{Cat|~/.xinitrc|#!/bin/sh
/usr/bin/setxkbmap -option compose:ralt &}}

Add a line to launch the window manager ('''cwm''' in our example) as the last line being read in that file:
exec cwm

Alternatively, that line could be replaced to enable different window managers, say, depending on a variable of your choosing, such as {{Path|$HOSTNAME}}, provided that the other window managers have been configured also. For example, the line could be replaced by:
<pre>
if [ "$HOSTNAME" = "work" ]; then
exec startxfce4
else
exec cwm
fi
</pre>

Make the file executable by the user:
{{Cmd|$ chmod 700 ~/.xinitrc}}

== Usage ==

=== Launching from a tty ===
==== From a tty without xinit ====
A Wayback session may be launched from a tty user prompt – never as root for the sake of security – simply by running {{ic|wayland-session}} followed by the window manager launcher name, instead of {{ic|startx}} followed by the window manager launcher name and its path, as used in X11. From {{ic|man wayback-session}}:
wayback-session optionally takes the command to launch a session.

Therefore, to illustrate with '''cwm''' as the window manager, from a ''tty'' as user:
{{Cmd|$ wayland-session cwm}}

==== From a tty using xinit configurations ====
Continuing on from the passage above in {{ic|man wayback-session}}:
If no command is specified it will try to launch ~/.xinitrc. If ~/.xinitrc is not found, it will launch /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.

In that fashion, once {{Path|~/.xinitrc}} is [[#Configuration/xinit|installed and configured]], then, from a ''tty'' as user – never as root for the sake of security:

{{Cmd|$ wayland-session}}

=== Autostart ===
==== Autostart from .profile ====
{{ic|wayback-session}} may be autostarted from {{Path|~/.profile}} provided that safeguards are taken to avoid errors or infinite loops. To this end, the following could be added at the end of your {{Path|~/.profile}} :
<pre>
if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ "$(tty)" = "/dev/tty1" ]; then
exec wayback-session
fi
</pre>

This test ensures: (a) a launch test in {{Path|~/.profile}} to deny starting X within another session by testing with {{ic|if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ]}}); and (b) that {{ic|wayback-session}} only runs once i.e. on a specific ''tty'' , ''tty1'', as stated in that suggested code.

This code requires that '''xinit''' be configured to launch the selected window manager. If '''xinit''' is not desired to be installed and only one window manager would be launched, then the line {{ic|exec wayback-session}} will need to be expanded to specify the intended window manager e.g. {{ic|exec wayback-session cwm}} .

==== Autostart from a display manager - xinit redundant ====
A [[Display_manager|display manager]] e.g. [[SDDM]], [[LXDM]] or [[SLiM]] may be configured to autostart one or more window managers at a time under Wayback.

Create a file e.g. {{Path|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-cwm.desktop}} with contents such as:
{{Cat|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-cwm.desktop|<nowiki>[Desktop Entry]
Name=Wayback-cwm
Exec=wayback-session cwm
Type=Application
DesktopNames=Wayback
Comment=cwm running under Wayback</nowiki>}}

No '''xinit''' file will be read if a session name is specified in the fashion above (i.e. {{ic|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session</nowiki> <var>sessionname</var>}}). In that case, '''xinit''' would be redundant.

Make the file readable by all and writable by root only:
{{Cmd|$ doas chmod 644 /usr/share/xsessions/wayback-cwm.desktop}}

On reboot, select ''Wayback-cwm'' from the display manager session dropdown menu.

The process could be repeated for other window managers, say, for '''XFCE''', which would be particularly useful while it is transitioning to Wayland if sought to be launched using Wayland: '''Xfwm''' could benefit from Wayback, for example, first by creating a {{Path|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-xfce.desktop}} file, and then repeating the steps above.

{{Cat|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-xfce.desktop|<nowiki>[Desktop Entry]
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Wayback-XFCE
Exec=wayback-session startxfce4
Type=Application
DesktopNames=Wayback
Comment=XFCE running under Wayback</nowiki>}}

==== Autostart only one window manager from a display manager - xinit required ====
In case ''only one'' X11 window manager is expected to be launched on the system, with or without Wayback, then the {{ic|<nowiki>Exec=wayback-session cwm</nowiki>}} line in {{Path|/usr/share/xsessions/wayback-cwm.desktop}} and all other lines, plus that filename, could be shortened to omit the mention of {{ic|cwm}}. This would require that the '''xinit''' configuration steps above were followed in order to specify the intended window manager in the {{Path|~/.xinitrc}} file instead.

== Further steps ==

[https://wayback.freedesktop.org/news/2025/12/22/wayback-0.3-released/#future-work Development] is seeking to improve from Xwayland’s rootful mode by eventually deploying Wayback in an arguably safer ''rootless mode'' in order to facilitate proper multi-monitor support and other facilities. As may be typical of alpha releases, Wayback currently has no DPMS/power management and lacks certain Xorg options.

== See also ==
* [https://wayback.freedesktop.org/docs/usage/ Wayback - documentation upstream].
* [https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayback/wayback Wayback - Development on gitlab.freedesktop.org upstream]
* [https://portallinuxferramentas.blogspot.com/2025/06/wayback-project-revolutionizing-x11.html?m=1 'Wayback Project: Revolutionizing X11 Compatibility on Wayland for Modern Linux Systems'] - Article on [https://portallinuxferramentas.blogspot.com portallinuxferramentas.blogspot.com]
* [https://linuxiac.com/wayback-0-3-preview-arrives-with-fedora-and-alpine-availability/ 'Wayback 0.3 Preview Arrives With Fedora and Alpine Availability'] - Article on [https://linuxiac.com Linuxiac.com]

[[Category:Wayland]]
[[Category:Compositor]]
[[Category:Desktop]]