Wayland (protocol)

Wayland is a communication protocol that specifies the communication between a display server (the compositor) and its clients (applications). It aims to replace the X Window System (X11) and offers a modern, simpler, and more efficient architecture for graphical environments.

Instead of the monolithic architecture of X11, Wayland uses a leaner client-server model. The compositor takes on more responsibility for rendering and managing the display, directly composing the application's output into the final display image. Clients communicate directly with the compositor using the Wayland protocol.

Key characteristics of Wayland include:

• Direct Rendering: Applications render directly into buffers which are then submitted to the compositor. This reduces overhead compared to X11, where rendering often involved multiple layers of indirection.

• Compositor as Display Server: The compositor acts as the display server and has complete control over the display. This allows for more efficient rendering and better support for modern features like visual effects and animations.

• Simple Protocol: Wayland's protocol is designed to be relatively simple and straightforward, making it easier to implement and maintain.

• EGL for Rendering: Wayland generally uses the Embedded-System Graphics Library (EGL) as the API for applications to create rendering contexts.

• Weston Reference Implementation: Weston is the reference implementation of a Wayland compositor, providing a basic example of how the protocol can be used in practice.

• Integration with libinput: Wayland compositors typically use libinput to handle input events from devices like keyboards, mice, and touchscreens.

Wayland promotes a more secure and performant graphical environment compared to X11. It has become the standard display protocol for many Linux distributions and is under active development.