Getting Gala to run with Wayland

gala-wayland.md

If you're interested in helping with this, join us on IRC: #elementary-dev on irc.freenode.net

Prerequisite: install the xwayland package.

I managed to get Gala to run in a VT with:

dbus-run-session -- gala --display-server --wayland

It even works with just gala --display-server --wayland, but the session still doesn't start.

However, the desktop doesn't seem to start. Investigating.

Running plank --display=:1 crashes the Gala with

Fatal server error:
(EE) wl_drm@4: error 0: authenicate failed
(EE) 

(gala:23356): mutter-ERROR **: Connection to xwayland lost

The following seem to only work with when gala is run inside an X session with gala --wayland:

• Running wingpanel --display=:1 works as long as wingpanel is closed in any other session. The indicators seem to open towards the top of the screen though.
• Running pantheon-calculator --display=:1 launches the Calculator, but there are no close or maximize buttons.

@matzipan thanks so much for looking into this. I'm happy to contribute some work toward elementary to port to Wayland, as I see this as a very important feature.

I can start a pantheon-session under wayland from gdm on archlinux and it seems to work ok, (no plank)
all compiled from src using mutter/gtk 3.22.2

sorry for the bad quality pics, screenshot tools doesnt work on wayland and pantheon-session, (it does on gshell)

Hey guys,

If you're interested in contributing towards making this happen, join us on IRC in #elementary-dev on irc.freenode.net

@matzipan if you start gala with dbus-run-session -- gala --display-server --wayland how do you exit it again, or start any program like a terminal?

@roidm what gdm is using as command line to start pantheon-session?

because i read on ::
startx /usr/bin/gnome-session --session=pantheon
what i tried is, on arch:

pacaur -S gala-git
pacaur -S pantheon-session-git
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland  dbus-run-session gnome-session --session=pantheon

and it did not work.