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https://github.com/probonopd/wayland-x11-compat-protocols

The missing Wayland protocols for features that are available in X11 (but are denied by the official Wayland protocols)
https://github.com/probonopd/wayland-x11-compat-protocols

wayland wayland-compatibility wayland-protocol

Last synced: 22 days ago
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The missing Wayland protocols for features that are available in X11 (but are denied by the official Wayland protocols)

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# wayland-x11-compat-protocols



The missing Wayland protocols for features that are available in X11 (but are denied by the official Wayland protocols).



> Es gibt nichts Gutes ― außer man tut es.



Erich Kästner



## Protocols



Allow applications and desktop environments (and abstractions like [libxfce4windowing](https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/libxfce4windowing)) to do what they can do in X11...



- [x] Terminology: Handle _windows_ (not: "surfaces", "toplevels") like in X11 (_window_ ID, etc.) (for now we are assuming that `zwlr_foreign_toplevel_handle_v1` [for non-Wayland applications] and `xdg_toplevel` [for Wayland applications] is the Wayland equivalent of a window ID)

- [x] `screen_video_capture_v1`: Capture the screen (without Pipewire, Portals, etc. see [ext-screencopy-v1](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/124); also check [ext-image-capture-source-v1](https://wayland.app/protocols/ext-image-capture-source-v1) and [ext-image-copy-capture-v1](https://wayland.app/protocols/ext-image-copy-capture-v1))

- [x] `global_shortcuts_v1`: Set global keyboard shortcuts (without Portals, etc.)

- [x] `window_properties_v1` Get the process ID and other vital information (like in `xprop`) and kill other applications (like `xkill`) (for partial support see [ext-foreign-toplevel-list](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/187) and [ext-foreign-toplevel-state](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/196))

- [x] `window_properties_v1`: Set key-value combinations on windows (atoms)

- [x] `window_management_v1`: Position windows in a [prescriptive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=relxcJiHBnA&t=1230s) way (also see [ext-placement](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/247)). Also see [river_layout_v3](https://codeberg.org/river/river/src/branch/master/protocol/river-layout-v3.xml) and [ext_placement_v1](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/247)

- [ ] Drag-and-drop between applications (There is `wl_data_offer`, but why can't we drag files from an archive manager to the file manager in Raspberry Pi OS then? We need a solution [without kludges like Portals and FUSE](https://gitlab.gnome.org/AlynxZhou/file-roller/-/commit/80f53ece6714c89f604a80d60a2153e7599060fd)) 

- [ ] Client data query (e.g., window/surface positions, cursor position with xhot/yhot position, keyboard state, window geometries; AT-SPI2 is very limited)

- [ ] An equivalent to XTEST (ability to send keystrokes, move the cursor, move/resize windows and so on; `ydotool` is somewhat limited)

- [ ] Frame callback-less rendering (ability to submit new frames at any time) (assuming it doesn't exist yet)

- [ ] (Feel free to suggest additional candidates)



...unencumbered, and without additional software besides the Wayland compositor (such as Pipewire, Portals, .desktop files, etc.).



Already being implemented upstream:



- [x] [`ext_toplevel_icon_v1`](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge_requests/269) Set arbitrary window icons with no need for `.desktop` files (thanks [__ximion__](https://github.com/ximion); also see [The case for an icon protocol](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNSdIvdJeSw))



## Motivation



The official [wayland-protocols](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols) project has not provided protocols for essential functionality known from X11, hence preventing application developers and desktop environment developers from having a smooth transition path from X11 to Wayland with feature parity.



## What is this?



* This is a namespace for Wayland protocols (goverened outside of the existing Wayland projects)

* It is not expected that all Wayland compositors will implement these protocols, but most likely _some_ will

* Whenever people ask for something that works in X11 but not in Wayland, we add it there (ideally in a way that makes it trivially easy for people to port existing X11 applications to the x11-compat_... Wayland protocols)

* The only requirement for a protocol to be added to this namespace is: Functionality that works in X11 but does not work in Wayland due to Wayland policy decisions

* The protocols must not draw in additional dependencies besides the Wayland compositor itself (such as D-Bus, Pipewire, Portals, etc.)

* Parameters should ideally be the same as in the corresponding X11 API

* This is a volunteer-based community effort. Your contributions are highly welcome!

* `wayland-x11-compat-protocols` is a working title. Suggestions, anyone?



## But... security.



The windowing system is not the place to restrict what applications are and are not allowed to do.



If you want to restrict what applications can do, use a sandbox (or disallow these protocols in your compositor via a configuration setting).



## Also see



https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/wlr-protocols/ - it seems to be addressing a few of the missing Wayland protocols. Unfortunately not all Wayland compositors are built on wlroots yet, so those may or may not work on your desktop.