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Mango provides excellent XWayland support, allowing you to run legacy X11 applications seamlessly alongside native Wayland applications. Most X11 applications work out of the box with proper window management, decorations, and compositor features.

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Overview

XWayland is an X server that runs as a Wayland client, enabling X11 applications to run on Wayland compositors. Benefits of Mango’s XWayland Support:
  • Seamless Integration: X11 and Wayland apps work identically
  • Full Feature Support: Tiling, floating, effects, and animations
  • Stable Implementation: Based on proven wlroots XWayland support
  • Window Management: Complete control over X11 windows
  • No Flickering: Zero-flicker rendering for smooth visuals
Mango treats XWayland windows as first-class citizens. You won’t notice a difference between native Wayland and X11 applications in daily use.

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Installation

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Dependencies

XWayland support requires the XWayland server and related libraries: 
sudo pacman -S xorg-xwayland libxcb

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Building Mango with XWayland

Mango includes XWayland support by default when built: 
git clone https://github.com/mangowm/mango.git
cd mango
meson build -Dprefix=/usr
sudo ninja -C build install
No special flags needed - XWayland support is automatically enabled if dependencies are present.

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Running X11 Applications

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Automatic Detection

No configuration needed - just launch X11 applications normally: 
# X11 applications work out of the box
firefox          # If installed as X11 version
gimp
xterm
inkscape
Mango automatically:
  1. Starts XWayland server when first X11 app launches
  2. Routes X11 applications through XWayland
  3. Manages X11 windows alongside Wayland windows

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Verifying XWayland

Check if an application is using XWayland: 
# List XWayland clients
xlsclients

# Check window properties
xwininfo

# View X server info
xdpyinfo

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Window Management

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X11 Window Behavior

X11 windows in Mango behave identically to Wayland windows:

Tiling

X11 windows tile in all layouts

Floating

X11 windows can float and be dragged

Fullscreen

X11 fullscreen properly supported

Focus

Focus management works seamlessly

Tags

X11 windows work with tag system

Animations

X11 windows animate like Wayland windows

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Window States

All Mango window states work with X11 applications: 
# Toggle floating (works for X11)
bind=ALT,backslash,togglefloating,

# Maximize (X11 compatible)
bind=ALT,a,togglemaximizescreen,

# Fullscreen (proper X11 fullscreen)
bind=ALT,f,togglefullscreen,

# Send to scratchpad (X11 supported)
bind=ALT,z,toggle_scratchpad

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X11-Specific Features

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Window Properties

Access X11 window properties for rules: 
# Window rules can target X11 apps by class
windowrule=float,class:xterm
windowrule=tag:4,class:Gimp
Query X11 window class: 
# Get window class for rules
xprop WM_CLASS
# Then click on target window

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X11 Clipboard

X11 clipboard integration works automatically:
  • Copy in X11 app → Paste in Wayland app ✓
  • Copy in Wayland app → Paste in X11 app ✓
  • Selection clipboard (middle-click paste) supported ✓

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Input Methods

X11 input methods work through XWayland: 
# Set input method for X11 apps
export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx
For better input method support, see Input Methods.

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Application Compatibility

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Fully Compatible

These X11 application types work perfectly:
  • Terminals: xterm, urxvt, terminator
  • Browsers: Firefox (X11 build), Chromium (X11)
  • Creative: GIMP, Inkscape, Blender (X11 mode)
  • Gaming: Many X11 games via Steam/Wine
  • Development: Many IDEs and editors
  • Office: LibreOffice (X11 build)

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Common X11 Applications

Full support including:
  • Tiling and floating
  • Fullscreen video
  • Hardware acceleration
  • Drag and drop
  • Context menus
Many Electron apps use X11:
  • VSCode (X11 fallback)
  • Slack (X11 version)
  • Discord (X11 version)
  • Spotify
All work seamlessly with Mango.
X11 games work through XWayland:
  • Most native Linux games
  • Wine/Proton games
  • May need fullscreen workarounds
Older X11-only applications:
  • Old GTK2 applications
  • Legacy Qt applications
  • Scientific software
  • Specialized tools

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Known Limitations

Some X11 features have limitations on Wayland:
  • Global Hotkeys: X11 apps can’t register global shortcuts (Wayland security)
  • Window Positioning: X11 apps can’t control their absolute position
  • Screen Capture: X11 screen capture APIs don’t work (use portal instead)
  • Cursor Constraints: Some games may have cursor confinement issues

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Performance

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XWayland Performance

Mango’s XWayland implementation is highly optimized:
  • Zero Flickering: Perfect frame delivery for X11 apps
  • Hardware Acceleration: Full GPU support for X11 rendering
  • Minimal Overhead: Negligible performance impact vs native X11
  • Efficient Rendering: Same scene graph as Wayland windows

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Comparing Native vs XWayland

For most applications, you won’t notice performance differences:
AspectWayland NativeXWayland
RenderingDirectMinimal overhead
Input LatencyLowestNear-identical
TearingNoneNone
GPU UsageOptimalNear-optimal
MemoryLowestSlightly higher

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Troubleshooting

Check if xorg-xwayland is installed:
which Xwayland
If missing, install xorg-xwayland package for your distribution.
Check Mango logs for XWayland errors:
journalctl -xe | grep -i xwayland
Ensure XWayland has permission to execute.
Install a clipboard manager that handles both:
# Arch
yay -S wl-clipboard xclip
Set environment variables in autostart or shell profile:
export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx  
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx
Try fake fullscreen instead:
bind=ALT+SHIFT,f,togglefakefullscreen,
Some games work better with fake fullscreen on Wayland.
Set X11 DPI scaling:
xrdb -merge <<< "Xft.dpi: 192"
Add to autostart.sh for persistence.

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Configuration

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XWayland Environment Variables

Set in autostart.sh or shell profile: 
# Force X11 backend for specific apps
export GDK_BACKEND=x11

# X11 DPI for HiDPI displays
export GDK_DPI_SCALE=2

# Disable X11 compositor hints (Mango manages composition)
export XCOMPOSITING=0

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Window Rules for X11 Apps

# Target X11 applications by class name
windowrule=float,class:Xterm
windowrule=float,class:xev
windowrule=tag:2,class:firefox
windowrule=fullscreen,class:steam_app_*
Use xprop WM_CLASS to find class names for rules.

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Migration from X11

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Switching from X11 WM to Mango

If migrating from an X11 window manager:
  1. Most X11 apps work unchanged - Launch them normally
  2. Wayland-native apps preferred - Use Wayland versions when available
  3. Check for Wayland alternatives - Many apps have Wayland builds
  4. Update config - Some X11-specific configs may need adjustment

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Finding Wayland Alternatives

X11 AppWayland Alternative
xtermfoot, alacritty
dmenubemenu, wofi, rofi (Wayland)
dunst (X11)mako, swaync
fehimv, swayimg
scrotgrim + slurp
See Recommended Tools for complete list.

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Best Practices

Prefer Wayland Native

Use Wayland versions of apps when available for best performance and security

XWayland as Fallback

Keep XWayland for legacy apps that don’t have Wayland support

Test Compatibility

Test critical X11 apps before full migration to ensure they work properly

Monitor Performance

Check if X11 apps impact performance; consider Wayland alternatives if needed

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