Linux guides

XWayland: A Survival Guide

XWayland bridges X11 apps to your Wayland desktop. Learn how it works, fix blurry windows and clipboard issues, and set the right environment variables.

Desktop & Daily Use· 11 min read

Wayland vs X11: A Deep Dive

A practical deep dive into Wayland vs X11: architecture, security isolation, frame latency, what still needs XWayland, and how to manage mixed sessions.

Get Screen Sharing to Work on Wayland

Fix Wayland screen sharing for browsers, OBS, and video calls by correctly setting up PipeWire, xdg-desktop-portal, and compositor-specific backends.

XDG Desktop Portals Explained

Learn what XDG Desktop Portals do, how to install the right backend for GNOME, KDE, or wlroots, and how to fix common screen sharing and file picker failures.

Try the COSMIC Desktop from System76

Install COSMIC Desktop from System76 on Pop!_OS 24.04 Alpha or Fedora, configure tiling and panels, and know what to expect from this Rust-built alpha DE.

Try niri, the Scrollable-Tiling Wayland Compositor

Install niri, the Rust-based scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor, then configure its unique horizontal window model, keybinds, and status bar.

Custom Keybinds: Caps as Esc/Ctrl, Sticky Keys, Macros

Remap Caps Lock to Esc/Ctrl, set up hyperkeys, sticky keys, and macros using xkb, keyd, input-remapper, and kanata—covering X11 and Wayland.

A Linux Remote-Work Setup

Set up a full Linux remote-work environment: multi-monitor displays, Zoom/Teams/Element video calls, WireGuard/OpenVPN, calendar sync, and a password manager.

Linux for Podcasters and Streamers

Set up a professional Linux podcast and streaming rig: PipeWire low-latency audio, RNNoise suppression, OBS Studio, Reaper DAW, and Audacity multi-track recording.

Linux for Designers: A Complete Setup Guide

Set up a professional Linux design workstation: ICC color management, font pipelines, Inkscape/GIMP/Krita/Penpot installs, and Wayland rendering fixes.

Linux Accessibility: Screen Readers and Magnification

Set up Orca screen reader, GNOME and KDE magnification, high-contrast themes, and full keyboard navigation on modern Linux desktops including Wayland sessions.

Sway Power-User Configuration

Configure Sway end-to-end: i3-compatible bindings, Waybar status bar, swaylock screen locking, swayidle with idle-hints, and grim/slurp screen capture.

Use Figma or Self-Host Penpot on Linux

Run Figma in Chromium on Linux with local font support, or self-host the open-source alternative Penpot using Docker Compose — step-by-step for all major distros.

Install darktable for RAW Photo Processing

Install darktable on Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch, then learn importing, the scene-referred pipeline, masking, exporting, and how it compares to RawTherapee.

Install ActivityWatch for Local Time Tracking

Install ActivityWatch on Linux, configure systemd auto-start, set up window and AFK watchers, connect the browser extension, and read time-tracking reports.

Fix Fractional Scaling and HiDPI on Wayland

Fix blurry apps on HiDPI Wayland displays: enable compositor fractional scaling, set GDK and Qt env vars for XWayland, and configure Electron's Ozone backend.

Use distrobox to Run Other Distros in Containers

Run Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, or any distro as an integrated container on your current system using distrobox—with shared home, GUI support, and shell integration.

Build a Raspberry Pi Kiosk

Boot a Raspberry Pi straight into full-screen Chromium with no desktop, no cursor, and no screen blanking using labwc, systemd autologin, and Wayland.

Install Ardour for Audio Recording

Install Ardour on Linux via distro packages, official binary, or source build. Configure JACK or PipeWire, set up a recording session, and add LV2/VST plugins.

Try a Tiling Window Manager (i3 or sway)

Install i3 or sway, understand tiling layouts and config syntax, add a status bar, and keep the useful parts of your old desktop environment.

Configure the Touchpad and Multitouch Gestures

Configure Linux touchpad behavior and multitouch gestures using libinput, libinput-gestures, and native GNOME and KDE Plasma settings on both Wayland and X11.

How to Set Up HiDPI and 4K Displays on Linux

Configure HiDPI and 4K scaling on Linux across GNOME, KDE, Sway, and X11—including fractional scaling and mixed-DPI multi-monitor setups.

How to Manage Dotfiles with GNU Stow

Use GNU Stow to turn a Git repository into a symlink farm for your dotfiles — deploy any config to a new Linux machine in under a minute.

How to Fix Screen Tearing on Linux

Fix screen tearing on Linux for Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA GPUs using TearFree, Force Composition Pipeline, and compositor settings on X11 and Wayland.

Wayland vs X11: How to Choose and Configure Each

Know when to run Wayland or X11, how to check your current session, switch at login with GDM/SDDM/LightDM, and handle NVIDIA and XWayland edge cases.

Touchscreen Configuration on Linux

Configure Linux touchscreens end-to-end: verify libinput detection, calibrate under Wayland and X11, map to the right display, and enable multi-touch gestures.

The X Window System Explained

Understand how X11 actually works — X server, clients, display managers, window managers, compositors — and how Wayland's architecture differs and why it matters.

Sync Phones and Handheld Devices with Linux

Sync Android phones with Linux using MTP for file transfer and KDE Connect or GSConnect for wireless integration. Includes PalmOS history and CalDAV setup.

How to Set Up Multiple Monitors on Linux

Configure multiple monitors on Linux: physical arrangement, per-display resolution, refresh rates, and scaling on both X11 (xrandr) and Wayland (GNOME, KDE, Sway, kanshi).

Linux for Astronomy

Set up KStars, Stellarium, and INDI on Linux for telescope control, automated imaging sequences, and image stacking with Siril.

Lightweight Window Managers and Desktops

Install and configure i3, Sway, and Openbox on Linux. Learn tiling vs floating WMs, minimal session setup, status bars, and autostart with systemd.

How to Install NVIDIA Drivers on Linux

Install NVIDIA proprietary drivers on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Arch Linux. Covers driver selection, Wayland setup, and troubleshooting common failures.

How to Fix Audio Problems on Linux

Fix Linux audio issues step by step: identify PipeWire vs PulseAudio, unmute ALSA channels, select the right output device, reload drivers, and verify hardware.