How do you switch from Wayland back to Xorg in Ubuntu 17.10?

Question

Some of my applications don't work on Ubuntu 17.10 Wayland. How can I switch back to Xorg?

Solution 1

When you boot your system and get to the GDM login screen you should find a cogwheel (⚙️) next to the sign in button. If you click on the cogwheel you should find an Ubuntu on Xorg option which will start an Xorg session instead of a Wayland session.

Solution 2

If you wish to do it permanently, edit /etc/gdm3/custom.conf and uncomment the line:

#WaylandEnable=false

by removing the # in front of it.

Save the file and then on reboot you will never see the cog asking for which session to use.

EDIT: Apparently @doug beat me to this answer. I didn't see it earlier - It was in a comment that was hidden initially.

Solution 3

You may want to remove wayland session to prevent accidental logins.

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Your package maintainers will be proud of you if you do it as follows:

sudo mkdir /usr/share/wayland-sessions/hidden
sudo dpkg-divert --rename \
      --divert /usr/share/wayland-sessions/hidden/ubuntu.desktop \
      --add /usr/share/wayland-sessions/ubuntu.desktop

What this does is to instruct the package manager to remember a new location for the file. This has several advantages over the other answers:

• It guarantees a future package install/upgrade won't revert your change
• It works with other display managers (lxdm for example lists .backup entries)

• You can revert it easily if you change your mind with:

  sudo dpkg-divert --rename --remove /usr/share/wayland-sessions/ubuntu.desktop

>

Source: https://askubuntu.com/a/500813/602695

Comments

[doug]

One could also simply edit /etc/gdm3/custom.conf & uncomment #WaylandEnable=false It will not be overwritten without user consent if at all

[Artyom]

@doug Your answer will only work with gdm3 though, one may be using LightDM -as I do-, My answer will work for both LightDM and gdm3.

[Raffi Khatchadourian]

I don't even see that option on my machine. I just see Ubuntu on Xorg and Unity.

[Aloso]

Wayland IS compatible with my system. I am using Wayland, but I want to switch to Xorg, because gparted doesn't work with Wayland

[pomsky]

@Aloso Hmm... not sure what's happening, but you might want to see this in order to make GParted work in a Wayland session.

[John Smith]

Sorry, Ubuntu newb here - I don't have an /etc/gdm3 directory. Anywhere else it could be?

[Sam Thomas]

@MichaelKupietz what display manager are you using? ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1831388

[Matthew Najmon]

@pomsky I tried all the options in that other answer you linked, and none of them worked, I still can't use gparted. I found this answer from a link from that one, as I continued my search because that "answer" didn't solve the problem.

[pomsky]

@MatthewNajmon That means you have a new question, mention clearly that you tried all the answers to the older question and that all of them failed (explain how they failed). Then I believe it won't be closed as a duplicate. And no profanity please.

[Marecky]

Does one selection stays chosen for further logins? Or does one have to use the cogwheel every time to login to Xorg?

[pomsky]

@Marecky It should remember your choice for the next time. So no need to use the cogwheel every single time.

[Esamo]

Works like a charm. Finally making hangouts usable. On the Debian test release the file is: /etc/gdm3/daemon.conf

[Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com]

Any way to change the default without disabling? (but still be able to pick it from the login screen cog)