Open a terminal in your graphical desktop and run echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE". A result of wayland means the desktop session is Wayland; x11 means it is an Xorg/X11 session. To verify the session record independently, use loginctl show-session "$XDG_SESSION_ID" -p Type.
Check the session from a terminal
- Open a terminal emulator from the desktop you want to identify.
- Run
echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE". - Read the result:
waylandidentifies a Wayland session, whilex11identifies Xorg/X11. Red Hat documents this check and notes that Xorg sessions returnx11(Red Hat documentation).
Verify the session with systemd-logind
For an independent check, query the session record maintained by systemd-logind:
loginctl show-session "$XDG_SESSION_ID" -p Type
Typical output is Type=wayland or Type=x11. The systemd login1 specification defines Type as the session type, with values including tty for text logins and x11 or wayland for graphical logins (systemd login1 specification).
If XDG_SESSION_ID is empty, run loginctl to list sessions, identify the graphical session, and substitute its ID in loginctl show-session SESSION_ID -p Type. For a more readable report, use loginctl session-status SESSION_ID.
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What to do if the result is blank or unexpected
A blank value, tty, or unspecified does not prove the computer has no display server. The shell may have been opened through SSH, a text console, a container, or another context that does not carry the graphical desktop’s session variables. Run the check in a terminal emulator inside the desktop, or inspect the graphical user’s session with loginctl.
Distinguish a Wayland desktop from an X11 application
A Wayland desktop can run older X11 applications through XWayland, an X server that runs on top of Wayland to provide compatibility for X11 programs, as Red Hat explains in its GNOME desktop documentation. As a result, an application’s environment or behavior may look X11-related even though the overall desktop session is Wayland. Use the session-level result from XDG_SESSION_TYPE or logind’s Type property to identify the desktop session.
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Use other environment variables only as clues
A non-empty WAYLAND_DISPLAY, often something like wayland-0, supports the conclusion that the environment is Wayland. Labels in DESKTOP_SESSION or XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP may include names such as gnome-wayland or gnome-xorg, but they are desktop configuration hints, not as direct as the session-type checks. These variables are described in the freedesktop.org Base Directory Specification.
Choose Xorg or Wayland at the login screen
Some systems that support both sessions offer a session chooser on the graphical login screen. Red Hat documents selecting Wayland or Xorg at login; the selection applies after logging in, so use the checks above to confirm which session actually started. Availability and the chooser’s wording depend on the distribution and display manager.
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Wayland is designed as a modern display protocol, with security, latency, rendering efficiency, and HiDPI handling among the design goals described by Red Hat. Those general design aims do not establish which session will perform better on a particular machine.
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