Believe it or not, even in these Wayland-dominated times, new X11 server development is still happening. I say this because a new X11 server has entered the Linux display stack scene.
Yserver, a project written from scratch in Rust, has reached version 1.0, marking the first stable-tagged release of an effort that aims to provide a modern X11 server for current Linux systems.
According to the project, it does not seek to replicate X.Org Server feature by feature. Instead, its goal is to back modern desktop environments, window managers, and applications while removing legacy X11 components such as multiple screens, non-TrueColor visuals, indirect GLX, the DDX driver ABI, and endian-swapped clients.
So, looks like X11 is still not ready to fade away quietly. With XLibre already bringing fresh attention to the space, Yserver now adds another noteworthy development as X11’s long-term future is uncertain within the Linux desktop ecosystem.
And even though most major desktops now default to Wayland, X11 is still widely used, particularly by those relying on legacy workflows, specific window managers, or applications that perform better under X11.
Currently, Yserver’s main feature is its standalone DRM/KMS server, which can run full MATE, Xfce, and Cinnamon desktop sessions. The project has also tested window managers such as FVWM3, e16, and Window Maker.
On top of that, Yserver offers a wide range of X11 extensions, including BIG-REQUESTS, Composite, DAMAGE, DPMS, DRI3, GLX, MIT-SHM, Present, RANDR, RENDER, SHAPE, SYNC, XFIXES, XInputExtension, XKEYBOARD, and XTEST.
The project’s hardware testing includes AMD, Intel, NVIDIA with the proprietary driver, Snapdragon X1 with Adreno graphics, Apple M1 and M2 systems running Asahi Linux, and virtio-gpu in virtualized environments. Tested desktop sessions include MATE, Xfce, and Cinnamon.
However, some limitations remain. For example, GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap is implemented and tested on AMD, Intel, Asahi, and Qualcomm hardware, but does not work with NVIDIA’s proprietary driver. VT switching is also limited, depending on how the server is launched, particularly in LightDM sessions.
Yserver can be launched directly from a TTY or used with LightDM for graphical logins. It requires a recent stable Rust toolchain and system dependencies such as libseat, libxkbcommon, libinput, fontconfig, and related graphics components.
At this stage, keep in mind that Yserver is an experimental yet technically significant project and is not a drop-in replacement for X.Org Server. However, its ability to run full MATE, Xfce, and Cinnamon sessions makes its first stable release noteworthy.
For additional details, see the project’s GitHub repo.
