weston

weston [options]

--version
    Prints the version number and exits.

--config-file=<path>
    Specifies the path to the weston.ini configuration file.

--socket=<name>
    Sets the Wayland socket name to use. Defaults to 'wayland-0'.

--modules=<path>
    Specifies an alternate path to load modules from.

--backend=<name>
    Specifies the backend to use. For example, drm-backend.so, x11-backend.so, or rdp-backend.so.

--idle-time=<seconds>
    Sets the idle timeout in seconds before the screen blanks.

--use-os-context
    Let the backend create the EGL context. This might improve performance in some systems.

--no-config
    Do not load weston.ini.

Weston is a modular and lightweight Wayland compositor. It serves as both a functional compositor suitable for many embedded and mobile use cases and as the reference implementation of a Wayland compositor. Weston provides a desktop environment on top of the Wayland protocol. It is a critical component in the Wayland ecosystem, demonstrating how applications can leverage Wayland for rendering and input handling. Weston supports various input methods, output devices, and compositing techniques, showcasing Wayland's capabilities. Its modularity allows for customization and extension, making it a valuable tool for developers and system integrators working with Wayland. It provides various shell interfaces, including desktop shell, kiosk shell and xwayland. Xwayland is a compatibility layer to support legacy X11 applications within a Wayland environment. Weston is designed to be efficient and resource-friendly, making it suitable for a wide range of hardware, including embedded systems.

Weston's behavior can be extensively customized through the weston.ini configuration file. This file allows users to configure various aspects of the compositor, including output settings, shell behavior, input methods, and modules. The config file is searched in the folder $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/weston.ini or $HOME/.config/weston.ini if the variable $XDG_CONFIG_HOME isn't defined.

Weston supports different backends allowing it to run on various hardware and environments. Common backends include DRM (Direct Rendering Manager) for native Linux graphics, X11 for running within an X11 environment, and RDP for remote access. The --backend parameter allows to specify which backend to use.

Weston includes XWayland, a compatibility layer that allows X11 applications to run seamlessly within the Wayland environment. This enables users to continue using legacy X11 applications while benefiting from the performance and security advantages of Wayland. XWayland is enabled in the config file under the section [xwayland].

Weston was initially developed by Intel as the reference implementation for the Wayland display server protocol. Its development has been driven by the need for a modern, efficient, and extensible display system. Over time, it has evolved to support a wider range of hardware platforms and use cases, becoming a key component in the adoption of Wayland.

wayland(7), weston.ini(5)