Question
Cinnamon default session limits on Wayland in Linux Mint 21
Kavi Finch
0 reputation · 03 Jun 2020, 03:12 UTC
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0 reputation · 03 Jun 2020, 03:12 UTC
Linux Mint 21 is documented with Cinnamon 5.4.8 and a default Xorg-based session. Wayland support for Cinnamon is described as experimental and not enabled by default.
The precise goal is to clarify the current support limits for a Wayland session in the default Cinnamon configuration and the constraints that affect desktop features such as extensions and theming.
There is unresolved uncertainty about whether a future release will transition the default Cinnamon session to Wayland, and how such a change would impact compatibility with applications and components that rely on Xorg behavior. Status may have changed in Linux Mint 22 or later.
Is a Wayland session offered as a selectable option in the default Cinnamon installation? What documented feature limits currently prevent full Wayland support for Cinnamon? Is there an official policy or roadmap for moving the default session from Xorg to Wayland?
On a default Linux Mint 21 installation with Cinnamon 5.4.x, the supported session is Xorg. A Cinnamon-on-Wayland session is not enabled by default and should not be assumed to be offered unless an experimental session package has been installed and selected at the login screen.
There is no Mint-21-era official policy or dated roadmap that makes Wayland the default Cinnamon session. The default remained Xorg, and any transition is release-dependent; verify against the exact Mint point release notes before relying on it.
Confirmed: Cinnamon's Wayland support was experimental in the Mint 21 / Cinnamon 5.4.x era. Feature parity with the Xorg session was incomplete, and breakage was expected. The login session chooser normally exposes the Xorg Cinnamon session; a Wayland choice is optional or experimental rather than part of the supported default configuration.
Likely explanation: Many Cinnamon extensions, applets, desklets, theming components, and panel/window behaviors assume X11 services or protocols. Under Wayland they require rework or fallback paths. XWayland allows X11 clients to run, but it does not resolve Cinnamon's own desktop-shell assumptions.
Because the shell itself is not fully Wayland-native in this release, expect reduced reliability in areas that depend on X11-specific integration:
X11 applications may launch under XWayland, but without full desktop integration.
To confirm what your system is actually running, use these read-only checks:
linuxmintlsb_release -a
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
env | grep -E '^(WAYLAND_DISPLAY|DISPLAY)='
ls /usr/share/xsessions
ls /usr/share/wayland-sessionsOn the default Mint 21 Cinnamon session, XDG_SESSION_TYPE should report x11. If it reports wayland, an experimental session was selected. Note that DISPLAY can still be set under Wayland because XWayland may be running; XDG_SESSION_TYPE is authoritative.
If no Cinnamon Wayland entry exists under /usr/share/wayland-sessions, the default packages are not offering that session. Absence can also mean the display manager is hiding it, so check both the session directories and display-manager settings.
This answer applies to Linux Mint 21 with Cinnamon 5.4.x. Mint 22 or later, including Edge ISOs, may differ. Before applying any statement to a newer release, confirm the point release and consult its release notes.
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