GhostBSD to ditch Xorg for XLibre as Red Hat's Wayland crusade leaves X11 fans out in the cold
The Register
February 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
GhostBSD, known for its user-friendly approach to FreeBSD, is making a significant shift by replacing the Xorg server with XLibre to better support its MATE, Xfce, and Gershwin desktops. This move comes amid concerns over the future of X11, particularly as GTK 5 may drop support for it and Wayland gains more traction under Red Hat's influence. Maintainer Eric Turgeon highlights worries about Xorg's stagnation and expresses caution over Wayland's push to replace traditional X11 technologies.
The decision is driven by practical considerations: MATE's slow development and the potential obsolescence of X11 with GTK 5's planned updates. XLibre, a fork of X.org led by Enrico Weigelt, aims to fill this gap. Despite challenges in adoption, XLibre has shown promise with regular updates and support from various projects, including experimental efforts like SteamOS.
Turgeon acknowledges the broader implications of Linux-centric decisions on the BSD community. The choice reflects a growing divide in the open-source world, where major players like Red Hat heavily influence technologies like Wayland. This shift could leave traditional X11 users, including those in BSD communities, seeking alternatives like XLibre to maintain compatibility and functionality.
For tech enthusiasts, this story underscores the dynamic nature of open-source development and the importance of adaptability in desktop environments. GhostBSD's pivot highlights how smaller communities can navigate larger ecosystem changes while preserving their preferred tools. The broader lesson is that even as major projects evolve, there remains room for forks and alternative solutions to keep older technologies viable.
Ultimately, GhostBSD's switch to XLibre is a strategic move to ensure compatibility with its desktop environments in an era of rapid technological change. While challenges remain, the distribution's choice reflects both necessity and innovation, offering hope for users who value traditional X11 technologies in an increasingly Wayland-dominated landscape.
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Originally published on The Register on 2/24/2026