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nixos/doc/manual/configuration/wayland.chapter.md
d13e9c6266a02bdd753f18c4ae5523ccdde3655d874290d3000000030000038e
# Wayland {#sec-wayland}

While X11 (see [](#sec-x11)) is still the primary display technology
on NixOS, Wayland support is steadily improving. Where X11 separates the
X Server and the window manager, on Wayland those are combined: a
Wayland Compositor is like an X11 window manager, but also embeds the
Wayland 'Server' functionality. This means it is sufficient to install
a Wayland Compositor such as sway without separately enabling a Wayland
server:

```nix
{ programs.sway.enable = true; }
```

This installs the sway compositor along with some essential utilities.
Now you can start sway from the TTY console.

If you are using a wlroots-based compositor, like sway, and want to be
able to share your screen, make sure to configure Pipewire using
[](#opt-services.pipewire.enable)
and related options.

For more helpful tips and tricks, see the
[wiki page about Sway](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Sway).
Chunks
51eaaf38 (1st chunk of `nixos/doc/manual/configuration/wayland.chapter.md`)
Title: Wayland Display Technology on NixOS
Summary
This chunk introduces Wayland as an improving display technology on NixOS, contrasting its architecture with X11. In Wayland, the compositor combines the display server and window manager functionalities. It explains how to enable a Wayland compositor like Sway on NixOS by setting `programs.sway.enable = true;` and notes that no separate server is required. Additionally, it advises configuring Pipewire for screen sharing when using wlroots-based compositors like Sway and points to the NixOS wiki for more Sway tips.