The X.Org Server just got forked (announcing XLibre)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Fork Motivation and Project Status

  • The fork (XLibre) comes after the author was effectively pushed out of X.Org; the README frames it as rescuing X from “toxic” corporate influence and DEI policies.
  • Many commenters note X.Org is effectively in maintenance/bugfix mode and treated as “abandonware” by most active graphics developers, who are focused on Wayland.
  • Some see the fork as the only way to pursue “making X11 great again” with larger refactors; others think trying to revive X is swimming against the tide.

Maintainer Dispute and Code Quality

  • Linked X.Org issue threads show serious friction between the forking developer and existing maintainers.
  • Maintainers complain his large refactor/cleanup patches:
    • Are mostly cosmetic (moving code, renaming, reflow) with little direct user benefit.
    • Have repeatedly broken basic functionality (e.g., xrandr), indicating fragile code plus insufficient testing.
    • Cause significant ABI churn that downstreams (including proprietary drivers) struggle to keep up with.
  • Supporters argue that:
    • Someone has to tackle technical debt and “random churn that makes the code better” is preferable to nobody touching it.
    • X lacks tests, so breakage isn’t solely his fault.
  • Skeptics see him as a “liability” and doubt a one‑person fork can maintain compatibility across drivers, kernels, and distros.

X vs Wayland: Stability, Features, and Hardware

  • Strong split in anecdotes:
    • Some say X has “just worked” for decades and Wayland quickly runs into missing features (screen recording, screensavers, network transparency, some apps like Jitsi/OBS/Emacs frameworks, Raspberry Pi issues).
    • Others report Wayland has been stable and problem‑free for years, with better smoothness, high‑DPI, multi‑monitor, hot‑plugging, HDR, and security.
  • Nvidia is a major fault line:
    • Several users say they “would use Wayland if they could” but proprietary Nvidia drivers remain problematic (e.g., Xwayland acceleration, multi‑monitor quirks).
    • Some argue this is Nvidia’s fault; opponents respond that if Wayland doesn’t work with widely used hardware, that’s still a practical blocker.

Politics, DEI, and Trust

  • The README’s anti-“Big Tech,” anti‑DEI, and “moles”/EEE conspiracy language triggers extensive pushback.
  • Commenters recall prior anti‑vaccine posts by the same developer and label him anything from cranky to extremist; others dismiss such labels as overreach.
  • Broader DEI debate ensues (meritocracy vs quotas, perceived discrimination), unrelated to graphics but souring some on the fork’s governance culture.

Prospects for the Fork

  • Some hope XLibre will:
    • Provide a haven for X users (especially with Nvidia or BSDs).
    • Put competitive pressure on Wayland.
  • Others predict:
    • It will remain a small, unstable, one‑person project (likened to past efforts like X12/Mir).
    • Distros and serious users will avoid it unless it demonstrates clear, stable improvements and broad hardware support.