Glimpse the future of the Linux desktop with the Wayland-based Hawaii
The Linux classic desktop systems have been around for several years now. KDE and Gnome are each built around a native toolkit (Qt and Gtk+, respectively). Many of the other desktops are spinoffs of either KDE and Gnome, and the ones that aren't spinoffs are built with many of the same background tools. Slowly, however, a new generation of graphics tools and components is entering the scene. A pair of promising new tools include:
- Wayland [1] – a protocol for graphics interfaces intended to serve as a replacement for the venerable X display protocol used with traditional Unix/Linux graphics systems.
- Qt Quick [2] – an application framework that is used for fast development of custom user interfaces based around Qt.
A new desktop system takes a long time to build, so it takes a while for these new ingredients to actually get baked into something. The Maui project [3] began as an effort to build a complete Linux system around new tools like Wayland, Qt Quick, and the systemd startup daemon. At the heart of Maui is the Hawaii desktop [4] – a simple and (so far) experimental desktop system that runs on Maui and a few other Linux alternatives. Hawaii is still in the alpha stage, but you can try it for yourself using an Arch Linux package, a Live boot DVD, or a VMware virtual machine.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.