Although Wayland has largely replaced Xorg, and most major Linux distributions and desktop environments have either already dropped support for the aging display protocol or are in the process of doing so, efforts to extend Xorg’s life or replace it with similar alternatives continue. Recent examples include projects such as XLibre Xserver and Wayback. And now, a new name is joining this group: Phoenix.

It is a new X server project that takes a fundamentally different approach to X11. Written entirely from scratch in the Zig programming language, it is not yet another fork of the Xorg codebase and does not reuse its legacy code. Instead, according to devs, Phoenix aims to show that the X11 protocol itself is not inherently obsolete and can be implemented in a simpler, safer, and more modern way.

Phoenix is designed for real desktop and professional use, not for full protocol coverage. It supports only the X11 features that modern applications need, including older software like GTK2-based programs. By omitting rarely used or outdated parts, Phoenix keeps things simpler while still supporting many applications.

Right now, Phoenix is still experimental and not ready for daily use. It can run simple, hardware-accelerated apps using GLX, EGL, or Vulkan, but only in a nested setup under another X server. This will stay the case until the project is ready for more demanding use.

On the security side, which is actually one of the aspects for which Xorg receives the most criticism, Phoenix isolates applications by default, and access to sensitive capabilities such as screen recording or global hotkeys is mediated through explicit permission mechanisms. Importantly, this is done without breaking existing clients, as unauthorized access attempts return dummy data rather than protocol errors.

Under the hood, Phoenix includes a built-in compositor that enables tear-free rendering by default, supports disabling compositing for full-screen applications, and is designed to reduce compositor and vsync latency. Proper multi-monitor support is a priority, allowing different refresh rates, variable refresh rate displays, and future HDR support without relying on a single global framebuffer.

Phoenix is also looking at extending the protocol when needed. For example, new features like per-monitor DPI reporting are planned to ensure apps scale properly across mixed-DPI setups. If needed, Phoenix will add protocol extensions for things like HDR, while still working with existing software.

It is important to make it clear that the project does not aim to replace Xorg. Phoenix deliberately avoids supporting legacy hardware, obscure protocol features, and configurations such as multiple X11 screens or indirect GLX rendering, and focuses entirely on modern systems.

Wayland compatibility is part of the long-term plan. The developers say Phoenix might eventually support Wayland clients directly or use bridging tools to run Wayland-only apps in an X11 environment. Running Phoenix nested under Wayland, as an alternative to Xwayland, is also being considered.

Finally, as I mentioned, the project is in its early stages, and it remains to be seen whether it will develop into production-ready stable versions and be accepted for wider use. Until then, for more information about this new initiative, check here.