Are you on Fedora 22 and puzzled by the fact that after you install you just can’t log in or do anything? Don’t worry! This is just a simple issue with Wayland (the next generation display server for Fedora).
Not everyone will encounter this issue inside GDM. This problem mostly appears with certain types of MacBooks. This problem isn’t just limited to MacBooks though. Other types of machines may run into this bug this as well.
If you do encounter a problem with the login screen, it can be quickly fixed. All that is required is a bit of poking around in a file. So how do you do it?
Enter TTY2 mode
Note: you may need to add nomodeset to your grub boot parameters to get to TTY2 mode.
Before Wayland can be disabled for GDM, you’ll need to open a shell. Since the desktop manager isn’t working, we’ll need to gain access to the command line to fix the issue. You can enter this mode (TTY2) by pressing “Ctrl + Alt + F2” on your keyboard.
Once you’ve pressed the right keyboard combination, you’ll see a message printed on the screen. This message will ask you for a username and password.
Enter your username and password, and then press the Enter key. Alternatively, you could use the root user and password. It really makes no difference.
With the user information entered, you will be dropped down to a basic command line terminal.
su
From here we’ll need to open a text editor along with the file that needs to be edited. Use whatever terminal text editor you feel most comfortable with. For this guide we’ll be using Nano.
nano /etc/gdm/custom.conf
Only one thing needs to be changed in this file for GDM to start working again. In the file you’ve opened with Nano, find WaylandEnable=false.
When you’ve found WaylandEnable=false, you’ll need to uncomment it. Do this by removing the # from in front of it. This will turn Wayland off for GDM.
After editing “custom.conf,” Wayland should be disabled. Just press “Ctrl + O” on your keyboard followed by pressing the Enter key to confirm and save the edits that you’ve made.
With the edits saved, exit nano and reboot the computer. By the next boot, the Wayland issue will be completely fixed in GDM, and you’ll be able to use Fedora 22.
Conclusion
Fedora is a great distribution where a lot of innovation happens in the Linux space. Fedora is often the first to try out and implement new things. This is usually a great thing as it allows Fedora fans the ability to try out new stuff before anyone else in the Linux community gets their hands on it.
Sometimes, though, this can be a painful thing. There’s a reason why the Fedora operating system is often referred to as “beta software.” Obviously Wayland is still a new thing, and that’s why issues like this graphics bug might come up.
Luckily, Fedora is Linux; we can tear it apart and fix things on our own. I hope that this simple guide has helped you bypass a small, but annoying, issue.
What are the worst bugs you’ve encountered in Fedora? Let us know in the comments below!
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