WorkComposer on Linux Wayland: what works, and the X11 fallback

Good news for GNOME users: recent versions of WorkComposer track apps, URLs and screenshots on Wayland out of the box — no session switch needed. GNOME is the default desktop on Ubuntu, Fedora and many other distros, so most Linux users no longer have to do anything special.

The one case that still needs X11 is a non-GNOME Wayland desktop (KDE Plasma, Sway, Hyprland). This guide covers both.

GNOME Wayland (Ubuntu, Fedora, and other GNOME desktops)

Just install the latest version of WorkComposer. On first run it sets up a small helper so it can see which app or website is in focus on Wayland. If it asks you to log out of your computer and back in to finish activating the helper, do that once (restarting just the app is not enough). After that, tracking and screenshots work normally — you can stay on Wayland.

Already on an older build and seeing empty app or URL data? Update to the latest version and the helper will be set up for you.

Non-GNOME Wayland (KDE Plasma, Sway, and others)

On a Wayland desktop other than GNOME — for example KDE Plasma, Linux Mint's Cinnamon, Pop!_OS's COSMIC, or Sway — WorkComposer still captures screenshots and worked time, but it cannot yet read which app or website is in focus. To get full app and URL tracking, switch your session to X11 if your desktop offers one. The switch takes about a minute, and you do it at the login screen, not inside the app.

Log out (or restart). At the login screen, click your username, then click the gear icon below the password field. Choose the entry explicitly labelled X11 or Xorg (for example Plasma (X11), GNOME on Xorg, or just Xorg), then log in as usual. A plain Ubuntu or GNOME entry with no label is usually the Wayland session, so avoid that one.

I do not see an X11 option

Some distros ship Wayland only and remove the X11 session entirely. If you are on GNOME you do not need X11 at all — just update to the latest WorkComposer (see above). If you are on a non-GNOME Wayland-only setup, app and URL tracking is not available yet; basic time tracking and screenshots still work. Email support and we will help with your specific distro.

How does WorkComposer track apps on Wayland?

Wayland intentionally hides "which application is in focus right now" from other applications, as a security and isolation feature. On GNOME, WorkComposer installs a small GNOME Shell helper that reports just that focus information back to the app — which is why GNOME Wayland now works without X11.

On other Wayland desktops there is no equivalent yet, so WorkComposer falls back to reading focus information from X11, which exposes it through standard protocols that have been stable for decades. Switching session types only changes which display server runs while you are logged in — your files, settings, and other applications are untouched, and you can switch back any time.