termux
[WIP] GNOME Shell
It's really amazing and thank you for trying, this is a very famous software and if you succeed to make this, then a lot of people will come from all over to get this, because it's really very popular.
So far for me I see this,
I tried this
LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 termux-x11 &
DISPLAY=:0 LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 gnome-session &
I don't see any messages printed in terminal, and I am not sure where to get any log of this. but, this is already a lot of progress because, when GNOME isn't working on GNU/Linux, sometimes it won't show even this screen, on GNU/Linux when GNOME isn't working sometimes it's just black, so something is working to show this screen.
OK. I finally successfully run gnome-shell with VNC. The steps:
- Edit
$PREFIX/share/dbus-1/system.d/org.freedesktop.UPower.confto allow Termux user'supowerdto get accessed with system dbus, replacerootwith your Termux user (should be$USERorwhoami)
--- a/org.freedesktop.UPower.conf
+++ b/org.freedesktop.UPower.conf
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
"http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/dbus/1.0/busconfig.dtd">
<busconfig>
<!-- Only root can own the service -->
- <policy user="root">
+ <policy user="@TERMUX_USER@">
<allow own="org.freedesktop.UPower"/>
</policy>
<policy context="default">
- Run
dbus-lanuch --config-file $PREFIX/share/dbus-1/system.confto start a system dbus - In one shell, run
UPOWER_CONF_FILE_NAME=$PREFIX/etc/UPower/UPower.conf $PREFIX/libexec/upowerd -dto start upowerd - In another shell, run
DISPLAY=:1 gnome-sessionand then it should get started.
I will play around tomorrow, but GDM is a login manager, it is not required in Termux if I am not mistaken
GDM will not work, but gnome-shell requires its gobject-introspection to work.
Is there any way to disable gdm usage in packages? What packages are requiring it?
Is there any way to disable gdm usage in packages? What packages are requiring it?
It has too many references in gnome-shell's JavaScript. Patching to remove these codes may work, but I haven't tried it.
It is much difficult to clean all the code paths of GDM in gnome-shell. Simply removing js/gdm will not work. It has a code path like js/ui/unlockDialog.js -> js/gdm/authPrompt.js -> js/gdm/*, but it is not possible to remove the usage of AuthPrompt in UnlockDialog.
https://github.com/search?q=repo%3AGNOME%2Fgnome-shell+GDM+language%3AJavaScript&type=code&p=1&l=JavaScript
after some try and error i get something that is usable (with termux x11)
termux-x11 :0 &
export DISPLAY=:0
- Edit $PREFIX/share/dbus-1/system.d/org.freedesktop.UPower.conf to allow Termux user's upowerd to get accessed with system dbus, replace root with your Termux user (should be $USER ), like the below example
as licy183 suggest
<busconfig>
<!-- Only root can own the service -->
<policy user="$USER">
<allow own="org.freedesktop.UPower"/>
</policy>
dbus-launch --config-file $PREFIX/share/dbus-1/system.conf
UPOWER_CONF_FILE_NAME=$PREFIX/etc/UPower/UPower.conf $PREFIX/libexec/upowerd -d
dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session --disable-acceleration-check
one thing that i also have xfce and lxqt installed
as licy183 suggest
<busconfig> <!-- Only root can own the service --> <policy user="$USER"> <allow own="org.freedesktop.UPower"/> </policy>
We should be able to do that automatically as part of the postinst script for whatever package contains that file.
Though we should probably also relocate all necessary files from any */systemd/ directories into either the general locations for those types of files, or a gnome subdirectory if possible.
one thing i didn't mention is that if i create a new custom session like
/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/minimal.session
and add only few things
i don't know much so i just add the tings that sound impotent
[GNOME Session]
Name=Minimal GNOME
RequiredComponents=org.gnome.Shell;org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.A11ySettings;org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.Color;org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.Datetime;org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.Housekeeping;org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.Keyboard;org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.Sound;
DefaultProvider-wm=gnome-shell
DesktopName=GNOME
this is what i add then it's work much better, it have less glitches
then launch like this
dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session --session=minimal
here is a small clip:- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iz7bJvjeDXxuIruNbpYo1F7cBv-6qgSS/view?usp=sharing
With gnome-backgrounds, this provide a wallpaper for (almost-full) session of GNOME (gnome-session and gnome-session --session=gnome) (properly).
I installed/builded a gnome-backgrounds from a source.
$ (
> cd gnome-backgrounds
> meson --prefix "$PREFIX" setup
> )
$ ninja -C gnome-backgrounds/setup build install
I tried running these command based on a this mention and commands from #22709.
$ termux-x11 \
> -force-bgra \
> -ac \
> -audit 8 \
> :0 &
$ export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="${PREFIX/$PREFIX/$PREFIX\/var\/run}" DISPLAY=":0"
$ rm -r --force $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/dbus/paid || :
$ dbus-daemon --system &
$ pulseaudio \
> --daemonize=true \
> --exit-idle-time=-1 \
> --scache-idle-time=-1 \
> --start
$ export PULSE_SERVER=127.0.0.1 UPOWER_CONF_FILE_NAME=$PREFIX/etc/UPower/UPower.conf
$ alias upowerd="$PREFIX/libexec/upowerd"
$ upowerd --replace &
$ export GAILLUM_VERSION="virpipe" MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.0
$ virgl_test_server \
> --multi-clients \
> --use-egl-surfaceless
$ dbus-launch \
> --exit-with-session \
> gnome-session --session=gnome
gnome-session/gnome-shell dont have error by default; it can (excepted to) include error (properly).
Because installing gnome-backgrounds include a /data/data/com.termux/files/usr/share/backgrounds/gnome or its parent-ish directories, gnome-session accept a backgrounds store for gnome-backgrounds.
Display of website for extensions of GNOME also dont crashed (continually) by default but its extension cannot be installed without its components.
When i hold and drag my window to (top) bar and de-hold it, it may control its element; Termuxs variant of gnome-shell/X11 have a Termux-supported attribute that cause a error BadMatch unfortunately.
(gnome-shell:21119): Mtk-ERROR **: 17:14:05.712: Received an X Window System error.
This probably reflects a bug in the program.
The error was 'BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)'.
(Details: serial 2336 error_code 8 request_code 130 (MIT-SHM) minor_code 4)
(Note to programmers: normally, X errors are reported asynchronously;
that is, you will receive the error a while after causing it.
To debug your program, run it with the MUTTER_SYNC environment
variable to change this behavior. You can then get a meaningful
backtrace from your debugger if you break on the mtk_x_error() function.)
== Stack trace for context 0x7ecbcbb4f0 ==
#0 7ecbc21018 i resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/init.js:21 (7dbe37ea60 @ 48)
AUDIT: Sun Jun 29 17:14:05 2025: 24261: client 20 disconnected
AUDIT: Sun Jun 29 17:14:05 2025: 24261: client 15 disconnected
client failed: VTEST_CLIENT_ERROR_INPUT_READ
client failed: VTEST_CLIENT_ERROR_INPUT_READ
AUDIT: Sun Jun 29 17:14:05 2025: 24261: client 6 disconnected
gnome-session-binary: WARNING: Application 'org.gnome.Shell.desktop' killed by signal 5
gnome-session-binary: WARNING: App 'org.gnome.Shell.desktop' respawning too quickly
AUDIT: Sun Jun 29 17:14:05 2025: 24261: client 5 disconnected
AUDIT: Sun Jun 29 17:14:05 2025: 24261: client 5 connected from local host ( uid=10415 gid=10415 pid=21260 )
Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0]CP+[GFX1-]: Couldn't sanitize GL_RENDERER "virgl (llvmpipe (LLVM 11.1.0, 128 bits))" (t=77.639) |[1][GFX1-]: RenderCompositorSWGL failed mapping default framebuffer, no dt (t=142.015) |[2][GFX1-]: Detect DeviceReset DeviceResetReason::FORCED_RESET DeviceResetDetectPlace::WR_SIMULATE in Parent process (t=4547.45) |[3][GFX1-]: Detect DeviceReset DeviceResetReason::FORCED_RESET DeviceResetDetectPlace::WR_SIMULATE in Parent process (t=4548.09) |[4][GFX1-]: Detect DeviceReset DeviceResetReason::FORCED_RESET DeviceResetDetectPlace::WR_SIMULATE in Parent process (t=4552.07) [GFX1-]: Detect DeviceReset DeviceResetReason::FORCED_RESET DeviceResetDetectPlace::WR_SIMULATE in Parent process
Installing gnome-backgrounds (almost) solve a blues screen/background for (minimal) GNOME but can packaged. With a gnome-backgrounds and a gnome session, should gnome/mutter-desktop packaged as a metapackage for GNOME?.
@quiverwing-personal here gnome extension is working but, after i restart the desktop something like this https://github.com/termux/termux-packages/pull/24585#issuecomment-2848610061 happens
Out of curiosity, how does the pending phase out X11 support in GNOME 49/50 effect our ability to offer a package for the gnome session?
Additionally, GDM is dropping support for its built-in startup service manager. https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-session/-/merge_requests/145 And gaining a dependency on systemd-userdbd. https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gdm/-/merge_requests/289
The latter we likely already have to work around with GNOME 48. The former might cause issues for us going forward.
See also: https://blogs.gnome.org/adrianvovk/2025/06/10/gnome-systemd-dependencies/
isn't Termux working on Wayland support? I think I saw some work being done on that. As for systemd, it might be difficult, but there are some Linux distros like Gentoo that don’t ship with systemd. You can see what they will do about it.
there is another slight chance it might get a fork 😅, after all x11 get forked so for gnome who knows
isn't Termux working on Wayland support? I think I saw some work being done on that. As for systemd, it might be difficult, but there are some Linux distros like Gentoo that don’t ship with systemd. You can see what they will do about it.
Wayland is the smaller of those worries to be fair. There is always FreeRDP or Waypipe to support it. See also: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-remote-desktop
WayVNC unfortunately is a bust since it only works with Wlroots based compositors. There's also some work getting Wayland display output via Termux:GUI, though that seemed rather specific to LabWC and I'm not sure what the status on general support for that is.
there is another slight chance it might get a fork 😅, after all x11 get forked so for gnome who knows
There is a chance of a GNOME fork to keep X11 support alive, though that would effectively strand us at GNOME 49 without any upstream support from the main GNOME project. It'd be a stopgap solution at best.
without any upstream support from the main GNOME project.
yes this will be a issue
then i think we have to wait for GNOME 49, let see what others do about systemd
Running llvmpipe over virpipe looks really weird. It's better to not use virpipe and run gnome-session directly over llvmpipe.