To much surprise, the X.Org Server Git tree saw the most commits in 2024 going all the way back to 2014… While there were many more commits than in years prior, it’s not a sign of resurgence for the X.Org Server with Wayland continuing to become the dominant force on the Linux desktop.
When running GitStats on the X.Org Server Git tree, it was a bit surprising to find 2024 showing the X.Org Server seeing the most commits since 2014:
The X.Org Server saw 708 commits last year… Much more than the 200~300 commits seen each year going back to 2018 when there was 535 commits. But then even back in the mid 2010’s when Wayland was still being actively developed, there were just 400~500 commits a year… The most commits since prior to 2024 was back in 2014 when there was 952 commits.
On a line count basis, 2024 saw 11,998 new lines of code added and 14,680 lines of code removed from the X.Org Server. That was more than in recent years when there was typically 5~6k lines of code changed each year in the X.Org Server codebase. But still well below the much higher code churn back in the 2000’s when the X.Org Server was actively being developed.
So what’s up with the X.Org Server Git activity in 2024? It primarily comes down to two reasons. First, the XWayland code that lives within the X.Org Server continues to be actively developed with supporting new Wayland protocols and other fixes/additions… XWayland is the primary — and for the most part only — area of the X.Org Server continuing to see new feature work. The other reason is open-source developer Enrico Weigelt.
Enrico Weigelt has largely been working on X.Org Server fixes and improvements around testing and better CI BSD coverage areas for the X.Org Server. Enrico has near single-handedly been working on some X.Org Server fixes and other minor feature work with no major vendors like Red Hat or Intel left investing in the X.Org Server development.
Enrico Weigelt ended up being responsible for 63% of the Git commits to the X.Org Server this year… Other active developers included Olivier Fourdan, Michel Dänzer, Alan Coopersmith, Peter Hutterer, and Erik Kurzinger. Most of those other active developers focused just on XWayland improvements/fixes or Alan Coopersmith of Oracle doing his X.Org stewarding.
Aside from this, a number of the X.Org Server commits last year were for security fixes.
In 2024 there were X.Org Server commits by just 35 authors, down from 44 in 2023 and 52 in 2022… With just 35 authors to the X.Org Server in the prior year is a low point not seen as low since 2003.
On a lines of code count, the X.Org Server has been largely flat-lined for years with the only major feature work being around XWayland.
Those wanting to go through these X.Org Server GitStats can find the numbers here.
