Barrier under Wayland

Ask Fedora
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1

I have Fedora Linux 37 (Workstation Edition) x86_64 Kernel: 6.2.8-200.fc37.x86_64 Shell: bash 5.2.15 GNOME 43.3 Firefox under Wayland.

I have installed from Flathub “Barrier com.github.debauchee.barrier 2.4.0 stable flathub system”.

This makes Barrier up and running:
flatpak run com.github.debauchee.barrier

Failed to create wl_display (No such file or directory)
qt.qpa.plugin: Could not load the Qt platform plugin "wayland" in "" even though it was found.
Gtk-Message: 19:05:24.343: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module"
Gtk-Message: 19:05:24.343: Failed to load module "pk-gtk-module"
Gtk-Message: 19:05:24.344: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module"
Gtk-Message: 19:05:24.344: Failed to load module "pk-gtk-module"
Qt: Session management error: None of the authentication protocols specified are supported
*** WARNING *** The program 'barrier' called 'DNSServiceRegister()' which is not supported (or only supported partially) in the Apple Bonjour compatibility layer of Avahi.
*** WARNING *** Please fix your application to use the native API of Avahi!
*** WARNING *** For more information see <http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/avahi-compat.html>
("-f", "--no-tray", "--debug", "INFO", "--name", "fedora", "--disable-crypto", "--log", "/run/user/1000/doc/1af091ca/barrier_log.log", "--disable-client-cert-checking", "-c", "/tmp/Barrier.HxKHDC", "--address", ":24800")

Barrier on Fedora is acting as server. An iMac as client.
started server (IPv4/IPv6), waiting for clients
NOTE: accepted client connection
NOTE: client “imac12” has connected
On iMac barrier.log: connected to server Fedora

The cursor is not travelling from screen Fedora to screen iMac.
Barrier is not yet running under full Wayland.

In earlier installations with GNOME 42/43 with Firefox not in Wayland, but Wayland active, the cursor travelled to other computers when a FF browser window was open in full mode, but not for the rest of Gnome desktop. It needed a browser window in full mode to make the cursor travelling to other screens.

How to get this back in Fedora 37 GNOME 43 with full Wayland? Is it possible to just run one window from FF in non-Wayland mode? Or to run a separate instance of FF in a X11 fallback mode side-by-side with Wayland-FF?

Or does someone know a keyboard and mouse sharing application alike Barrier running under Wayland? Very handy!

2

I’m not sure if this is really a Wayland problem. It more looks like that the communication is not working because of a not working native API of Avahi!

Have you tried just to use IP4 on both sides Mac/Linux to use Barrier?
What experience I on my own made was, that you need on both sides the same barrier version.

Unfortunately also not 100% working …

https://www.reddit.com/r/wayland/comments/semtiz/synergybarrier_alternative_for_wayland/

3

On both machines is version 2.4.0-release-3e0d758b installed.

Avahi is installed. Avahi-daemon is running.

I put in on both sides IPv4 adresses in numeric and barrier logs say connecting.

Very simple test to confirm it’s because of Wayland:

Running Fedora 37 Gnome as “Gnome under X11” everything with barrier is ok.

4

This, for now, does not work on Wayland indeed.

5

But it should.

There is https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212757

6

At least there is a way to use it !

Releases · debauchee/barrier · GitHub | Please check (search) on the release page for Wayland.
There are 3 requests where it has to be asked to deactivate Wayland on snap. As the last release is from
November 1. 2021 it might be time to check with them it is possible to implement.

As it is Open Source you might help to rise some money that Barrier gets Wayland ready and take down the last “barrier” to make it work as you wish :thinking:

7

I think keyboard and mouse sharing application similar to Barrier should be part of GNOME DE itself as it is for “Universal Control” with macOS.

8

Solution: Run a lightweight browser like Midori with one full window
on CLI “GDK_BACKEND=x11 midori”.

Put in some nice information like Cockpit or netdata.

As soon as you want to travel with your cursor across to other screens open just this window Midori!

9

limitation: It works only on macOS as client not another Fedora with wayland