VMWare Horizon causes X11 issues on Debian 13 with KDE.
VMWare Horizon causes X11 issues on Debian 13 with KDE.
I set up the V Mware client on my Debian 13 (Stable) KDE desktop. It functions well for remote access, but errors appear when launching browsers or opening the client itself. The issue seems tied to the way Wayland handles connections versus X11.
The announcement mentions a release on July 25, 2025. I’m not sure how often they refresh their updates, and whether they really prioritize Linux or modern graphical interfaces. It’s interesting they provide three Linux package formats (deb, rpm, tar)—these are just ways to distribute the software, not differences in the actual programs themselves. Still, it’s encouraging that they cater to every Linux user.
According to Wayland’s history, it was introduced around 2008, though its widespread use likely increased after 2015. In 2025, it seems they aim for compatibility with most commercial applications.
Before diving into this project, I prepared a checklist of possible issues to test. I had no idea fractional scaling was considered a unique Linux feature. Windows added it in Windows 10 ten years ago, which I always thought was standard. Before switching to Linux, I didn’t even know the term “fractional scaling” and would have used “scaling” instead. Here, the OOB scales smoothly in W11. They also support custom scaling with other values, but warn about performance impacts. For me, 25% scaling is more than sufficient (their recommended 300% feels excessive).
X11 has been around for a long time and doesn't handle modern scaling well. Wayland is newer, but even among open source folks it remains a choice some avoid due to past preferences. Commercial companies usually make the decision, but backing a new system often means effort and limited adoption since most home users aren't Linux enthusiasts.
After restarting, I can now set the scale properly again. Watching a YT video caused some stuttering and seemed to spike CPU usage, but it improved afterward. Closing the browser brought the CPU back down to 0.5%. I didn’t realize the lag happened when using Wayland (not on W11). I don’t rely on a dedicated GPU; I’m using just the i7-7700k integrated graphics. I’ll keep monitoring that.
They launched a new update in December. I also set up MX Linux 25 KDE with dual-boot on a real machine (Ryzen 7900, 12 cores, 32GB). The positive side is it no longer triggers that error. It seems they switched to Wayland. However, the whole remote functionality stopped working completely. Instead of using both screens as in Windows, I’m left with a very limited remote session. When I frequently open or close it, I sometimes end up with just one monitor. So this Linux version of the software is essentially useless, and I’m forced to rely on W11. Possibly this is connected to my employer’s IT using an older server version. Who knows, but it doesn’t really matter. This ends my whole Linux desktop experiment. The Windows version still works fine.**