The GNOME project presented the candidate for release GNOME 49, which is the last test release before the final release planned on September 17. The test release includes re-enabled changes that previously disabled the compilation of components to support X11 in the GNOME Display Manager (GDM).
In the initial plans for GNOME 49, there was an intention to disconnect the default support in GDM but leave the possibility of launching the desktop with X11 support and preserving the X11 code for optional return of X11 support in distributions. The explanation for the return of support for X11 in GDM clarifies the complexities involved in separating modern X11 usage from outdated usage such as XDMCP, older X11 sessions, and non-working X11 sessions.
An attempt to disconnect the X11 support option called “X11-Support” in GNOME 49 resulted in the removal of all X11 support, including the ability to launch X11 sessions, as the session processing code was also removed. However, trying to display the X11 processing code separately from the X11-Support option proved to be unsuccessful due to conflicts with existing X11 code, which seemed like a cumbersome workaround.
Ultimately, the decision was made to fully reinstate X11 support by default in GDM for GNOME 50, but not to disconnect the X11 sessions by default. Instead, the plan is to remove the code supporting X11 while leaving only the necessary parts to launch X11 sessions. This means that the X11-Support option in GNOME 50 will be disabled for GDM assemblies of X11 sessions and can only be used in distributions using Wayland exclusively.