Host X11 doesn't work under XWayland without `--wayland`

[lucasmz-dev]

Sorry for the lackluster title...

I'm not sure, but these are the logs I get:

lucas@fedora:~$ sandwine --dotwine /media/hdd/sandwine/test:rw --configure --pipewire --host-x11-danger-danger /media/hdd/sandwine/test/drive_c/windows/notepad.exe
2026-02-09 15:40:53 fedora sandwine._main[38137] INFO Using display ":0"...
2026-02-09 15:40:53 fedora sandwine._main[38137] DEBUG Path '/lib32' does not exist on the host, dropped from mount tasks.
2026-02-09 15:40:53 fedora sandwine._main[38137] DEBUG Path '/media/hdd/sandwine/test/drive_c/windows/notepad.exe.EXE' does not exist on the host, dropped from mount tasks.
2026-02-09 15:40:53 fedora sandwine._main[38137] DEBUG Path '/media/hdd/sandwine/test/drive_c/windows/notepad.exe.exe' does not exist on the host, dropped from mount tasks.
2026-02-09 15:40:53 fedora sandwine._main[38137] DEBUG Path '/home/lucas/.local/bin' will not exist in sandbox mount stack, dropped from ${PATH}.
2026-02-09 15:40:53 fedora sandwine._main[38137] DEBUG Path '/home/lucas/bin' will not exist in sandbox mount stack, dropped from ${PATH}.
# bwrap \
    --disable-userns \
    --die-with-parent \
    --hostname 8e39a2497494 \
    --unshare-user --unshare-all \
    --tmpfs / \
    --ro-bind /bin /bin \
    --dev /dev \
    --dev-bind /dev/dri /dev/dri \
    --dev-bind /dev/ntsync /dev/ntsync \
    --ro-bind /etc /etc \
    --tmpfs /home/lucas \
    --bind /media/hdd/sandwine/test /home/lucas/.wine \
    --symlink usr/lib /lib \
    --symlink usr/lib64 /lib64 \
    --ro-bind /media/hdd/sandwine/test/drive_c/windows/notepad.exe /media/hdd/sandwine/test/drive_c/windows/notepad.exe \
    --proc /proc \
    --ro-bind /run/user/1000/pipewire-0 /run/user/1000/pipewire-0 \
    --ro-bind /sys /sys \
    --tmpfs /tmp \
    --ro-bind /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 \
    --ro-bind /usr /usr \
    --clearenv \
    --setenv DISPLAY :0 \
    --setenv HOME /home/lucas \
    --setenv HOSTNAME 8e39a2497494 \
    --setenv PATH /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/lib/wine \
    --setenv TERM xterm-256color \
    --setenv USER lucas \
    --setenv container sandwine \
    -- \
    sh -c 'wineserver -p0 && "$0" "$@" ; ret=$? ; wineserver -k ; exit ${ret}' \
    sh -c 'winecfg && exec "$0" "$@"' \
    script -e -q -c 'exec wine /media/hdd/sandwine/test/drive_c/windows/notepad.exe' /dev/null
002c:fixme:winediag:loader_init wine-staging 11.0 is a testing version containing experimental patches.
002c:fixme:winediag:loader_init Please mention your exact version when filing bug reports on winehq.org.
Authorization required, but no authorization protocol specified

error: XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is invalid or not set in the environment.
0078:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow Application tried to create a window, but no driver could be loaded.
0078:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow L"The explorer process failed to start."
0078:err:systray:initialize_systray Could not create tray window
00b0:err:ntoskrnl:ZwLoadDriver failed to create driver L"\\Registry\\Machine\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\winebth": c00000e5
003c:fixme:service:scmdatabase_autostart_services Auto-start service L"winebth" failed to start: 1359
0024:fixme:winediag:loader_init wine-staging 11.0 is a testing version containing experimental patches.
0024:fixme:winediag:loader_init Please mention your exact version when filing bug reports on winehq.org.
0124:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow Application tried to create a window, but no driver could be loaded.
0124:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow L"Make sure that your display server is running and that its variables are set."
012c:fixme:winediag:loader_init wine-staging 11.0 is a testing version containing experimental patches.
012c:fixme:winediag:loader_init Please mention your exact version when filing bug reports on winehq.org.
012c:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow Application tried to create a window, but no driver could be loaded.
012c:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow L"Make sure that your display server is running and that its variables are set."
``

[lucasmz-dev]

Oop! It just worked when I passed wayland...

[hartwork]

@lucasmz-dev thanks for the update! Does that mean the question is answered?

[lucasmz-dev]

Not really. I wanted it to work with the host x11 and it doesn't do that... I intend to use this for games

[hartwork]

@lucasmz-dev I understand!

Could you try if applying…

# git --no-pager diff
diff --git a/sandwine/_main.py b/sandwine/_main.py
index 17317c7..ec3b9e7 100644
--- a/sandwine/_main.py
+++ b/sandwine/_main.py
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ def create_bwrap_argv(config):
         x11_unix_socket = X11Display(config.x11_display_number).get_unix_socket()
         mount_tasks += [MountTask(MountMode.BIND_RO, x11_unix_socket)]
         env_tasks["DISPLAY"] = f":{config.x11_display_number}"
+        env_tasks["XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"] = xdg_runtime_dir  # for Xwayland hosts
 
     # Wayland
     if config.wayland:

…makes it work? My guess is that Xwayland needs it when Xorg does not. I have Xorg on my local box.

[hartwork]

@lucasmz-dev I understand!

Could you try if applying…

# git --no-pager diff
diff --git a/sandwine/_main.py b/sandwine/_main.py
index 17317c7..ec3b9e7 100644
--- a/sandwine/_main.py
+++ b/sandwine/_main.py
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ def create_bwrap_argv(config):
         x11_unix_socket = X11Display(config.x11_display_number).get_unix_socket()
         mount_tasks += [MountTask(MountMode.BIND_RO, x11_unix_socket)]
         env_tasks["DISPLAY"] = f":{config.x11_display_number}"
+        env_tasks["XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"] = xdg_runtime_dir  # for Xwayland hosts
 
     # Wayland
     if config.wayland:

…makes it work? My guess is that Xwayland needs it when Xorg does not. I have Xorg on my local box.

[lucasmz-dev]

Didn't help unfortunately...

lucas@fedora:~$ sandwine --dotwine /media/hdd/sandwine/RDR2:rw --pulseaudio --host-x11-danger-danger --configure
2026-02-09 16:02:09 fedora sandwine._main[42027] INFO Using display ":0"...
2026-02-09 16:02:09 fedora sandwine._main[42027] DEBUG Path '/lib32' does not exist on the host, dropped from mount tasks.
2026-02-09 16:02:09 fedora sandwine._main[42027] DEBUG Path '/home/lucas/.local/bin' will not exist in sandbox mount stack, dropped from ${PATH}.
2026-02-09 16:02:09 fedora sandwine._main[42027] DEBUG Path '/home/lucas/bin' will not exist in sandbox mount stack, dropped from ${PATH}.
# bwrap \
    --disable-userns \
    --die-with-parent \
    --hostname 2ae44921c426 \
    --unshare-user --unshare-all \
    --tmpfs / \
    --ro-bind /bin /bin \
    --dev /dev \
    --dev-bind /dev/dri /dev/dri \
    --dev-bind /dev/ntsync /dev/ntsync \
    --ro-bind /etc /etc \
    --tmpfs /home/lucas \
    --bind /media/hdd/sandwine/RDR2 /home/lucas/.wine \
    --symlink usr/lib /lib \
    --symlink usr/lib64 /lib64 \
    --proc /proc \
    --ro-bind /run/user/1000/pulse/native /run/user/1000/pulse/native \
    --ro-bind /sys /sys \
    --tmpfs /tmp \
    --ro-bind /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 \
    --ro-bind /usr /usr \
    --clearenv \
    --setenv DISPLAY :0 \
    --setenv HOME /home/lucas \
    --setenv HOSTNAME 2ae44921c426 \
    --setenv PATH /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/lib/wine \
    --setenv PULSE_SERVER unix:/run/user/1000/pulse/native \
    --setenv TERM xterm-256color \
    --setenv USER lucas \
    --setenv XDG_RUNTIME_DIR /run/user/1000 \
    --setenv container sandwine \
    -- \
    sh -c 'wineserver -p0 && "$0" "$@" ; ret=$? ; wineserver -k ; exit ${ret}' \
    sh -c 'winecfg && exec "$0" "$@"' \
    true
002c:fixme:winediag:loader_init wine-staging 11.0 is a testing version containing experimental patches.
002c:fixme:winediag:loader_init Please mention your exact version when filing bug reports on winehq.org.
Authorization required, but no authorization protocol specified

0078:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow Application tried to create a window, but no driver could be loaded.
0078:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow L"The explorer process failed to start."
0078:err:systray:initialize_systray Could not create tray window
00b0:err:ntoskrnl:ZwLoadDriver failed to create driver L"\\Registry\\Machine\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\winebth": c00000e5
003c:fixme:service:scmdatabase_autostart_services Auto-start service L"winebth" failed to start: 1359
0024:fixme:winediag:loader_init wine-staging 11.0 is a testing version containing experimental patches.
0024:fixme:winediag:loader_init Please mention your exact version when filing bug reports on winehq.org.
0124:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow Application tried to create a window, but no driver could be loaded.
0124:err:winediag:nodrv_CreateWindow L"Make sure that your display server is running and that its variables are set."

Well, other than that error

[hartwork]

@lucasmz-dev all my boxes have Xorg. I'm afraid I won't shortly be able to debug and fix this with Xwayland myself. If you get to the bottom if this issue later, please share what you found. Thanks for your understanding! 🙏

[hartwork]

@lucasmz-dev one thing I only thought of now that I should not forgot to share: Have you tried --host-x11-danger-danger --wayland both together with a non-Wayland X11 app?

[hartwork]

I wanted it to work with the host x11 and it doesn't do that... I intend to use this for games

@lucasmz-dev PS: I should have asked: Use of Wayland for games is not an option? Can you help me understand why?

[lucasmz-dev]

I think it may be fine for the game I was gonna try... I am just doing it now and it works fine

Though in the past I've had it be stuck on the screen and not dissapear even later, which wasn't very nice, had to shut down the pc

I actually ended up also trying to run it in sandwine but got errors, maybe just related to Wine, but who knows. I'm not too knowledgeable there.