weston

Running Wayland Clients as Non-Root Users

by Burkhard Stubert
2025/08/112025/08/11

Many embedded Linux systems use a Wayland compositor like Weston for window management. Qt applications act as Wayland clients. Weston composes the windows of the Qt applications into a single window and displays it on a screen. I still have to find a Yocto layer that does not start Qt applications as root. This violates the cybersecurity principle that every application should only run with the least privileges possible. Let us figure out how to run Qt applications as non-root users and make our system more secure.

Application on monitor in portait orientation powered by Verdin i.MX8M Mini.

Showing Wayland Compositor Fullscreen in Portrait Orientation

by Burkhard Stubert
2021/02/132021/02/13
3 Comments

Our Qt embedded system is displayed on a monitor mounted in portrait orientation. The system runs the Wayland compositor Weston as a window manager. HMI applications are shown rotated by 90 degrees – in landscape orientation. The system toolbar of Weston is visible. How can we configure Weston so that the applications are shown in portrait orientation and so that the system toolbar is removed?