claude-code/plans/cosmic-frolicking-compass.md

# Plan: Fix Zed Slow Launch and Performance on Hyprland

## Problem Analysis

**Original Request:** Compile Zed with OpenGL support instead of Vulkan for Intel HD Graphics 4000

**Actual Issue Discovered:** Zed is using X11/XWayland instead of native Wayland on Hyprland, causing:
- 15+ second launch times
- Sluggish runtime performance
- The hardware (Intel HD Graphics 4000) is properly supported and works fine on Gnome

**System Information:**
- Binary: `/usr/lib/zed/zed-editor` (Arch package v0.213.4-1)
- Command: `zeditor`
- Hyprland version: 0.52.1
- Mesa version: 25.2.7-arch1.1
- Environment: Both `WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-1` and `DISPLAY=:1` are set

**Evidence from logs** (`~/.local/share/zed/logs/Zed.log`):
```
2025-12-12T22:12:02-08:00 INFO  [gpui::platform::linux::x11::window] Using Visual { id: 112, colormap: 0, depth: 32 }
2025-12-12T22:12:02-08:00 INFO  [gpui::platform::linux::x11::window] x11: no compositor present, falling back to server-side window decorations
2025-12-12T22:12:02-08:00 ERROR [gpui::platform::linux::x11::client] XIMClientError: Can't read xim message: Invalid Data ErrorCode: 0
```

## Root Cause

**Mystery Identified:** Despite both environment variables being correctly set (`WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-1` and `DISPLAY=:1`), Zed is still choosing X11.

Based on the code in `crates/gpui/src/platform.rs` (lines 139-164), Zed should prioritize Wayland when `WAYLAND_DISPLAY` is set. The fact that it's using X11 despite this suggests:

**Most Likely:** The Arch package (v0.213.4-1) was compiled **without the `wayland` Cargo feature enabled**, causing the binary to only support X11 even when Wayland is available.

This is supported by:
- The platform selection code has `#[cfg(feature = "wayland")]` guards
- If Wayland feature is disabled at compile time, `guess_compositor()` will always return "X11"
- A similar issue was documented in Arch forums ([thread](https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=299290))

## Recommended Solution

**Compile Zed from source with Wayland support enabled.** The Arch package appears to lack Wayland support at compile time.

### Step 1: Build Zed with Wayland Support

From the repository root (`/home/will/repo/zed`):

```bash
# Clean any previous builds (optional)
cargo clean

# Build with Wayland feature explicitly enabled
cargo build --release --features gpui/wayland

# Or build the full zed binary with default features (which includes wayland)
cargo build --release -p zed
```

**Build time estimate:** 20-40 minutes on first build (depending on CPU)

### Step 2: Install the Binary

```bash
# Create installation directory if needed
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin

# Copy the binary
cp target/release/zed ~/.local/bin/zed-wayland

# Or replace the system zeditor
sudo cp target/release/zed /usr/local/bin/zeditor
```

### Step 3: Verify Wayland Support

```bash
# Launch and check logs
~/.local/bin/zed-wayland
grep -E "wayland|x11" ~/.local/share/zed/logs/Zed.log | tail -5
```

Expected output should show Wayland initialization, NOT X11 messages.

## Alternative: Install from AUR or Use Different Package

If you don't want to compile from source, consider:

1. **Install `zed-git` from AUR** (may have Wayland support):
   ```bash
   paru -S zed-git  # or yay -S zed-git
   ```

2. **File a bug report with Arch** to request Wayland support in the official package

3. **Wait for official Arch package update** to include Wayland support

## Why NOT OpenGL/GLES?

The original request was to compile with OpenGL instead of Vulkan. **This is unnecessary** because:
- Your Intel HD Graphics 4000 supports Vulkan (working fine on Gnome)
- The slowness is from X11/XWayland overhead, NOT the graphics backend
- Mesa drivers are properly installed (Vulkan, OpenGL 4.2, OpenGL ES 3.0 all working)
- Switching to GLES won't fix the X11 vs Wayland issue

**GLES compilation would only be needed if:**
- Vulkan completely fails (`vkcube` doesn't work)
- Zed shows "NoSupportedDeviceFound" error
- You get GPU-related crashes

## Expected Outcome

After compiling with Wayland support and running the new binary:
- **Launch time:** Should match Gnome performance (~2 seconds)
- **Runtime performance:** Smooth, no sluggishness
- **Logs:** Will show Wayland client initialization instead of X11

## Build Requirements

The system already has all necessary dependencies:
- Rust toolchain (rustup)
- Wayland development libraries (installed)
- Build tools (gcc, clang, cmake, etc.)
- Vulkan and Mesa drivers (working)

From `crates/gpui/Cargo.toml` (lines 40-59), the `wayland` feature depends on:
- `wayland-client`, `wayland-cursor`, `wayland-protocols` (all available on Arch)
- `blade-graphics` (already in use for Vulkan)
- Font libraries (cosmic-text, font-kit) - already installed

## Critical Files for Reference

- `crates/gpui/Cargo.toml:20` - Default features include "wayland" and "x11"
- `crates/gpui/Cargo.toml:40-59` - Wayland feature dependencies
- `crates/gpui/src/platform.rs:101-164` - Platform selection logic
- `crates/gpui/src/platform/linux/wayland/client.rs` - Wayland client implementation
- `crates/gpui/src/platform/linux/x11/client.rs` - X11 client implementation

## Implementation Steps

1. **Build from source** with Wayland support (20-40 min)
2. **Install the binary** to ~/.local/bin or /usr/local/bin
3. **Test launch** and verify Wayland is being used via logs
4. **Confirm performance** matches Gnome experience