Client OpenGL acceleration
August 8, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
The native Xpra client can use OpenGL to render forwarded windows efficiently. This is a client-side feature: it is separate from the OpenGL support for applications running in an Xpra session.
How it works
Automatic setup
Official packages include the required components and enable client OpenGL by default where the native client supports it. At startup, Xpra probes the local OpenGL implementation before enabling acceleration. The probe may take a few seconds.
Selective rendering
Xpra does not use OpenGL for every window. Small, short-lived, or rarely updated windows are normally rendered without it because acceleration would not provide a measurable benefit.
GPU-backed pixels
Window pixels are kept in GPU buffers, making repaints faster. Some updates, including parts of the video codec pipeline, can also be processed directly on the GPU.
Configure acceleration
The client checks OpenGL automatically. Override that decision with the
opengl option:
# Skip the safety probe and enable OpenGL
xpra attach --opengl=yes
# Disable client OpenGL completely
xpra attach --opengl=no
Use opengl=yes only when you understand the driver and have verified that it
is stable. If the native client is running on a Wayland display, client OpenGL
acceleration is not currently available.
Inspect the driver
Open the Features pane in Session Info or check the client startup output for basic driver information. For a detailed report, run:
xpra opengl
On Windows, the OpenGL_check.exe shortcut provides the same diagnostic probe.
Xpra keeps a small list of drivers that are known to be unsafe or unsuitable;
see the driver list
for the current values. Software renderers such as llvmpipe are treated
differently from hardware drivers because they provide no GPU acceleration.
Intel drivers
Intel hardware is not currently greylisted. Older Xpra releases did greylist Intel drivers for a long period because of rendering glitches and crashes in some driver versions. The historical reports remain useful when diagnosing an older release or a particular legacy driver: