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FileZilla: Invisible Filenames & Text Glitch Fix on Ubuntu (Wayland → X11)

Symptom: FileZilla opens and connects, but the file list is broken - filenames invisible, text overlapping, items only appear on click and vanish on mouseover.

Cause: FileZilla’s wxWidgets rendering library is incompatible with the Wayland display server. Affects Ubuntu 22.04+ with Wayland as default session.

Fix: Force X11 Backend

Step 1 - Test first (no permanent changes yet)

GDK_BACKEND=x11 filezilla

If the glitch is gone, proceed to make it permanent.

Step 2 - Patch the application shortcut

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/filezilla.desktop

Find the line:

Exec=filezilla

Replace it with:

Exec=env GDK_BACKEND=x11 filezilla

Save: Ctrl+O → Enter → Ctrl+X

FileZilla will now always launch in X11 mode regardless of how you open it.

Why This Works

GDK_BACKEND=x11 tells GTK/GDK to use the XWayland compatibility layer instead of the native Wayland backend. FileZilla’s wxWidgets version does not handle Wayland’s rendering pipeline correctly - forcing X11 bypasses the broken code path entirely.

Notes

This fix survives FileZilla updates only if the .desktop file isn’t replaced by the package manager. If glitches return after an update, reapply Step 2.
To check if a FileZilla update reset the file: grep Exec /usr/share/applications/filezilla.desktop
Alternative for Flatpak installs: set the environment variable via flatpak override --user --env=GDK_BACKEND=x11 org.filezilla_project.FileZilla

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