What experimental means here
Why these are switches rather than simply how MSL works, and what to do when one misbehaves.
On this page 3 sections
Experimental Features is in the sidebar, under the instance list. It is the only place any of these change, and it says how many are on.
They are on, and they still might bite#
Most of these start on, because MSL is much less pleasant without them: a Mac keyboard that does nothing in Linux apps, a clipboard that stops at the window edge, menus drawn inside the window instead of in the menu bar.
They are still called experimental, and that word is doing real work:
If something behaves strangely, turn the matching switch off. Everything goes back to how that app behaves on an ordinary Linux desktop. That is the whole point of them being switches, and it is a better first move than working around the symptom.
When a change takes effect#
Each switch carries a small badge saying when it applies:
| Badge | Means |
|---|---|
| Live | Straight away, including for apps already open. |
| New apps | Apps launched after the change. Ones already running keep the old behaviour. |
| Restart | The instance has to be restarted. |
A switch that says New apps has not failed if nothing changes in the window you are looking at — close the app and open it again.
Grouped by what they change#
| Group | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Graphics and input (mslgd) | How Linux windows look and how they take the keyboard and mouse. |
| Peripherals (mslps) | The Mac's camera and microphone, for Linux apps. |
| MSL | Where Linux and the Mac meet: links, files, the clipboard, the menu bar. |
Reset all at the top puts every switch back to what MSL ships.