WriteByHumans

TL;DR

Want to cast your Ubuntu laptop screen to a projector that supports Android or AirPlay-like screen mirroring? If your Wi-Fi card supports Wi-Fi Direct, the tool you want is:
gnome-network-displays

Background

I recently bought a YEZMEK projector that supports screen mirroring from Android and iOS devices. While casting from a phone was a breeze, doing the same from my Ubuntu laptop was surprisingly tricky — at least until I figured out the right tools.

After trying and failing with Deskreen, DLNA, and mkchromecast, I found out that the real magic lies in Miracast — a tech already supported by many Linux laptops if your hardware supports it.

What is Miracast in Linux?

Miracast is a wireless display standard that allows you to mirror your screen or stream audio and video between devices. It works over Wi-Fi Direct, which means you don’t need a router to connect devices — they can communicate directly with each other.

In the context of Linux, Miracast is typically used to mirror your laptop’s display to a compatible projector, TV, or monitor. The good news is that Ubuntu has built-in support for Miracast, though it requires compatible hardware and software. When configured correctly, gnome-network-displays makes Miracast available on Linux, allowing you to cast your screen to devices like Android TVs, Miracast-enabled projectors, or any other receiver that supports the protocol.

Step-by-Step: Cast Your Ubuntu Screen via Miracast

1. Check if Your Wi-Fi Card Supports Miracast

Miracast requires Wi-Fi Direct, which isn’t available on all cards. Run this command in your terminal:

iw list | grep -A 10 "Supported interface modes"

Look for these in the output:

 * P2P-client
 * P2P-GO
 * P2P-device

If they’re there — you’re good to go.

2. Install gnome-network-displays

This tool is a graphical Miracast client for GNOME, and it works like magic when your projector supports Android-style wireless display.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gnome-network-displays

3. Run the App

Start it from the app launcher or terminal:

gnome-network-displays

Your laptop will start scanning for Miracast receivers.

4. Prepare Your Projector

Make sure:

• The projector is in Screen Mirroring / Wireless Display mode ( Android mirroring section )
• It’s on the same Wi-Fi network as your Ubuntu machine

After a few seconds, the projector should show up in the app. Click Connect, and within a few seconds your screen should be mirrored.