--- a/src/SpacenavReceiver.h	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/SpacenavReceiver.h	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(SpacenavWrapper::Event::MotionEvent)
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(SpacenavWrapper::Event::ButtonEvent)
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus)
 
 class SpacenavReceiver : public QThread {
 	Q_OBJECT
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@
 	}
 
 	void run() {
+		emit spacenavConnectionStatus(spnav.getConnectionStatus());
 		while (true) {
 			SpacenavWrapper::Event e = spnav.waitEvent();
 			if (e.type == SpacenavWrapper::Event::Type::MOTION) emit spacenavMotionEvent(e.motion);
@@ -46,4 +48,5 @@
 signals:
 	void spacenavMotionEvent(SpacenavWrapper::Event::MotionEvent e);
 	void spacenavButtonEvent(SpacenavWrapper::Event::ButtonEvent e);
+	void spacenavConnectionStatus(SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus s);
 };
\ No newline at end of file

--- a/src/SpacenavWindow.cpp	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/SpacenavWindow.cpp	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -65,3 +65,9 @@
 	if (e.number == 0) widget.button0->setChecked(e.pressed);
 	if (e.number == 1) widget.button1->setChecked(e.pressed);
 }
+
+void SpacenavWindow::spacenavConnectionStatus(SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus s) {
+	if (s == SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus::DOMAIN_SOCKET) widget.connection->setText("connected through: domain socket");
+	if (s == SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus::X11) widget.connection->setText("connected through: X11");
+}
+

--- a/src/SpacenavWindow.h	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/SpacenavWindow.h	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 public slots:
 	void spacenavMotionEvent(SpacenavWrapper::Event::MotionEvent e);
 	void spacenavButtonEvent(SpacenavWrapper::Event::ButtonEvent e);
+	void spacenavConnectionStatus(SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus s);
 private:
 	Ui::SpacenavWindow widget;
 };

--- a/src/SpacenavWindow.ui	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/SpacenavWindow.ui	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -165,6 +165,23 @@
       </property>
      </widget>
     </item>
+    <item row="16" column="0">
+     <widget class="QLabel" name="connectionLabel">
+      <property name="text">
+       <string>status</string>
+      </property>
+     </widget>
+    </item>
+    <item row="16" column="1">
+     <widget class="QLineEdit" name="connection">
+      <property name="enabled">
+       <bool>false</bool>
+      </property>
+      <property name="text">
+       <string>not connected</string>
+      </property>
+     </widget>
+    </item>
    </layout>
   </widget>
   <widget class="QMenuBar" name="menubar">

--- a/src/SpacenavWrapper.cpp	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/SpacenavWrapper.cpp	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -20,31 +20,27 @@
 #include "SpacenavWrapper.h"
 
 SpacenavWrapper::SpacenavWrapper() {
-	// TODO: remove logging
 	if (spnav_open() == 0) {
-		std::wcout << L"connected through: AF_UNIX socket" << std::endl;
+		connectionStatus = SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus::DOMAIN_SOCKET;
+		return;
 	} else {
-
 		Display* display;
 		Window window;
 		unsigned long blackPixel;
 
+		if (display = XOpenDisplay(0)) {
 
-		if (!(display = XOpenDisplay(0))) {
-			std::wcout << L"unable to connect to the X server" << std::endl;
-			return; // TODO: throw exception
-		}
+			blackPixel = BlackPixel(display, DefaultScreen(display));
+			window = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, DefaultRootWindow(display), 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, blackPixel, blackPixel);
 
-		blackPixel = BlackPixel(display, DefaultScreen(display));
-		window = XCreateSimpleWindow(display, DefaultRootWindow(display), 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, blackPixel, blackPixel);
-
-		if (spnav_x11_open(display, window) == 0) {
-			std::wcout << L"connected through: X11" << std::endl;
-		} else {
-			std::wcout << L"unable to connect to the space navigator daemon" << std::endl;
-			return; // TODO: throw exception
+			if (spnav_x11_open(display, window) == 0) {
+				connectionStatus = SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus::X11;
+				return;
+			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	connectionStatus = SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus::NONE;
 }
 
 SpacenavWrapper::~SpacenavWrapper() {
@@ -53,6 +49,10 @@
 	spnav_close();
 }
 
+SpacenavWrapper::ConnectionStatus SpacenavWrapper::getConnectionStatus() {
+	return connectionStatus;
+}
+
 SpacenavWrapper::Event SpacenavWrapper::waitEvent() {
 	SpacenavWrapper::Event e;
 	spnav_event event;

--- a/src/SpacenavWrapper.h	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/SpacenavWrapper.h	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -60,11 +60,19 @@
 
 	};
 
+	enum class ConnectionStatus {
+		NONE,
+		DOMAIN_SOCKET,
+		X11
+	};
+
 	SpacenavWrapper();
 
 	virtual ~SpacenavWrapper();
 
+	ConnectionStatus getConnectionStatus();
 	Event waitEvent();
 
-
+private:
+	ConnectionStatus connectionStatus;
 };
\ No newline at end of file

--- a/src/spacenav-demo-qt.cpp	Thu Mar 07 17:56:38 2019 +0100
+++ b/src/spacenav-demo-qt.cpp	Thu Mar 07 18:33:22 2019 +0100
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 	QObject::connect(&t, &SpacenavReceiver::spacenavMotionEvent, &w, &SpacenavWindow::spacenavMotionEvent, Qt::ConnectionType::QueuedConnection);
 	QObject::connect(&t, &SpacenavReceiver::spacenavButtonEvent, &w, &SpacenavWindow::spacenavButtonEvent, Qt::ConnectionType::QueuedConnection);
+	QObject::connect(&t, &SpacenavReceiver::spacenavConnectionStatus, &w, &SpacenavWindow::spacenavConnectionStatus, Qt::ConnectionType::QueuedConnection);
 
 	t.start();
 	int qtResultCode = app.exec();