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Linux XFCE Guide

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Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 2 revisions

Linux XFCE Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to XFCE on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including installation, configuration, customization, and XFCE-specific features.

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding XFCE
  2. Installing XFCE
  3. XFCE Configuration
  4. XFCE Customization
  5. CachyOS XFCE Settings
  6. XFCE Applications
  7. Troubleshooting

Understanding XFCE

What is XFCE?

XFCE is a lightweight, traditional desktop environment.

Key features:

  • Lightweight: Low resource usage
  • Fast: Fast and responsive
  • Traditional: Classic desktop layout
  • Customizable: Highly customizable

Why choose XFCE:

  • Performance: Fast on older hardware
  • Lightweight: Low resource usage
  • Familiar: Traditional desktop
  • Stable: Reliable and stable

Installing XFCE

Install XFCE

Arch/CachyOS:

# Full XFCE
sudo pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies

# Minimal
sudo pacman -S xfce4

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install xfce4

Fedora:

sudo dnf install @xfce-desktop

Enable XFCE

Start XFCE:

# Install LightDM
sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter

# Enable LightDM
sudo systemctl enable --now lightdm.service

Starting XFCE

Select at login:

  1. At login screen
  2. Select "XFCE Session"
  3. Log in

Note: XFCE uses X11 (no Wayland support yet)

XFCE Configuration

XFCE Settings

Configure XFCE:

# Open Settings
xfce4-settings-manager

# Or from menu
# Settings

Panel Configuration

Configure panel:

# Right-click panel > Panel > Panel Preferences
# Or
xfce4-panel --preferences

XFCE Customization

Themes

Install themes:

# Install themes
sudo pacman -S arc-gtk-theme
yay -S materia-gtk-theme

Icons

Install icons:

# Install icon themes
sudo pacman -S papirus-icon-theme

CachyOS XFCE Settings

CachyOS Settings Package

Install with CachyOS settings:

sudo pacman -S xfce4 cachyos-xfce-settings

What this does:

  • Installs XFCE
  • Installs CachyOS XFCE settings
  • Pre-configured for CachyOS
  • Better out-of-box experience

Note: Check if cachyos-xfce-settings package exists.

XFCE Applications

XFCE Apps

Install applications:

# Install goodies
sudo pacman -S xfce4-goodies

# Individual apps
sudo pacman -S thunar mousepad ristretto

Troubleshooting

XFCE Not Starting

Check logs:

# Check LightDM logs
journalctl -u lightdm

# Check XFCE logs
cat ~/.xsession-errors

Performance Issues

Disable compositor:

# Settings > Window Manager Tweaks > Compositor
# Disable compositor

Summary

This guide covered XFCE for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including installation, configuration, customization, and CachyOS-specific settings.

Next Steps

This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. CachyOS-specific XFCE settings are highlighted where applicable.

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