In the world of Linux desktops, we often find ourselves bouncing between extremes. On one side, there are environments like KDE Plasma — beautifully complex, endlessly customizable, constantly changing. On the other, you have GNOME — minimalistic, vision-driven, but often polarizing. Updates rewrite entire system apps, redesign workflows, and introduce new concepts faster than users can adapt.
And somewhere between these waves of change… sits XFCE.
A quiet, almost meditative constant.
A desktop that doesn’t chase trends, doesn’t demand attention, and doesn’t break itself every six months.
After using it across multiple systems — including an old Surface Go with just 4GB RAM — I realized something: XFCE hasn’t just survived 20 years of evolution. It has remained relevant by choosing stability over spectacle, logic over flash, and control over forced design decisions.
This article is meant to help you understand XFCE on a deeper level — why it’s loved, how it works, how to customize it, and why it might be the desktop environment you’ve been searching for all along.
XFCE’s Philosophy: Stability Over Chaos
Before we get into settings and customization, it’s important to understand the core philosophy behind XFCE.
While other desktops rush toward ideas, animations, and disruptive redesigns, XFCE quietly focuses on something far more important:
- Predictability
- Consistency
- Longevity
- Efficiency
- Control
XFCE is the spiritual home of users who want their system to feel the same next year as it does today. It does not reinvent itself every release. Instead, it improves — slowly, carefully, consciously.
In a world obsessed with change for the sake of novelty, XFCE’s discipline feels almost revolutionary.
A Real-World Example: XFCE on an Old Surface Go
Let me begin with a small story.
This summer, I took a 2018 Surface Go on vacation — a system practically unusable on Windows with only 4GB RAM. I installed Void Linux with XFCE, expecting a functional but limited experience.
Instead, I was able to:
- Edit videos
- Produce content
- Publish work
- Run multiple apps smoothly
On a machine long considered “dead.”
XFCE didn’t just revive the device.
It allowed it to shine again.
That experience made me reinstall XFCE on my main workstation — and surprisingly, it still felt like home. Consistent. Logical. Familiar. Exactly the experience XFCE has offered for nearly two decades.
First Impressions: XFCE Needs a Little Love
Let’s be honest: XFCE’s default look is… rough.
The first launch can feel outdated:
- The panel layout feels unbalanced
- Icons seem old-fashioned
- Spacing is inconsistent
- The desktop appears flat and dull
But here’s the twist — XFCE isn’t supposed to be ready-made.
If you want a polished, curated out-of-the-box experience, install GNOME and just start using it.
XFCE is different. It gives you a foundation — and then it lets you build your space.
No restrictions. No rules. No dogma.
XFCE’s Control Center: The Perfect Example of “If It Works, Don’t Break It”
Every modern desktop seems obsessed with redesigning their settings app:
- GNOME keeps simplifying
- KDE keeps expanding
- Others keep reorganizing
XFCE, instead, maintains its legendary Control Center — simple, structured, complete.
No hidden menus.
No nested controls.
No reinvented wheels.
Everything you need is exactly where it should be. This is UI done right.
The XFCE Menu: Powerful, Simple, but Worth Cleaning Up
Let’s talk about the heart of any desktop: the menu.
XFCE’s menu is:
- Functional
- Predictable
- Clean
- Lightweight
But it has two issues:
1. It shows all apps from all installed environments
If you also installed KDE or GNOME apps, XFCE will show them — even if they don’t belong.
2. It displays duplicate settings entries
XFCE includes:
- A unified “Settings” panel
- And all of its sub-settings individually
This makes the menu cluttered.
The Fix: Install “MenuLibre”
A quick solution:
sudo apt install menulibre
MenuLibre lets you:
- Hide redundant entries
- Move apps into proper categories
- Create your own sections
- Build a clean, consistent menu
This one tool transforms the XFCE menu into something modern and elegant.
Upgrade the Menu: Use the Whisker Menu
If you want an even better experience, install the Whisker Menu, now used by many XFCE distros.
sudo apt install xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin
Then:
- Right-click the panel
- Add → Whisker Menu
- Remove the old menu
You get:
- A search bar
- Favorites
- Recent apps
- Category organization
- Faster app launching
It’s intuitive and feels like a modern hybrid of Windows + KDE + XFCE.
Panels: XFCE’s Most Flexible Component
Panels define XFCE’s workflow. You can:
- Add as many as you want
- Place them anywhere
- Resize them
- Make them transparent
- Turn them into docks
With right-click → Panel Preferences, you can redesign the entire experience.
Some common setups:
• One Top Panel
With app launchers + menu + indicators.
• One Bottom Panel
With open windows and workspace switcher.
• A Side Mini Dock
Thin, auto-hidden, containing your frequently used apps.
The key is: XFCE never forces you. It just gives you space and tools.
Add a Modern Dock: The Docklike Plugin
If you want icons grouped like macOS or Windows 11, XFCE has the perfect plugin:
sudo apt install xfce4-docklike-plugin
Add it to the panel:
- Right-click panel → Add Items → Docklike Taskbar
This gives you:
- Grouped icons
- Slick indicators
- Pinning
- Quick launching
- Lightweight animations
It’s modern, productive, and still extremely fast.
Keyboard Shortcuts: The Secret to a Fast Workflow
XFCE shines when shortcuts are configured well.
Basic Shortcuts to Add
- Ctrl + Alt + T → open terminal
- Super (Windows key) → open Whisker Menu
- Super + D → show desktop
Go to:
Settings → Keyboard → Application Shortcuts
Add your preferred shortcuts.
Window Manager Shortcuts
These are found under:
Settings → Window Manager → Keyboard
Useful defaults:
- Alt + Tab → switch windows
- Ctrl + Alt + arrows → change workspace
- Alt + F7 → move window
- Alt + F8 → resize window
XFCE’s shortcut system is incredibly powerful and easy.
Focus Behavior: Choose How Windows Interact
Settings → Window Manager → Focus
Two main modes:
• Click-to-focus (Windows-like)
Good for casual use.
• Focus-follows-mouse
Loved by multitaskers with multiple monitors.
Both are smooth, predictable, and stable.
Window Manager Tweaks: XFCE’s Hidden Gem
Open:
Settings → Window Manager Tweaks
This section quietly unlocks the true power of XFCE.
Alt-Tab Behavior
Enable:
- Include hidden windows
- Draw frame around selected window
Attention Behavior
Set:
✔ Bring window to current workspace
No more apps pulling you away to another screen.
Tiling Enhancements
Enable:
✔ Automatically tile windows
✔ Use edge resistance
This gives you a perfect hybrid between floating and tiling workflow.
Workspace Navigation
Activate:
✔ Mouse wheel switches workspace
✔ Wrap workspaces
This turns your desktop into a continuous loop.
Compositor Settings
XFCE’s compositor is small but effective.
Enable:
✔ Shadows under windows
✔ Zoom with mouse wheel
✔ Slight transparency for inactive windows
This makes XFCE feel modern without losing performance.
Optimizing XFCE for Performance
XFCE is already efficient, but you can push it further.
1. Disable unnecessary startup apps
Settings → Session & Startup → Application Autostart
2. Use lightweight native apps
Prefer:
- Thunar
- Mousepad
- Atril
- Parole
- XFburn
3. Avoid heavy GNOME apps
They pull unnecessary GTK libraries.
4. Disable shadows for docks
Lower GPU usage on old hardware.
Thunar: Simple, Powerful, and Extensible
Thunar is one of XFCE’s secret weapons.
It supports:
- Tabs
- Bulk renaming
- Custom actions
- Plugins
- Metadata editing
Examples of custom actions:
- “Open Terminal Here”
- “Resize Image”
- “Send to USB”
With a few tweaks, Thunar becomes a personalized productivity tool.
XFCE Plugins: Infinite Possibilities
Some must-have panel plugins:
- Clipman → clipboard
- Notes → quick notes
- CPU Graph → live usage
- NetLoad → network monitor
- Sensors → temperature
- Battery Monitor → laptop users
- Genmon → run scripts in the panel
Genmon alone turns XFCE into a power-user paradise.
XFCE on Laptops: Quiet, Efficient, Reliable
XFCE is one of the best environments for laptops.
With the Power Manager plugin, you can manage:
- Brightness
- Suspend
- Battery thresholds
- CPU governors
You can even automate brightness changes based on battery levels.
High DPI, Themes & Aesthetics
XFCE can look stunning with just a few tweaks:
- Install themes like Arc, Materia, Capitaine, Adwaita-dark
- Use icon packs like Papirus, Tela, Numix
- Enable slight transparency
- Use a clean wallpaper
- Adjust DPI scaling for clarity
XFCE does not try to impress — but it absolutely can.
Advanced Users: Full Automation & Replication
XFCE stores all settings in XML files under ~/.config.
This means you can:
- Clone your XFCE setup to another system in seconds
- Script window layouts
- Automate panel placement
- Control everything with tools like:
xfconf-querywmctrlxdotool
XFCE may look simple, but under the hood it’s extremely powerful.
Final Thoughts: XFCE Isn’t Old — It’s Timeless
XFCE is not flashy.
XFCE is not trendy.
XFCE doesn’t try to impress.
But in a world overwhelmed by innovation and constant UI redesigns, XFCE is the rare desktop that:
- Just works
- Works everywhere
- Works forever
It’s stable, logical, customizable, and refreshingly human.
It respects your choices.
It stays out of your way.
It remains one of the purest expressions of the Linux philosophy:
Keep it simple. Keep it efficient. Keep it yours.
If you want to explore XFCE yourself, visit:
🔗 https://www.xfce.org/
FAQ: Common Questions About XFCE
1. Is XFCE still being developed?
Yes, actively. Updates are slow but consistent and focused on stability.
2. Is XFCE good for beginners?
Absolutely. It’s organized, familiar, and easy to customize.
3. Does XFCE work well on old hardware?
Yes — it’s one of the best choices for low-end PCs.
4. Can XFCE look modern?
With the right theme + Whisker Menu + Docklike plugin, XFCE can look extremely modern.
5. Is XFCE better than GNOME or KDE?
It depends on your needs.
XFCE = stability and control.
GNOME = simplicity and design vision.
KDE = power and customization.
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