Table of Contents
Introduction
XFCE is a lightweight desktop environment for Linux that focuses on speed, low resource usage, and a traditional desktop layout. It is popular on older or less powerful computers, in virtual machines, and among users who prefer a clean and simple interface without many visual effects. While it is lighter than GNOME or KDE Plasma, it still provides a complete graphical desktop with panels, menus, system settings, and file management.
Look and Feel
When you first log into an XFCE session, you typically see a top or bottom panel, a desktop background, and sometimes icons on the desktop. The layout is similar to older versions of Windows or classic Unix desktops. There is usually an “Applications” or “Whisker” menu on the panel that lists installed programs by category.
XFCE uses themes for both window borders and controls. You can change how buttons, menus, and windows look by selecting different themes. It also supports icon themes so you can change the appearance of icons across the desktop. Although XFCE does not focus on heavy animations, it can still look modern when combined with a nice theme and icon set.
Panels and Applets
The XFCE panel is a central part of the environment. It typically contains the application menu, open window buttons, system tray, clock, and other small tools. You can have one or more panels, place them at any edge of the screen, and make them horizontal or vertical.
Right clicking the panel opens options to add, remove, or move items, which are called “panel plugins” or “applets.” Examples include a battery indicator, volume control, network manager icon, workspace switcher, or a launcher for a favorite program. You can adjust panel size, transparency, and whether it auto hides.
Important: XFCE panels are highly customizable, but changes are usually immediate and persistent. Be careful when removing items from the panel, because you may remove important indicators such as the application menu or system tray.
Application Menu and Launchers
The XFCE application menu gives you access to installed programs organized into categories like Accessories, Internet, Office, Multimedia, and System. Some distributions use the “Whisker Menu” by default, which includes a search bar. You can start typing the name of a program to find it quickly, for example thunar for the file manager or terminal for the terminal emulator.
You can place custom launchers on the panel or on the desktop. A launcher is a shortcut to start a program with a specific command. When you create a launcher, XFCE usually stores it as a .desktop file behind the scenes. These files describe the program name, icon, and the command to run. You do not need to edit .desktop files directly as a beginner, but it is useful to know that launchers are stored in this format.
Window Management and Workspaces
XFCE includes its own window manager, often called xfwm4. It controls how windows are placed, moved, resized, minimized, and maximized. The window borders usually have buttons to close, maximize, and minimize, and you can right click window title bars for more options.
Like other Linux desktops, XFCE supports multiple workspaces. Workspaces are virtual desktops that let you group windows. For example, you might place web browsers on workspace 1, terminal windows on workspace 2, and documents on workspace 3. A workspace switcher panel plugin shows small representations of each workspace and allows you to click to switch between them.
You can move windows between workspaces using keyboard shortcuts or by dragging them in the workspace switcher. XFCE also supports “window snapping” to screen edges if configured, which helps you tile windows side by side.
Thunar File Manager
XFCE uses Thunar as its default file manager. Thunar is designed to be simple and fast. It shows folders and files, allows you to copy, move, rename, and delete items, and supports opening files with appropriate applications. The left sidebar usually contains quick access to important locations like your home directory, mounted drives, and network places.
Thunar supports multiple tabs, context menus, and custom actions. Custom actions are menu entries that appear when you right click a file of a certain type. For example, your distribution may include a custom action to open a terminal in the current directory or to compress a folder into an archive.
Important: When you delete files in Thunar, they usually go to the Trash first. Emptying the Trash permanently removes those files. Always double check before emptying the Trash, because recovery becomes difficult afterward.
Settings Manager
XFCE provides a central “Settings Manager” where you can adjust most aspects of the desktop. You usually find it in the application menu under “Settings.” The Settings Manager shows icons for different categories such as Appearance, Window Manager, Keyboard, Mouse and Touchpad, Display, and Power Manager.
The Appearance settings let you change the theme, icons, fonts, and default font size. Window Manager settings control title bar buttons, window focus behavior, and keyboard shortcuts for window actions. Display settings allow you to configure screen resolution, orientation, and use of multiple monitors. Power Manager controls screen blanking, sleep, and actions when the lid of a laptop is closed.
Keyboard Shortcuts
XFCE supports many keyboard shortcuts for faster use of the desktop. Some are common, such as Alt + Tab to switch between open windows, or Print Screen to take screenshots. XFCE also lets you create custom shortcuts for specific commands. You can do this through the “Keyboard” settings in the Settings Manager, in the “Application Shortcuts” section.
For example, you could create a shortcut that opens a terminal when you press Ctrl + Alt + T. You specify the command, such as xfce4-terminal, and then press the keys you want to use. XFCE will then remember this combination and run the command whenever you press it.
Important: Avoid assigning shortcuts that conflict with system wide combinations or with existing bindings you rely on. Overriding an important shortcut may make a feature harder to use or temporarily inaccessible.
Session and Startup
XFCE includes tools to control what happens when you log in and out. The “Session and Startup” settings allow you to manage which applications start automatically when you log into XFCE. Many users add items like network tools, clipboard managers, or note taking applications so that they are available every time they log in.
You can usually choose whether XFCE should “save” your session. If session saving is enabled, XFCE remembers which applications were open when you log out and tries to restore them next time. If you prefer a clean start, you can disable session saving so that only manually configured startup applications run.
Performance and Resource Usage
One of the main reasons users choose XFCE is its performance. XFCE uses fewer system resources than many other full featured desktop environments. This can make a big difference on older hardware, small virtual machines, or systems where you want to leave more memory and CPU for other tasks.
You can improve performance further by disabling visual options you do not need, keeping the number of panel plugins small, and not loading too many startup applications. XFCE usually runs well even without hardware accelerated compositing, which can help if your graphics drivers are limited.
Customization and Configuration Files
Although most configuration is performed through graphical tools, XFCE stores its settings in plain text files under your home directory, usually inside .config/xfce4 and related folders. Advanced users can back up these directories to copy XFCE settings between systems or restore a preferred layout.
XFCE also uses a configuration system called xfconf, which provides a way for applications and tools to read and write settings. A command line tool, xfconf-query, allows more advanced manipulation of settings, but as a beginner you can rely entirely on the graphical settings panels.
Using XFCE in Different Distributions
XFCE is available in many Linux distributions, often as an optional desktop environment. Some distributions offer XFCE focused editions, such as Xubuntu or Manjaro XFCE. Although the core XFCE components are similar, each distribution may include slightly different default themes, panel layouts, and preinstalled plugins.
If you install XFCE on a distribution that uses another desktop by default, you usually select XFCE at the login screen session menu. From that point, XFCE manages your graphical session with its own panels, settings, and applications. You can later switch back to another desktop environment by logging out and choosing a different session.
Summary
XFCE provides a traditional, lightweight desktop environment that is easy to understand and efficient on resources. Its panel system, Thunar file manager, Settings Manager, and flexible keyboard shortcuts offer a complete daily desktop without heavy animations or complex effects. For users who want a stable, fast, and customizable graphical environment on Linux, XFCE is a strong choice.