Xfce 4 is a fine example of how a full-blown Desktop Environment can be both feature rich as well as light weight. Xfce 4 is based on the GTK+ toolkit which immediately puts in in the same category as GNOME. Xfce started in 1996 and stands for XForms Common Environment (because of the original toolkit it used.)  Most users will find Xfce surprisingly on par with most modern PC desktops. Let’s take a look.

Features

Xfce 4 comes with all of the features you have grown used to on a PC desktop, including:

• Panel: By default there are two. These panels are very similar to the setup in GNOME.
• Icons: Clickable icons to luanch applications from the desktop.
• Notification Area: Portion of the panel that allows small applets to give information or allow quick interaction.
• Themeable: Add new themes to customize your desktop look.
• Menus: Both a mouse menu and a traditional start menu.
• Centralized settings manager

The desktop

Figure 1

As you can see, in Figure 1, the Xfce desktop looks very familar. At the top is Panel 1. This panel contains the Show Desktop button, the Window List, the Notification Area, and the Trashcan. Along the left side are clickable icons. To the right is the mouse menu which appears with a right mouse click. At the bottom is Panel 2 which contains the Start Menu, application launchers, Log out button, and the clock.

There is another mouse menu that will appear when you click the middle mouse button (or the right and left button simultaneously). This mounse menu relates to the workspaces. You can switch workspaces and add/remove workspaces. With this mouse menu you can safely remove the Pager from Panel 1 to remove a little clutter from the top of your desktop. Once the Pager is removed you click your middle mouse button and select the workspace you want to work in from that list.

Configuring Xfce

Xfce has a nice Control Panel-esque application, the Xfce Settings Manager. As you can see, in Figure 2 below, the Settings Manager can configure most aspects of the desktop. You will notice the Window Manager button. When you click this button a new window will open that allows you to configure the following aspects of the window manager:

Figure 2

• Style: This is the theme.
• Keyboard: Keyboard shortcuts.
• Focus: How windows get focus.
• Advanced: Window snapping, Wrap workspace, opaque moving, and title bar double click action.

One very interesting configuration option is the Sessions and Startup button. When you select this you can tell Xfce to launch either GNOME or KDE services at startup. Because Xfce is aware of both KDE and GNOME, it can incorporate their services. Take a look back at Figure 1. In the top right you will see the Wireless applet icon. This is the Network Manager applet that is used by GNOME.

Launchers

Figure 3

We all know what launchers do: They launch applcations. Upon first inspection it is difficult to figure out how to create an application launcher. If you right click one of the launchers already on the desktop you will notice a menu entry “Desktop”. Within this submenu you can select:

• Create Launcher
• Create URL Link
• Create Folder

As you can see, in Figure 3, creating a launcher is straight-forward. Just fill in the information and click Create. You will notice two entries that might not be familiar:

• Use startup notification: This will create a clock-like icon that will inform you that something is starting up.
• Run in terminal: This is for applications that require a terminal for execution. You could create a launcher for the top application which must be run in a termina.

Final Thoughts

Xfce is one fine Linux desktop. It is versatile, stable, light weight, and easy to use. You will find Xfce offers you the best of both worlds: It has the feeling of a light weight window manager with the added bonus of a full-featured desktop.

Related posts

• Get To Know Linux: Desktop Environment vs. Window Manager (6)
• Installing and Configuring Enlightenment E16 (10)
• Get to know Linux: Window Maker (6)
• Get to know Linux: IceWM (8)
• Get to know Linux: Fluxbox (11)

With that in mind let us begin by illustrating the differences between a desktop environment and a window manager. We’ll begin by showing how the Linux graphical desktop is layered.

As you can see, in the image below, there are basically three layers that can be included in the Linux desktop:

• X Windows – This is the foundation that allows for graphic elements to be drawn on the display. X Windows builds the primitive framework that allows moving of windows, interactions with keyboard and mouse, and draws windows. This is required for any graphical desktop.
• Window Manager: The Window Manager is the piece of the puzzle that controls the placement and appearance of windows. Window Managers include: Enlightenment, Afterstep, FVWM, Fluxbox, IceWM, etc. Requires X Windows but not a desktop environment.
• Desktop Environment: This is where it begins to get a little fuzzy for some. A Desktop Environment includes a Window Manager but builds upon it. The Desktop Environment typically is a far more fully integrated system than a Window Manager. Requires both X Windows and a Window Manager.

A Desktop Environment generally includes a suite of applications that are tightly integrated so that all applications are aware of one another. A Desktop Manager will also include some form of panel that includes a system tray where small widgets can be placed for quick action or information.

Linux Desktop Layering

Much of the confusion starts to peek out when you examine such Window Managers as E17 (Enlightenment 17).

The most recent iteratio of Enlightenment includes many of the elements usually found only Desktop Environments even though Enlightenment is still considered a Window Manager. To this point I generally refer to such desktops as Desktop Managers.

There are two main Desktop Environments: GNOME and KDE. If you are curious as to which is right for you, here is some advice. The latest default GNOME will make users of OS X feel right at home, KDE 3.x will make Windows XP users feel at home, and KDE 4.x will make Windows Vista users feel at home.

As to which Window Manager is best suited for which user? Since there are so many Window Managers I will highlight my favorites.

• Enlightenment: You want plenty of eye candy but not something as resource-intensive as KDE or GNOME.
• Fluxbox: You want minimal and fast.
• Afterstep: You want something old-school to give you hours of tinkering fun.
• Xfce: You want a Windows-like interface without the bloatware of GNOME or KDE.
• Compiz-Fusion: This is a full-blown 3 dimensional window manager rife with plugs that do just about everything. If you want something to seriously impress your friends, this is where you want to look.

One of the most wonderful things about the Linux desktop is that it is only limited to your imagination. You can make the Linux desktop look and feel exactly how you want it. You can go from complete minimalism to the full-blown 3D goodness of Compiz-Fusion. I will give you one warning: Playing with the Linux desktop might be as much of a time-suck as World of Warcraft.

Related posts

• Leave No Trace in KDE with Sweeper (6)
• Installing and Configuring Enlightenment E16 (10)
• Get to know Linux: Xfce 4 (4)
• Get To Know Linux: The Pager (4)
• Get To Know Linux: Process Management (1)