Xfce is a free and open-source desktop environment designed for Unix-like operating systems, including Linux and BSD. It is pronounced as four individual letters: “X-F-C-E”. Xfce is renowned for being lightweight, fast, and low on system resources, making it an excellent choice for both older hardware and users who value performance and efficiency.
Key Features
- Lightweight and Fast: Xfce omits many resource-intensive visual effects found in other desktop environments, allowing it to run smoothly even on low-end computers.
- Modular Design: Xfce follows the Unix philosophy of modularity and re-usability. Its components—such as the window manager, panel, desktop manager, session manager, and file manager—are packaged separately, so users can pick and choose what they need.
- Customizable: Users can easily customize the appearance, layout, and behavior of the desktop through graphical settings tools, including themes, icons, panels, and keyboard shortcuts.
- Standards-Compliant: Xfce adheres to standards defined by freedesktop.org, ensuring compatibility and interoperability with other software.
- Stable and Predictable: Xfce emphasizes stability and a consistent user experience, avoiding frequent disruptive changes.
Core Components
- Window Manager (Xfwm): Handles window placement, decorations, and workspaces.
- Panel: A configurable taskbar for launching applications, switching workspaces, and displaying system information.
- Desktop Manager: Manages desktop icons, background, and menus.
- Session Manager: Controls login, power management, and session saving.
- File Manager (Thunar): Provides basic file management and utilities like bulk renaming.
- Settings Manager: Central hub for customizing desktop settings.
History
Xfce was started in 1996 by Olivier Fourdan as a Linux port of the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). Over time, it evolved into its own project, moving away from its original XForms toolkit to GTK, and is now one of the most popular desktop environments in the Unix ecosystem