View source for Xfce

{{Short description|Desktop environment}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Xfce
| logo = Xfce logo.svg
| logo size = 100px
| logo alt = logo XFCE
| screenshot = XFCE 4.20.png
| screenshot alt = Xfce 4.20 with [[Thunar]], Xfce Terminal, and Xfce Task Manager on Linux
| caption = Xfce 4.20 with [[Thunar]], Xfce Terminal, and Xfce Task Manager on Linux
| author = [[Olivier Fourdan]]
| developer = [[Free software community]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xfce.org/about/credits |title=Credits |website=Xfce |date=28 April 2012 |access-date=4 September 2012 |archive-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919195434/http://xfce.org/about/credits |url-status=live }}</ref>
| released = {{Start date and age|1997}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q170821|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q170821|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}|df=yes}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q170821|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q170821|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| repo = {{URL|https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce}}
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]] ([[GTK]])
| middleware = X Window System, 
Xorg
| engine = GTK
| operating system = Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and GNU/Hurd
| platform = [[Unix-like]]
| language count = At least 31
| genre = [[Desktop environment]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL]], [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL]], [[BSD licenses|BSD]]
| website = {{URL|https://xfce.org}}
}}

'''Xfce''' (pronounced as four individual letters, {{IPAc-en|ɛ|k|s|_|ɛ|f|_|s|iː|_|iː}})<ref name="xfcename">{{Cite web |title=faq [Xfce Docs] - How to pronounce Xfce? |url=https://docs.xfce.org/faq#how_to_pronounce_xfce |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=docs.xfce.org}}</ref> is a [[Free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[desktop environment]] for [[Linux]] and other [[Unix-like]] operating systems.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=XFCE |url=https://en.linuxportal.info/encyclopedia/x/xfce-desktop-environment |website=linuxportal}}</ref>

Xfce aims to be fast and [[Lightweight software|lightweight]] while still visually appealing and easy to use. The desktop environment is designed to embody the traditional [[Unix philosophy]] of [[Modular programming|modularity]] and re-usability, as well as adherence to standards; specifically, those defined at [[freedesktop.org]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xfce.org/about|title=About – general information about the Xfce desktop|website=Xfce|access-date=4 January 2016|archive-date=3 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103151751/http://www.xfce.org/about|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Features ==
=== User experience ===
Xfce is a highly modular desktop environment,<ref name="muo-6-reasons">{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Bertel |title=6 Reasons Why You Should Try the Lightweight Xfce Desktop |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/reasons-why-you-should-try-xfce |access-date=16 November 2024 |work=MUO |date=14 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> with many [[software repositories]] separating its components into multiple packages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arch Linux - xfce4-goodies |url=https://archlinux.org/groups/x86_64/xfce4-goodies/ |website=Arch Linux package repository |access-date=16 November 2024}}</ref> The built-in settings app offers options to customize the [[GTK]] theme, the system [[Icon (computing)|icons]], the [[Cursor (computing)|cursor]], and the [[window manager]]. Additionally, Xfce provides a fully [[GUI]]-based system for modifying the desktop's [[status bar]] and [[system tray]].<ref name="mte-customize">{{cite news |last1=Oh |first1=Damien |title=The User Guide to Customize XFCE Desktop |url=https://www.maketecheasier.com/customize-xfce-desktop/ |access-date=16 November 2024 |work=Make Tech Easier |date=15 August 2013}}</ref>

=== Performance ===
Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment which omits many of the visually appealing features (such as animations) present in other desktop environments such as [[KDE Plasma]] and [[GNOME]]. These omissions allow Xfce to run much more smoothly on low-end [[personal computer]]s.<ref name="mte-review">{{cite news |last1=Perkins |first1=John |title=Xfce Review: A Lean, Mean Linux Machine |url=https://www.maketecheasier.com/xfce-review/ |access-date=16 November 2024 |work=Make Tech Easier |date=21 July 2020}}</ref>

== History ==
[[Olivier Fourdan]] started the Xfce project in late 1996 as a [[Linux]] version of the [[Common Desktop Environment]] (CDE),<ref name="Then">{{cite web |url=http://www.slashgear.com/xfce-creator-talks-linux-moblin-netbooks-and-open-source-0633329/ |title=Xfce creator talks Linux, Moblin, netbooks and open-source |last=Then |first=Ewdison |date=6 February 2009 |website=[[SlashGear]] |access-date=5 February 2011 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716084231/http://www.slashgear.com/xfce-creator-talks-linux-moblin-netbooks-and-open-source-0633329/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/magazine/xfce-third-man |title=Xfce: the third man |last=Kereki |first=Federico |date=March 2009 |journal=Linux Journal |issue=179 |via=[[Association for Computing Machinery|ACM]] Digital Library |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815170358/https://www.linuxjournal.com/magazine/xfce-third-man |url-status=live }}</ref> a [[Unix]] [[desktop environment]] that was initially [[proprietary software|proprietary]] and later released as [[free software]].<ref name=osnews2012-08-06>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.osnews.com/story/26247/CDE_released_as_open_source
 |title        = CDE released as open source
 |website      = OSNews
 |first        = Thom
 |last         = Holwerda
 |date         = 6 August 2012
 |access-date  = 6 October 2015
 |archive-date = 8 August 2012
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120808184128/http://www.osnews.com/story/26247/CDE_released_as_open_source
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>  

The name was originally written as XFce, as an abbreviation of XForms Common Environment, which referred to the [[XForms (toolkit)|XForms library]].<ref name="xfcename" /> However, Xfce has been transformed and is now based entirely on the Xfce Toolkit (GTK).<ref name=":0" /> The name was kept, now with lowercase f, but the abbreviation no longer means anything.<ref name="xfcename" />

The first Xfce release was in early 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.linux.co.cr/desktops/window-managers.html|title=Linux – Desktops - Window Managers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905214325/https://www.linux.co.cr/desktops/window-managers.html|archive-date=2022-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.linux.misc/c/OGTNX40MxG8/|title=May I create a toolbar like CDE ?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410171257/https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.linux.misc/c/OGTNX40MxG8/|archive-date=2022-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/jmontleon/xfce-historical|title=GitHub - jmontleon/xfce-historical|website=[[GitHub]] |access-date=7 September 2022|archive-date=7 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907012338/https://github.com/jmontleon/xfce-historical|url-status=live}}</ref> However, over time, Xfce diverged from CDE and now stands on its own. {{quote|The name Xfce originally stood for “XForms Common Environment”, but since then Xfce has been rewritten twice and doesn't use the XForms toolkit anymore. The name survived, but it is no longer capitalized as “XFCE” and is no longer an abbreviation for anything (although suggestions have been made, such as “X Freakin' Cool Environment”).|source=Frequently Asked Questions, Xfce Wiki<ref name=FAQ>{{cite web |url=https://wiki.xfce.org/faq/ |title=FAQ |website=wiki.xfce.org |date=2017-03-11 |access-date=2017-09-11 |archive-date=6 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006191536/https://wiki.xfce.org/faq |url-status=live }}</ref>}} The [[Slackware]] Linux distribution has nicknamed Xfce the "Cholesterol Free Desktop Environment", a loose interpretation of the initialism.

=== Mascot ===
{{see also|List of computing mascots}}

Per the FAQ, the logo of Xfce is "a mouse, obviously, for all kinds of reasons like world domination and monsters and such."<ref name=FAQ /> In the ''[[SuperTuxKart]]'' game, in which various open source mascots race against each other, the mouse is said to be a female named "Xue".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://supertuxkart.net/Discover |title=Discover - SuperTuxKart |author=SuperTuxKart Team |website=supertuxkart.net |date=2017-03-15 |access-date=2017-09-11 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033526/https://supertuxkart.net/Discover |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Early versions ===
Xfce began as a simple project created with XForms. [[Olivier Fourdan]] released the program, which was just a simple [[taskbar]], on [[ibiblio|SunSITE]].<ref name="gazette">{{cite magazine |last=Jacobowitz |first=Norman |title=Interview with Olivier Fourdan |magazine=[[Linux Gazette]] |date=1 July 1999 |issue=43 |url=http://linuxgazette.net/issue43/jacobowitz.xfce.html |access-date=31 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116201506/http://linuxgazette.net/issue43/jacobowitz.xfce.html |archive-date=16 January 2007 }}</ref>

Fourdan continued developing the project and in 1998, Xfce 2 was released with the first version of Xfce's window manager, Xfwm. He requested the project be included in [[Red Hat Linux]], but it was refused due to its XForms basis. Red Hat accepted only open-source software released under a [[GNU General Public License|GPL]]- or BSD-compatible license, whereas, at the time, XForms was closed-source and free only for personal use.<ref name="gazette"/> For the same reason, Xfce was not in [[Debian]] before version 3, and Xfce 2 was  distributed only in Debian's contrib [[software repository|repository]].<ref>Debian xfce source package 3.4.0.20000513-1 changelog</ref>

In March 1999, Fourdan began a complete rewrite of the project based on [[GTK]], a non-proprietary toolkit then rising in popularity. The result was Xfce 3.0, licensed under the GPL. As well as being based completely on [[free software]], it gained GTK [[drag-and-drop]] support, native language support, and improved configurability. Xfce was uploaded to [[SourceForge.net]] in February 2001, starting with version 3.8.1.<ref>{{cite web |title=Project Page |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/xfce/ |website=SourceForge.net |access-date=31 January 2007 |archive-date=11 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211103100/http://sourceforge.net/projects/xfce |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Xfce 4.0 - 4.10 ===
{{Primary sources|date=November 2024|segment}}
[[File:Default plus xffm and utils.png|alt=A screenshot of Xfce 4.0.0.|thumb|Xfce 4.0.0]]
[[File:Xfce-4.2.2.png|alt=A screenshot of Xfce 4.2.2|thumb|Xfce 4.2.2]]
[[File:Xfce-4.4.png|right|thumb|An Xfce 4.4 desktop showcasing various Xfwm effects: [[drop shadow]]s behind windows, [[Alpha blending|alpha-blended]] windows and panel]]

In version 4.0.0, released 25 September 2003, Xfce was upgraded to use the [[GTK]] 2 libraries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://unixresources.net/linux/clf/software/archive/00/00/44/51/445169.html |title=XFce 4.0 release |website=UNIX Resources Network |date=25 September 2003 |access-date=25 February 2014 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192957/http://unixresources.net/linux/clf/software/archive/00/00/44/51/445169.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Changes in 4.2.0, released 16 January 2005, included a [[Compositing window manager|compositing manager]] for Xfwm which added built-in support for transparency and drop shadows, as well as a new default [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]] icon set.<ref>{{cite web |title=Xfce 4.2.0 released! |date=16 January 2005 |url=https://mail.xfce.org/pipermail/xfce4-dev/2005-January/014403.html |access-date=23 February 2021 |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512003250/https://mail.xfce.org/pipermail/xfce4-dev/2005-January/014403.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Xfce 4.2.0 Changelog |url=https://xfce.org/download/changelogs/4.2.0 |website=xfce.org |access-date=31 January 2007 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928025011/http://www.xfce.org/download/changelogs/4.2.0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2007, Xfce 4.4.0 was released. This included the [[Thunar]] file manager, a replacement for Xffm. Support for desktop icons was added. Also, various improvements were made to the panel to prevent buggy plugins from crashing the whole panel, as well as support for multiple panels; previous versions of Xfce could only support one panel in addition to Xftaskbar4 and Xfce4-iconbox. These tools were made available as panel plugins in this version.<ref>{{cite web |last=Meurer |first=Benedikt |title=A Visual Tour of Xfce 4.4.0 |date=21 January 2007 |url=http://foo-projects.org/~benny/articles/xfce44-visual-tour.html |website=foo-projects.org |access-date=31 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221052843/http://foo-projects.org/%7Ebenny/articles/xfce44-visual-tour.html |archive-date=21 February 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Xfce 4.4 tour – Xfce |url=https://www.xfce.org/about/tour44 |access-date=2025-07-18 |website=www.xfce.org}}</ref>

In February 2009, Xfce 4.6.0 was released. This version had a new configuration backend, a new settings manager and a new sound mixer, as well as several significant improvements to the session manager and the rest of Xfce's core components.<ref>{{cite web |author=Xfce Development Team |title=Xfce 4.6.0 Changelog |url=http://www.xfce.org/download/changelogs/4.6.0/ |website=xfce.org |access-date=16 January 2011 |archive-date=22 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122093855/http://www.xfce.org/download/changelogs/4.6.0/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2011, Xfce 4.8.0 was released. This version included changes such as the replacement of ThunarVFS and [[HAL (software)|HAL]] with [[GIO (GNOME)|GIO]], [[udev]], ConsoleKit and [[PolicyKit]], and new utilities for browsing remote [[network share]]s using several protocols including [[SSH File Transfer Protocol|SFTP]], [[Server Message Block|SMB]], and [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]]. Window clutter was reduced by merging all Thunar file progress [[dialog box]]es into a single dialog. The panel application was also rewritten for better positioning, transparency, and item and launcher management. 4.8 also introduced a new menu plugin to view directories. The 4.8 plugin framework remains compatible with 4.6 plugins. The display configuration dialog in 4.8 supports [[RandR]] 1.2, detecting screens automatically and allowing users to pick their preferred [[display resolution]], [[refresh rate]], and [[display rotation]]. Multiple displays can be configured to either work in [[Multi-monitor#Clone mode|clone mode]], or be placed next to each other. Keyboard selection was revamped to be easier and more user-friendly. Also, the manual settings editor was updated to be more functional.<ref>{{cite web |author=Xfce Development Team |title=Xfce 4.6.0 Changelog |url=http://www.xfce.org/download/changelogs/4.8.0/ |website=xfce.org |access-date=16 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120005100/http://www.xfce.org/download/changelogs/4.8.0 |archive-date=20 January 2011 }}</ref>

The 4.8 development cycle was the first to use the new release strategy formed after the "Xfce Release and Development Model" developed at the [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] Desktop Summit in May 2009. A new web application was employed to make release management easier, and a dedicated [[Transifex]] server was set up for Xfce translators.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.xfce.org/category/transifex/ |title=The little mouse told me… |website=Blog.xfce.org |date=16 January 2011 |access-date=4 September 2012 |archive-date=22 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222082841/http://blog.xfce.org/category/transifex/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The project's server and mirroring infrastructure was also upgraded, partly to cope with anticipated demand following the release announcement for 4.8.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

Xfce 4.10, released 28 April 2012, introduced a vertical display mode for the panel and moved much of the [http://docs.xfce.org documentation] to an online [[wiki]]. The main focus of this release was on improving the user experience.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xfce.org/about/news |title=Xfce 4.10 released |website=xfce.org |date=28 April 2012 |access-date=19 September 2012 |archive-date=7 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307022948/http://www.xfce.org/about/news |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Modern Xfce ===
[[File:Xfce 4.12 on Fedora 22.png|thumb|An Xfce 4.12 example desktop running on Fedora 22; notice the file manager has been rewritten in GTK 3.]]
Xfce 4.12 was released on 28 February 2015,<ref>{{cite web |title=Xfce 4.12 released |url=http://www.xfce.org/about/news/?post=1425081600 |website=xfce.org |access-date=16 September 2015 |archive-date=8 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308160906/http://www.xfce.org/about/news/?post=1425081600 |url-status=live }}</ref> two years and ten months later, contrary to mass Internet speculation about the project being "dead".<ref>{{cite web |title=Is XFCe still in development? (Page 1) |url=http://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=8781 |website=Xfce Forums |access-date=16 September 2015 |archive-date=30 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030024834/http://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=8781 |url-status=live }}</ref> The target of 4.12 was to improve user experience and take advantage of technologies introduced in the interim. New window manager features include an [[Alt+Tab]] dialog, and smart multi-monitor handling. Also, a new power management plugin for the panel's [[notification area]] was introduced, as well as a re-written [[Mousepad (software)|text editor]] and an enhanced [[Thunar|file manager]]. Xfce 4.12 also started the transition to [[GTK]] 3 by porting application and supporting plugins and bookmarks. With 4.12, the project reiterated its commitment to [[Unix-like]] platforms other than Linux by featuring [[OpenBSD]] screenshots.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xfce.org/about/tour412 |title=Xfce 4.12 tour |website=xfce.org |quote=All but one of those screenshots were taken on machines running OpenBSD -current, a good proof that Xfce is still portable and friendly to all Unix systems. |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref>

Xfce 4.13 is the development release during the transition of porting components to be fully GTK3-compatible, including xfce-panel<ref>{{cite web |url=https://simon.shimmerproject.org/2017/05/24/the-first-gtk3-release-of-xfce4-panel-is-out/ |title=The first Gtk+3 release of xfce4-panel is out! – Simon's Secret |website=shimmerproject.org |date=24 May 2017 |access-date=11 July 2017 |archive-date=3 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803231041/https://simon.shimmerproject.org/2017/05/24/the-first-gtk3-release-of-xfce4-panel-is-out/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and xfce-settings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Xfce Settings 4.13.0 Released |url=https://smdavis.us/2016/11/09/xfce-settings-4-13-0-released/ |website=smdavis.us |date=9 November 2016 |access-date=19 November 2016 |archive-date=20 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120010010/https://smdavis.us/2016/11/09/xfce-settings-4-13-0-released/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The planned release of Xfce 4.14 was announced in April 2016 and was officially released on 12 August 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=News - Xfce 4.14 released|url=https://xfce.org/about/news/?post=1565568000|access-date=2019-08-13|website=xfce.org|archive-date=12 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812161550/https://xfce.org/about/news/?post=1565568000|url-status=live}}</ref> The main goals of the release included porting the remaining core components from GTK 2 to GTK 3; replacing the dependency on {{mono|dbus-glib}} with [[GDBus]], GNOME's implementation of the D-Bus specification; and removing deprecated widgets. Major features were postponed for a later 4.16 release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.alteroot.org/articles/2016-04-12/road-to-xfce-4.14.html |title=Road to Xfce 4.14 |work=alteroot.org |date=12 April 2016 |access-date=12 April 2016 |archive-date=13 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413011326/http://blog.alteroot.org/articles/2016-04-12/road-to-xfce-4.14.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The minimum GTK 3 version was bumped from 3.14 to 3.22.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.alteroot.org/articles/2017-05-30/road-to-xfce-4.14-part-2.html |title=Road to Xfce 4.14, part 2 |website=blog.alteroot.org |access-date=11 July 2017 |archive-date=5 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805024643/http://blog.alteroot.org/articles/2017-05-30/road-to-xfce-4.14-part-2.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Xfce 4.16 was released on 22 December 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=News – Xfce 4.16 released – Xfce|url=https://xfce.org/about/news/?post=1608595200|access-date=2021-01-26|website=xfce.org|archive-date=23 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223000401/https://xfce.org/about/news/?post=1608595200|url-status=live}}</ref> Some notable changes in this release include new icons with a more consistent color palette; improved interfaces for changing system settings; various panel improvements like animations for hiding, a new notification plugin with support for both legacy SysTray and modern StatusNotifier items, and better support for dark themes; and more information included in the About dialog.

Xfce 4.18 was released on 15 December 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Xfce 4.18 released |url=https://xfce.org/about/news/?post=1671062400 |website=xfce.org |access-date=28 March 2023}}</ref> This release mainly focused on new features and improvements to the Thunar file manager including an image preview sidebar, split view, recursive file searching, better mime type handling, per-file color highlighting, undoing up to 10 actions, a recently opened files location, restoring open tabs on startup, and a customizable toolbar. Other changes include a keyboard shortcut editor and merging the date and time plugins.

Xfce 4.20 was released on 15 December 2024.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Xfce 4.20 tour – Xfce |url=https://www.xfce.org/about/tour420 |access-date=2025-07-18 |website=www.xfce.org}}</ref> This release mainly focused on restructuring preparing Xfce components for [[Wayland (protocol)|Wayland]] support.<ref name=":2">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i13lHOZdo34 |title=XFCE Wayland Support Is Closer Than Ever |date=2024-12-19 |last=Brodie Robertson |access-date=2025-07-18 |via=YouTube}}</ref> As of this release, almost all Xfce components support Wayland and can be used on Wayland via a compatible compositor such as labwc or Wayfire, as Xfwm 4.20 and Xfdashboard 4.20 do not have complete Wayland support yet. As such, the Wayland session of Xfce 4.20 is considered experimental and only recommended for advanced users.

== Software components ==
[[File:Whisker Menu.png|thumb|Whisker Menu - an alternate application launcher for Xfce]]

Applications developed by the Xfce team are based on [[GTK]] and self-developed Xfce libraries. Other than Xfce itself, there are third-party programs which use the Xfce [[Library (computer science)|libraries]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/applications/|title=Projects:applications:start &#91;Xfce Goodies&#93;|access-date=24 September 2018|archive-date=6 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706122903/http://goodies.xfce.org/projects/applications|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Development framework ===
Xfce provides a development framework which contains the following components:

* exo, an application library for the Xfce desktop environment
* garcon, a Freedesktop.org compliant menu library
* libxfce4ui, a widgets library for the Xfce desktop environment
* libxfce4util, an extension library for Xfce

One of the services provided to applications by the framework is a red banner across the top of the window when the application is running with [[Principle of least privilege|root privileges]], warning the user that they could damage system files.

=== Xfce Panel ===
Xfce Panel is a highly configurable [[taskbar]] with a rich collection of [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-in]]s available for it.<ref>{{cite web |title=panel-plugins [Xfce Goodies] |url=https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/panel-plugins/start |access-date=24 September 2018 |archive-date=24 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924145314/https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/panel-plugins/start |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many aspects of the panel and its plug-ins can be configured easily through graphical dialogs, but also by GTK style properties and hidden Xfconf settings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-panel/preferences|title=xfce:xfce4-panel:preferences [Xfce Docs]|access-date=24 September 2018|archive-date=24 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924145558/https://docs.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-panel/preferences|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Xfce Terminal ===
[[File:Xfce4-terminal.png|thumb|XFCE terminal emulator]]
A [[terminal emulator]] is provided as part of the Xfce project, but it can be used in other X Window System environments as well. It supports tabs, customizable key bindings, colors, and window sizes. It was designed to replace [[GNOME Terminal]], which depends on the GNOME libraries. Like GNOME Terminal, though, it is based on the VTE library.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://git.xfce.org/apps/xfce4-terminal/tree/README |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628025459/http://git.xfce.org/apps/xfce4-terminal/tree/README |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 June 2013 |title=xfce4-terminal - A modern terminal emulator |website=Git.xfce.org |access-date=2017-01-09 }}</ref> Xfce Terminal can be configured to offer a varying background color for each tab.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.xfce.org/apps/xfce4-terminal/preferences|access-date=2022-10-11|title=apps:xfce4-terminal:preferences [Xfce Docs]|date=2021-02-26|website=Xfce.org|archive-date=11 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111041315/https://docs.xfce.org/apps/xfce4-terminal/preferences|url-status=live}}</ref> It can also be used as a drop-down terminal emulator, similar to [[Guake]] or [[Tilda (software)|Tilda]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.xfce.org/apps/xfce4-terminal/dropdown|access-date=2022-10-11|title=apps:xfce4-terminal:dropdown [Xfce Docs]|date=2022-04-13|website=Xfce.org|archive-date=11 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011144040/https://docs.xfce.org/apps/xfce4-terminal/dropdown|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Xfwm ===
Xfwm is a window manager, supporting custom themes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.xfce.org/howto/xfwm4_theme|title=howto:xfwm4_theme [Xfce Wiki]|website=wiki.xfce.org|access-date=2019-03-25|archive-date=25 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325012042/https://wiki.xfce.org/howto/xfwm4_theme|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting with version 4.2, Xfwm integrates its own [[Compositing window manager|compositing manager]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Xfce window manager now includes its own compositing manager |url=http://blog.xfce.org/2004/10/xfce-window-manager-now-includes-its-own-compositing-manager/ |website=Xfce Blog |access-date=20 December 2012 |archive-date=6 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206062413/http://blog.xfce.org/2004/10/xfce-window-manager-now-includes-its-own-compositing-manager/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Work on porting Xfwm to Wayland is planned for a future release, presumably 4.22.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

=== Catfish ===
A file searching tool, able to perform in-name and in-text matching, as well searching by file type and last modified time. It is also capable of performing [[Search engine indexing|indexing]] by using an [[locate (Unix)|mlocate]] database.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.xfce.org/apps/catfish/start|title=apps:catfish:start [Xfce Docs]|website=docs.xfce.org|access-date=2019-02-23|archive-date=24 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224173441/https://docs.xfce.org/apps/catfish/start|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Thunar ===
{{Main|Thunar}}

Thunar is the default file manager for Xfce, replacing Xffm. It resembles GNOME's [[Nautilus (file manager)|Nautilus]], and is designed for speed and a low memory footprint,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thunar.xfce.org/pwiki/articles/memory_usage |title=Thunar in comparison to Nautilus, ROX, Konqueror and Xffm |website=ThunarWiki |access-date=4 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418135505/http://thunar.xfce.org/pwiki/articles/memory_usage |archive-date=18 April 2012}}</ref> as well as being highly customizable through plugins. Xfce also has a lightweight [[Archive file|archive manager]] called Xarchiver, but this is not part of the core Xfce 4.4.0.<ref>{{cite web |title=4.4.0 release status so far |url=http://foo-projects.org/pipermail/xfce4-dev/2007-January/022198.html |website=foo-projects.org |date=20 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060420/http://foo-projects.org/pipermail/xfce4-dev/2007-January/022198.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 }}</ref> More recently, ''Squeeze'' has been started as an archive manager designed to integrate better into the Xfce desktop, and though no releases have been made since 2008,<ref>{{cite web |title=Squeeze - news |url=http://squeeze.xfce.org/news |work=xfce.org |access-date=13 September 2011 |archive-date=12 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512152503/http://squeeze.xfce.org/news/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the git repository of squeeze has been active and this version is more feature-rich than the last stable release.

=== Orage ===
Starting with version 4.4, Xfcalendar was renamed to ''Orage'' (French for "thunderstorm") and several features were added. Orage has alarms and uses the [[iCalendar]] format, making it compatible with many other calendar applications, e.g. [[vdirsyncer]] to sync via [[CalDAV]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/pimutils/vdirsyncer|title=pimutils/vdirsyncer|website=GitHub|date=28 October 2021|access-date=26 August 2017|archive-date=24 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024005207/https://github.com/pimutils/vdirsyncer|url-status=live}}</ref> It also includes a panel clock plugin and an international clock application capable of simultaneously showing clocks from several different time zones. With Xfce 4.16, and the dropping of GTK2 support for panel plugins, orage was replaced with DateTime plugin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=14574|title=Xfce 4.16 Released! / Announcements / Xfce Forums|access-date=17 January 2021|archive-date=11 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111041318/https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=14574|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=14632|title=&#91;SOLVED&#93; Please, where is Orage Panel Clock? / Desktop / Xfce Forums|access-date=17 January 2021|archive-date=16 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116075555/https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=14632|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Mousepad ===
{{Main|Mousepad (software)}}
Mousepad is the default [[text editor]] for Xfce in some Linux distributions, including [[Xubuntu]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://docs.xubuntu.org/1410/appendix-packages.html |title=Xubuntu 14.10 Documentation |website=xubuntu.org |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=28 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130605/http://docs.xubuntu.org/1410/appendix-packages.html |archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> Mousepad aims to be an easy-to-use and fast editor, meant for quickly editing text files, not a software development environment or an editor with a large plugin ecosystem. It does offer tabbed files, syntax highlighting, parentheses matching and indentation features commonly found in software editors.<ref name="nestor">{{Cite news |last=Nestor |first=Marius |date=2 May 2022 |title=Roundup of Xfce's Apps Update for April 2022: New Releases of Mousepad, Xfce Terminal, and Thunar |work=Linux Today |url=https://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/roundup-of-xfces-apps-update-for-april-2022-new-releases-of-mousepad-xfce-terminal-and-thunar/ |access-date=22 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815010916/https://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/roundup-of-xfces-apps-update-for-april-2022-new-releases-of-mousepad-xfce-terminal-and-thunar/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It closely follows the [[GTK]]-system release cycle. It originated as a [[Software fork|fork]] of [[Leafpad]],<ref name="wallen">{{Cite news |last=Wallen |first=Jack |date=5 May 2010 |title=Mousepad: A variation on the Leafpad theme |work=[[Ghacks]] |url=https://www.ghacks.net/2010/05/05/mousepad-a-variation-on-the-leafpad-theme/ |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-date=24 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824002724/https://www.ghacks.net/2010/05/05/mousepad-a-variation-on-the-leafpad-theme/ |url-status=live }}</ref> was developed by Erik Harrison and Nick Schermer, but has since been rewritten from scratch.<ref name="mousepad">{{Cite web |title=mousepad/News |url=https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/mousepad/-/blob/master/NEWS |access-date=14 August 2022 |website=Xfce |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109022830/https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/mousepad/-/blob/master/NEWS |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Parole ===
[[File:Parole Media Player 1.0.5 (2019-11).png|thumb|Parole 1.0.5 (2019–11)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mail.xfce.org/pipermail/xfce/2019-November/036740.html |title=ANNOUNCE: parole 1.0.5 released |publisher=Mail.xfce.org |date= 15 November 2019|accessdate=2022-08-11 |archive-date=14 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814120756/https://mail.xfce.org/pipermail/xfce/2019-November/036740.html |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
[[File:Parole media player Xubuntu 20.04.png|thumb|Parole 1.0.5]]

''Parole'' is a simple media player based on the [[GStreamer]] framework. It is designed with simplicity, speed and resource usage in mind, and is part of the Xfce Goodies<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.xfce.org/apps/parole/start|title=apps:parole:start [Xfce Docs]|website=docs.xfce.org|access-date=2019-02-23|archive-date=14 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214061743/https://docs.xfce.org/apps/parole/start|url-status=live}}</ref> and uses at least three libraries from the Xfce project (libxfce4ui, libxfce4util, and libxfconf).<ref>{{cite web |title=Debian -- Details of package parole in bullseye |url=https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/parole |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318033325/https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/parole |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is similar to ''[[GNOME Videos]]'', but it has some advantages and disadvantages compared to it:

;Advantages
* It has (X11/[[XShm]]/[[XVideo|Xv]]) video output that provides a much higher frame rate than Clutter-based video output of GNOME Videos which relies upon OpenGL or OpenGL ES for rendering
* Traditional text-based playlist on the main window for both audio and video files which provides an easy and fast switch between the files and shows their time
* [[Audio visualization]]
* Showing a banner upon the videos that have multiple audio or subtitle files

;Disadvantages
* Lacks a mechanism to speed up or slow down the media playback<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13550|title=13550 – No way to speed up or slow down video playback|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=15 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615022208/https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13550|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Lacks many advanced features of GNOME Videos
* As of version 1.0.5 (2019–11) it cannot run under [[Wayland (display server protocol)|Wayland]]

=== Ristretto ===
An [[image viewer]] (supporting slideshow mode). Ristretto can operate on folders of images, and display their thumbnails in addition to the active image.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nesbitt |first1=Scott |title=4 lightweight image viewers for the Linux desktop |url=https://opensource.com/article/17/7/4-lightweight-image-viewers-linux-desktop |website=Opensource.com |access-date=15 April 2020 |archive-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928143617/https://opensource.com/article/17/7/4-lightweight-image-viewers-linux-desktop |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Xfburn ===
A CD/DVD [[optical disc authoring software]]. Starting with the 4.12 release of Xfce, Xfburn is also able to burn Blu-ray discs.

=== Xfce Screensaver ===
A screen saver and session-locking program first packaged with the 4.14 release of Xfce. It uses screensaver themes compatible with Xscreensaver.<ref>{{cite web |title=apps:screensaver:start |url=https://docs.xfce.org/apps/screensaver/start |website=Xfce.org |access-date=10 November 2019 |archive-date=10 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110165040/https://docs.xfce.org/apps/screensaver/start |url-status=live }}</ref> Although forked from MATE Screensaver, it depends only on Xfce libraries.

=== Table of Xfce 4 components ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Components
! Descriptions
! Notes
|-
| Catfish
| [[Desktop search]]
|
|-
| Clipman
| [[Clipboard manager]]
|
|-
| Mousepad
| [[Text editor]]
| 
|-
| Orage
| Graphical calendar
| With XFCE 4.16 Orage was replaced by new DateTime plugin
|-
| Parole
| A front-end for the [[GStreamer]] framework
|
|-
| [[Thunar]]
| [[File manager]]
| 
|-
| Xfburn
| [[Optical disc authoring]] supports CD/DVD/[[Blu-ray Disc|BRD]]
| 
|-
| Xfce4-appfinder
| Application finder for Xfce4
| 
|-
| Xfce4-mixer
| A volume control plugin for the Xfce Panel and a standalone sound mixer application
| Uses [[GStreamer]] as a backend
|-
| xfce4-notifyd
| A simple, visually-appealing notification daemon for Xfce that implements the Freedesktop.org Desktop Notifications Specification
| 
|-
| Xfce4-Panel
| Desktop [[taskbar]]
| 
|-
| Xfce4-power-manager
| [[PC power management]] program
| 
|-
| Xfce4-session
| Xfce4 Session Manager
|-
| Xfce Screensaver
| [[Screensaver]]
| 
|-
| Xfce-terminal
| [[Terminal emulator]]
| 
|-
| Xfwm
| [[X window manager]]
| With optional [[Compositing window manager|compositing]]
|}

== Products and distributions using Xfce ==
{{More citations needed|1=section|date=August 2022}}
[[File:PandoraFront.JPG|thumb|right|Xfce on the [[Pandora (console)|Pandora]]]]
Xfce is included as one of the [[graphical user interface]]s on the [[Pandora (console)|Pandora]] handheld gaming system.

It is the default desktop environment in the following [[Linux distribution]]s:

* [[BackBox]]
* [[Black Lab Linux]]
* [[Devuan]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://devuan.org/os/|title=Operating System - Devuan GNU+Linux Free Operating System|website=Devuan.org|access-date=26 August 2017|archive-date=3 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503120426/https://www.devuan.org/os/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Dragora GNU/Linux-libre]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=[Dragora-users] Dragora 3.0-beta1 released |url=https://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/dragora-users/2019-10/msg00000.html |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=lists.nongnu.org |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728180015/https://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/dragora-users/2019-10/msg00000.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Emmabuntüs]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=A propos – Emmabuntüs |url=https://emmabuntus.org/a-propos/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=emmabuntus.org |archive-date=30 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030055820/https://emmabuntus.org/a-propos/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[GalliumOS]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=GalliumOS – A fast and lightweight Linux distro for ChromeOS devices |url=https://galliumos.org/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=galliumos.org |archive-date=23 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223210856/https://galliumos.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Guix]]
* [[Kali Linux]]
* [[The Linux Schools Project]]
* [[Linux Lite]]
* [[Manjaro]]
* [[MX Linux]]
* [[Mythbuntu]]
* [[Pentoo]]
* [[Peppermint OS]]
* [[QubesOS]]
* [[Salix OS]]
* [[SolydXK]] (SolydX)
* [[SystemRescueCD]]
* [[UberStudent]]
* [[Ubuntu Studio]] (until 20.04)
* [[Void Linux]]
* [[Whonix]]
* [[Xubuntu]]

It is also included as a standard desktop option on [[FreeBSD]] and derivatives such as [[GhostBSD]], and in many other Linux distributions not listed above, including [[Arch Linux]], [[Debian]], [[Gentoo Linux|Gentoo]], [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]], [[openSUSE]], [[Fedora (operating system)|Fedora]], [[Linux Mint]], [[Slackware]], [[Mageia]], [[OpenMandriva Lx|OpenMandriva]], [[Solus OS]], and [[Zorin OS]]. [[Kali Linux]] also uses Xfce as the desktop environment when running on the ARM platform. Debian makes a separate netinstall CD available that installs Xfce as the default desktop environment. In 2013, Debian briefly made it the default environment, replacing GNOME.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/news/debian-changes-to-xfce-desktop |title=Debian changes to xfce desktop |work=linuxuser.co.uk |first=Rob |last=Zwetsloot |date=5 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124045350/http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/news/debian-changes-to-xfce-desktop |archive-date=24 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2691192/how-gnome-3-14-is-winning-back-disillusioned-linux-users.html |title=How GNOME 3.14 is winning back disillusioned Linux users |first=Chris |last=Hoffman |date=2 October 2014 |website=PCWorld.com |access-date=25 March 2015 |archive-date=29 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329065354/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2691192/how-gnome-3-14-is-winning-back-disillusioned-linux-users.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software|Linux}}
* [[LXQt]]
* [[LXDE]]
* [[MATE (software)|MATE]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Xfce}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{SourceForge|xfce}}

{{X desktop environments and window managers}}

[[Category:Xfce| ]]
[[Category:1997 software]]
[[Category:Compositing window managers]]
[[Category:Desktop environments based on GTK]]
[[Category:Free desktop environments]]
[[Category:X Window System]]