5 Reasons Xfce Is My Favorite Linux Desktop

Of all office environments and window managers available in Linux, we have become my favorite. Even if XFCE is not as flashy as the other office computers, I came to count.

5

XFCE uses a standard desktop model

One of the reasons why I stayed with XFCE is the little surprise it offers. When I started using computers seriously, it was the Windows 3.X era. My first PC I had at Home Run Windows 3.1. I occasionally visited Macs which led a variant of the operating system, when it was called “system” followed by a version number. The main version of what is now called “MacOS” at the time was system 7 (MacOS is now much closer to Linux under the hood, but it’s another story).

I know the desktop model, even if I am more oriented towards the command line, which is also a consequence of having cut my teeth on MS-DOS. I could probably use something as a naked window manager or even a tiling manager, but I tend to feel vaguely uncomfortable. My first thought is: “How to get out of this thing?” I suppose it is similar to people who cannot understand how to leave Vim. I know how XFCE just works while looking at it.

Related

Why am I not sold on Linux tiling window managers

Sometimes it is better to build up (but I’m still in a tile when I want).

The XFCE embrace of the standard desktop model gives me a feeling of comfort during navigation, even if I did not use the underlying operating system. It is incredible that I can have a coherent environment that can follow me in different operating systems. This is why UNIX type systems, including Linux, call me so much.

As much as technology embraces change, on user interfaces, many people, including myself, are usual creatures. They don’t like when the developers move their cheese. Just look at any forum or sureddit each time a major office announces a new change at the interface. XFCE has been remarkably consistent over the years that I have used it.

4

XFCE flows almost anything

One thing that has always fascinated me about Linux and other UNIX type systems is the way the user interface is decoupled from the underlying operating system. This is different from Windows or MacOS. There, the graphics office is an integral part of the operating system. If something gets there, the whole system breaks down.

On Linux, the office is only another program. More specifically, it is only a collection of programs that work in layers. XFCE is ultimately another program too. Because it is open source and not linked to a particular operating system, it was brought to almost everything under the sun. I used it on Linux. I used it on BSD. I even used it on Tribblix, a descendant of OpenSolaris.

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I took this modern unix distribution for a tour

Could Triblix serve as a Linux alternative?

This shows the ubiquity of XFCE. There is a good chance that if there is, XFCE was brought to him. I know I can use an office I know.

3

XFCE has low use of system resources

I test a lot of systems in my work for HTG. I have no infinite supply of physical machines, so I count on virtual virtual machines to test new Linux distros and other bones. This is why I appreciate the light nature of XFCE. It is light in the sense that it does not require many resources. This is why it’s my go-to for virtual machine offices. I also used it on low -power physical machines, such as an old laptop.

XFCE is the default office on Raspberry Pi OS, formerly Raspbian, the variant Debian intended to be used with the Raspberry Pi. It is also light in that it does not draw attention to itself, which I will approach later.

XFCE reminds me of the Amiga. Original (and still in progress) amigaos was congratulated not only to offer clever features that other consumers bone did not do at the time, such as multitasking, but also in 256 KB of RAM, which was the basic configuration of the Original Amiga Commodore. As with Amiga, XFCE shows that you can wrap powerful features in the system.

2

I can change xfce

Although I like XFCE to have a simple desktop model, there are many more things below the surface. XFCE is also very configurable. This is one of the explicit design objectives of the project. Depending on the XFCE home page, it is designed to be simple but adheres to the “unix philosophy” of smaller programs that can be combined.

Although XFCE has a fairly good provision of menus and other elements such as the system clock, I can configure and reorganize the elements as much as I wish. I can exchange the standard application menu and replace it with the Whisker menu which allows me to search for the system as I can on a mac or windows desk. I can have a binary clock, in case I feel a shade of regret that I could never buy one in Thinkgeek in the 2000s.

System settings also offer interesting adjustments. I can modify things like the size of the file icon, but the “advanced” tab allows me to activate the parameters such as the transfer of files in parallel. This shows how powerful XFCE parameters are in something dark. I like to think that in Nethack, “The XFCE Dev team thinks of everything.”

I can even change the keyboard shortcuts. XFCE may appear simple on the surface, but there is much to change users if they are not satisfied with the faults. XFCE represents the best balance in the design of the interface: simple enough for novices but configurable for power users.

XFCE shows that “Lightweight” should not mean “Light on Configurability”.

1

XFCE remains away

One thing that I like about XFCE is that it does not seem to want to draw attention to itself. I remember using macOS and marvel at the way windows would develop and shrink when they have minimized or maximized.

You might also remember the compiz plugin with bancal windows or virtual desk selection spin. I admit that I thought it was cool, but now that’s another thing that I would be happy to go in the 2000s.

When you minimize and maximize the windows in XFCE, they simply go to their new sizes. This seems to be a decision of deliberate conception. It saves on the requirements of resources, which makes XFCE popular on low -end machines.

Things like that seem fun at first, but the animations and rotation are hindering what I try to do. With XFCE, I can focus on the task to be performed instead of marveling with a cool animation. I prefer to wonder to write a nice code or browse fun websites, or even play a game. The interface can be aesthetically pleasant, but XFCE developers seem to realize that it should be something that you can also ignore.

The simplicity of XFCE is probably a reason why it was brought by almost all UNIX type systems. A simpler office means that it can face a greater variety of equipment and that it depends less on the underlying operating system.

Many people criticize the slower liberation process, often with two years between versions, but sometimes you don’t want to play with something that works. It seems that XFCE developers do not want to introduce functionalities only to introduce functionalities.

XFCE calls me because it offers the familiarity of an office with a design that is light in terms of resources but also in general. It departs and allows me to use the computer.