Using Xfce4
Prev |  | Next

## Using Xfce4

### Getting started

Use `startxfce4` to start an Xfce session, which includes the session manager, the panel, the taskbar, the window manager and the desktop manager. All programs (or symbolic links to programs) in `~/Desktop/Autostart/` will be run on startup (note that this directory does not exist by default and you may have to create it).

By default the Xfce session manager manages the startup of applications. It allows you to save your session when you quit Xfce, so that the next time you log in, the same applications will be started for you automatically.

To customize the behaviour of `startxfce4`, copy the file `${sysconfdir}/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc` to your personal `~/.config/xfce4/` directory and edit that file. Depending on your installation method the location of the system `xinitrc` file may be different. If you install from source, `${sysconfdir}` defaults to `/usr/local/etc/`. For binary packages it is often set to `/etc/`, `/etc/X11`, `/usr/pkg/etc` or `/usr/X11R6/etc`; you can use your package manager to find out.

### The Default Desktop

The Xfce 4 Desktop Environment is not a single entity that provides all funtionality, but rather it tries to adhere to the old UNIX tradition of small tools that do one job and do it best. A default Xfce 4 desktop with no programs running is shown in Figure 1, “Default Xfce 4 session”.

Figure 1. Default Xfce 4 session

When you run `startxfce4` for the first time, several applications are started by the Xfce session manager:

Taskbar

  At the top of the screen you will see the taskbar. It shows the applications running on the current workspace. You can focus the application by clicking on the button in the taskbar. Clicking again will hide the application. If you use the right mouse button, a menu will appear, allowing you to perform several actions on the application window.

  The taskbar can optionally contain a graphical pager showing a miniature view of all your workspaces and a notification area or system tray.

Panel

  At the bottom of the screen is the Xfce4 panel. It allows you to run applications and also contains a graphical pager, a clock and a mail checker. Some items have an associated panel menu that gives access to more applications. Panel menus are opened by pressing the small arrow buttons next to the panel item.

  Changing the content of the panel and the properties of the items is done by using the right mouse button. Both the panel items and the panel move handles have a right-click mouse menu from where you can chage the panel configuration. For more information look at the panel manual.

Desktop Manager

  The desktop manager provides the desktop background image and two menus when you click on the desktop background.

  The right mouse button opens a menu that allows you to start applications. Look at the manual to find out how to change the menu contents.

  The middle mouse button (or Shift + left click) opens a list of all applications that are currently running. You can activate an application by clicking on its menu entry.

Window Manager

  The window manager is responsible for placing the windows on the screen and provides the window borders and decorations. It allows you to move windows around by draggin the titlebar and provides title bar buttons, for example to close, minimize or maximize a window. Look at the manual for a full explanation of the window manager.

Settings Manager

  The settings manager runs in the background and makes sure that all Xfce 4 applications update their settings when the user changes something in the settings manager dialog (see following section) and takes care of reading the configuration from disk at startup. Look at the Settings Manager and Settings Plugins manuals for a full explanation of the settings manager.

### Common Tasks

This section will explain how to perform several common tasks to quickly get you started working with Xfce 4. Because that is what Xfce 4 is designed for, to allow you to get work done.

#### Running programs

Xfce 4 panel

  The panel is designed to allow quick access to the most frequently used applications by putting them on the main panel. Less often used applications can be put in a panel menu.

Desktop menu

  Another method for starting applications is from the desktop mouse menu. Read the Desktop Manager manual for information on how to change the menu contents.

Run dialog

  If you know the name of a program and it is not on the panel or in the desktop menu you can use the run dialog. To open the dialog type Alt+F2 or choose the Run program... option from the desktop menu.

  The dialog will remeber the 10 last commands that were executed successfully.

#### Managing windows and workspaces

Basic window operations

  You can move windows around the screen by dragging their title bar. A window can be closed, hidden, maximized, shaded and made sticky — this means it will show up on all workspaces — by using the title bar buttons.

  Right clicking on the title bar will open a menu that gives access to all window operations.

  Shading a window, which means collapsing it to only show the title bar, can also be accomplished by using the mouse wheel over the title bar. Mouse wheel up is shade, mouse wheel down is unshade.

  If you want maximized windows to not cover the entire screen you can set workspace margins from the settings manager dialog (see below).

Application management

  To find out what applications are currently running you can look at the taskbar. Clicking on a button in the taskbar will focus the associated application. Clicking again will hide it.

  When you click with the middle mouse button on the desktop background a list of windows is shown, ordered by workspace. You can activate the application or change workspaces by choosing the appropriate menu entry.

  The `xfce4-iconbox` application can also be used to keep track of running applications.

Workspaces

  You can change workspaces by clicking on them in the graphical pager, either on the taskbar or on the panel. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+LeftArrow or Ctrl+Alt+RightArrow will cycle through the workspaces. Using the mousewheel over the pager or the desktop background has the same effect.

  To add or remove workspaces you can use the middle click desktop menu or the settings dialog (see below).

#### Using the settings manager dialog

The settings manager dialog provides access to the global preferences of many Xfce 4 applications. You can run it by pressing its laucher on the panel, from the desktop mouse menu or by running `xfce-setting-show`.

Dialogs to change many aspects of the Xfce 4 desktop environment are available. See the separate manuals of the Xfce 4 components for more information. It may be interesting to have a quick look at all the dialogs to find out what options are available that allow you to create the best possible working environment.

### Further reading

This user guide has only given a very general overview of the Xfce 4 Desktop Environment. More information is available in the manuals of the separate components of Xfce 4.

Prev | Up | Next
Introduction | Home | Components of Xfce 4