Xfce4 - ulises-jeremias/dotfiles GitHub Wiki

๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ XFCE4 Configuration Guide

XFCE4 is a versatile, lightweight, and fully customizable desktop environment. It comes with a set of default configurations and strikes a great balance between performance and functionality. With the dotfiles installation, all your XFCE4 customizations are versioned and managed through chezmoi.

[!TIP] Everything in this setup is customizable โ€” from themes and panels to keyboard shortcuts and power settings. You can use the Settings Manager or modify files directly.

๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ Configuration Files Location

Your XFCE4 configuration files are stored at:

~/.config/xfce4

These files are backed by XFCE4 components and apply globally across all the installed dotfiles and any window manager you use.

To make edits via chezmoi:

chezmoi edit ~/.config/xfce4 --source ~/.dotfiles

Apply your changes with:

chezmoi apply

[!TIP] Use chezmoi diff to preview changes before applying.

๐ŸŒ Global Configurations

All changes to XFCE4 will reflect globally across any window manager integrated in your dotfiles setup (such as Openbox or i3). This allows for a consistent and seamless experience across sessions.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Using XFCE4 Settings Manager

You can visually manage most XFCE4 settings through the built-in XFCE4 Settings Manager (xfce4-settings-manager).

How to Launch

  1. Open the application menu (click the icon in the panel or press the Super key)
  2. Search for "Settings Manager" and click to open

Settings Manager

Once opened, you'll see options like:

  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Mouse and touchpad settings
  • Default applications (browser, terminal, file manager, etc.)
  • Power manager settings
  • Appearance (themes, icons, fonts)

Settings

Any changes here are written to the configuration files managed by chezmoi and apply globally to all dotfiles.

๐Ÿ”ง What You Can Customize

  • Panel layout and plugins
  • Autostart applications
  • Desktop background and display settings
  • Keybindings and workspace navigation
  • Compositor settings (like transparency and shadows)

Make changes either through the GUI or directly by editing files in ~/.config/xfce4.

[!TIP] Donโ€™t forget to apply changes with chezmoi apply.

๐Ÿงช Tips & Tricks

  • Use picom for smooth compositing and transparency
  • Combine XFCE4 with tools like Polybar, Rofi, and Zsh for a more powerful environment
  • Replace xfce4-terminal with kitty or alacritty for improved terminal performance

๐Ÿ†˜ Need Help?

XFCE4 offers the stability of a traditional desktop with the flexibility of modern customization. Explore, tweak, and make it your own! ๐ŸŽจ