Linux Mint, a renowned Ubuntu-based Linux distribution, is highly praised for its user-friendliness and robust performance. The distribution offers multiple desktop environments to cater to varying user aesthetics, resource usage, and customization capabilities. One such environment is the XFCE Desktop Environment, prized for its minimal resource requirements and hence an excellent choice for older hardware or users seeking a swift, responsive computing experience.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the installation process, ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

• Your server should be running Linux Mint 21.
• It’s recommended to use a fresh OS installation to avoid any potential issues.
• Familiarity with command line interface is beneficial. If you’re new to CLI, consider getting familiar with basic commands.
• An active internet connection is required.
• At least 2GB of RAM and 20GB of free disk space are recommended for a smooth installation and operation.
• Ensure you have superuser or sudo access for software installation and configuration.

Setting Up XFCE Desktop Environment

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can set up the XFCE Desktop Environment on Linux Mint 21.

Step 1: Update Your System

Before initiating the installation, it’s crucial to ensure your system is up to date. You can achieve this by executing the following commands in the terminal:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This process updates your package list and upgrades existing packages to their latest versions, ensuring compatibility with the XFCE desktop.

Step 2: Install XFCE Desktop Environment

With your package index updated, you can now proceed to install the XFCE desktop environment. Execute the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

The xfce4 package includes the core components of the XFCE desktop, whereas xfce4-goodies contains extra plugins and utilities that enhance the desktop environment’s functionality and usability.

During the installation process, you might be prompted to confirm the installation by pressing ‘Y’ and then Enter. The package manager will then download and install XFCE and its dependencies.

Step 3: Choose Display Manager

Upon the completion of XFCE packages installation, you will be asked to select a display manager. A display manager is responsible for managing user sessions and providing the graphical login screen.

For XFCE, it’s recommended to select lightdm as the display manager. Use the arrow keys to navigate to lightdm in the menu and press Enter to confirm your selection.

The installation process will continue after selecting the display manager. The package manager will configure the newly installed packages and set up the necessary system files for XFCE.

Step 4: Reboot Your System

Once the installation is complete, you need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect. Run the following command in the terminal:

reboot

Step 5: Log in to XFCE Desktop

After your system reboots, you’ll be greeted by the login screen. To log in to the XFCE desktop environment, follow these steps:

1. Click on the session menu located next to your username on the login screen.
2. From the available desktop environments, select “Xfce Session”.
3. Enter your password and press Enter or click the login button.

Step 6: Troubleshooting

While installing XFCE alongside other desktop environments like Cinnamon is generally straightforward, you may encounter some issues. Here are a few common problems and their solutions:

• XFCE not appearing in the session menu: If XFCE does not appear as an option in the session menu on the login screen, try updating the package index and reinstalling the XFCE packages using the commands mentioned earlier.
• Conflicts with Cinnamon: In some cases, having both Cinnamon and XFCE installed can lead to stability issues or conflicts. If you experience problems, consider removing Cinnamon using the following command:

sudo apt remove cinnamon*

After removing Cinnamon, update the package index and reinstall XFCE to ensure a clean setup.

• Decreased stability with multiple desktop environments: While it’s possible to have multiple desktop environments installed on the same system, it can sometimes lead to decreased stability and performance. If you encounter frequent issues, it might be better to perform a clean installation of the Linux Mint Xfce edition for the best results.

Congrats! You have now successfully installed XFCE. We hope this article has been useful to set up the latest version of XFCE Desktop Environment on your Linux Mint system.

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Christian Wells