Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment designed for UNIX-like operating systems. It is created to be fast and to work in systems with minimal hardware resources, while still being visually appealing. Xfce is an open source and free desktop environment that you can run on any of your Linux Desktop operating systems. In this article we’ll see how you can install Xfce Desktop Environment on a Fedora Workstation.
Xfce adheres to the standards, specifically those defined at freedesktop.org. The Xfce software solution is known to compile on Linux, NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Cygwin and MacOS X, on x86, PPC, Sparc, Alpha, among other systems.
Xfce contains a number of core components for the minimum tasks you’d expect from a desktop environment:
- Window Manager: This manages the placement of windows on the screen, provides window decorations and manages workspaces or virtual desktops.
- Desktop Manager: Sets the background image and provides a root window menu, desktop icons or minimized icons and a windows list.
- Panel: Switch between opened windows, launch applications, switch workspaces and menu plugins to browse applications or directories.
- Session Manager: Controls the login and power management of the desktop and allows you to store multiple login sessions.
- Application Finder: Shows the applications installed on your system in categories, so you can quickly find and launch them.
- File Manager: Provides the basic file management features and unique utilities like the bulk renamer.
- Setting Manager: Tools to control the various settings of the desktop like keyboard shortcuts, appearance, display settings etcetera.
Additionally, Xfce provides numerous plugins and applications that allows you to extend your desktop to your liking. Example of these plugins and applications are: application finder, terminal emulator, sound mixer, text editor, image viewer, iCal based calendar and a CD/DVD burning application.
Install Xfce Desktop Environment on Fedora 41
All Xfce packages are available in Fedora OS default app repositories pre-compiled for you. Xfce is available in the environment group and can be installed with dnf.
Fedora 41 uses dnf5, which organizes package groups differently. To check if the xfce-desktop-environment group is available:
$ dnf group list --hidden | grep xfce
Updating and loading repositories:
Repositories loaded.
critical-path-xfce Critical Path (Xfce) no
xfce-apps Applications for the Xfce Desktop no
xfce-desktop Xfce no
xfce-extra-plugins Extra plugins for the Xfce panel no
xfce-media Multimedia support for Xfce no
xfce-office Xfce Office no
xfce-software-development Xfce Software Development no
Then install it with:
sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install @xfce-desktop-environmentSample Output:
...
Installing weak dependencies:
blueman-nautilus noarch 1:2.4.4-1.fc41 updates 1.7 KiB
dnfdaemon-selinux noarch 0.3.22-3.fc41 fedora 0.0 B
libcanberra-gtk2 x86_64 0.30-36.fc41 fedora 50.2 KiB
libreoffice-x11 x86_64 1:24.8.5.2-1.fc41 updates 503.9 KiB
libyui-gtk x86_64 2.52.5-2.fc41 fedora 569.2 KiB
libyui-mga-gtk x86_64 1.2.0-12.fc41 fedora 114.7 KiB
libyui-mga-qt x86_64 1.2.0-9.fc41 fedora 126.3 KiB
mint-y-icons noarch 1.8.0-1.fc41 updates 72.2 MiB
Installing groups dependencies:
Xfce
Standard
Printing Support
Common NetworkManager Submodules
Multimedia
Input Methods
Hardware Support
Guest Desktop Agents
Fonts
Dial-up Networking Support
Desktop accessibility
Core
base-x
Administration Tools
Installing environmental groups:
Xfce Desktop
Transaction Summary:
Installing: 169 packages
Total size of inbound packages is 146 MiB. Need to download 146 MiB.
After this operation, 344 MiB extra will be used (install 344 MiB, remove 0 B).
Is this ok [y/N]: YI recommend you perform a system reboot once the installation is complete:
sudo rebootIn the Login screen hit the Settings button and choose Xfce session.
Login to your new Xfce Desktop environment.
Fire up your terminal and have a look at your system specs:
In the articles to follow we’ll cover installation of other Desktop Environments on a Fedora Workstation.
