How to Make Xfce Look Better | Ver. 2.0

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of customizing the Xfce desktop environment to enhance its appearance and usability. Whether you are using Endeavour OS, Manjaro, Arch Linux, or other distributions with Xfce 4.16, these steps will help you create a visually appealing setup.

Step 1: Initial Setup

• Ensure your system is up to date.
• Open your terminal and run:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
  

• Install necessary tools and libraries if not already present.

Step 2: Install Theme and Icon Packs, Fonts, and Cursors

1. Download the resource files:
   • Visit the following links to download themes and icons:
     • Resource File
     • Whiskermenu Transparent Mode
2. Extract the downloaded files:
   • Use the archive manager or run:

     tar -xzf filename.tar.gz
     

3. Move the extracted themes and icons to the appropriate directories:
   • For themes:

     mv theme-folder ~/.themes/
     

   • For icons:

     mv icon-folder ~/.icons/
     

Step 3: Apply Theme and Icon Packs, Fonts, and Cursors

1. Open the Appearance settings in Xfce.
2. Select the downloaded theme under the "Style" tab.
3. Choose the icon pack under the "Icons" tab.
4. Go to the Fonts settings and select your preferred font.
5. For cursors, navigate to Mouse and Touchpad settings and select the new cursor.

Step 4: Install and Configure Ulauncher

1. Install Ulauncher using the terminal:

   sudo apt install ulauncher
   

2. Launch Ulauncher and configure settings such as theme and shortcuts to fit your workflow.

Step 5: Configure Xfce4-panel

1. Right-click on the panel and choose Panel > Panel Preferences.
2. Adjust the panel size, appearance, and position according to your preference.
3. Add or remove applets as needed.

Step 6: Install and Configure Conky Lua

1. Install Conky:

   sudo apt install conky
   

2. Download a Conky Lua configuration file and place it in your home directory.
3. Edit the Conky configuration file to customize the information displayed.

   nano ~/.conkyrc
   

4. Start Conky:

   conky &
   

Step 7: Install and Configure Glava

1. Install Glava for visual effects:

   sudo apt install glava
   

2. Configure Glava settings by editing the configuration file located in ~/.config/glava/.

Step 8: Install and Configure Picom

1. Picom can be installed to enable compositing:

   sudo apt install picom
   

2. Create or edit the configuration file for Picom:

   nano ~/.config/picom.conf
   

3. Start Picom:

   picom --config ~/.config/picom.conf &
   

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you've learned how to customize your Xfce desktop environment for a more attractive and functional setup. By using themes, icon packs, and various tools like Ulauncher, Conky, Glava, and Picom, you can significantly enhance your Linux experience. Explore further customizations based on your preferences, and enjoy your newly styled desktop!