Xfce 4.18 Is Released

Long-time Slashdot reader slack_justyb brings news from the world of Linux desktop environments: After two years of development Xfce 4.18 is now live!

Several new features are available in each package. Thunar the default file manager for Xfce now includes a image preview sidebar, an editable toolbar that let's you reorder toolbar icons, file highlights, recursive search, and expanded undo/redo support.

Several new desktop settings allowing you to further configure the layout of the desktop are included. Additionally in this release for the desktop are, adaptive vsync support with GLX, and more enhancements for working with Wayland (though it may take a few more releases until everything works completely under Wayland).

You can find out more about the new release from the official tour here.
Also included is a new-filename Input Dialogue widget and a preliminary GUI-based shortcut editor...

Mixed hidpi and fhd

[Miamicanes]

So... does this mean it can finally deal with laptops where

* the internal panel is fhd

* A usually-connected monitor is 3840x2560, and it's the primary display when it is

* Title bars and window gadgets should be rendered at the native resolution of the display hosting the majority of the window... and dragging a window from one monitor to the other eventually results in its titlebar and content being re-rendered at the new dominant monitor's DPI

Basically... the behavior Windows has had since ~2016?

The last time I made a stab at using Xfce ~2 years ago, it didn't handle this scenario well at all (though in xfce's defense, ALL Linux window managers sucked at it).

Re: Mixed hidpi and fhd

[ZERO1ZERO]

I gave up on this kind of setup on any os. Even in windows using scaling breaks half of everything. When you throw in mixed red and scaling the wholenthings a shitshow. Good luck with xfce.

Re:

[Gavino]

I have Windows 11 but have 2560x1440 instead of 2840x2560 for the usually-connected monitor, and a high-definition notebook, and have had no issues. Everything is always at a nicely-sized font whether I have both monitors showing (good for zoom calls and recording presentations), or I have the notebook undocked on its own. I do recall though bumping the resolution on the notebook down to FHD from 4K at some stage, but can't recall why that was. With my eyes I think it makes no difference in sharpness whethe

Re:

[Miamicanes]

If you don't see a night-day difference in sharpness from 4k vs FHD, try turning off subpixel rendering and font smoothing. Then, you'll REALLY see it. Just be warned, once you've seen what you're missing, you won't ever willingly go back.

Smoothing and subpixel rendering makes jaggies look a little nicer, but stepping up from 2k-with-smoothing to 4k-without is like eliminating a diopter of uncorrected cylinder error (astigmatism).

Re: Mixed hidpi and fhd

[flyingfsck]

Making a little xrandr script to sort things out isnâ(TM)t hard.

Re: Mixed hidpi and fhd

[Viol8]

Feel free to post one then.

Re:

[Narcocide]

The problem with writing a generalized script is that the output names aren't standardized, they're whatever the vendor pulls out of their ass that day, so while writing a script is easy and possible in 1 line if you own the hardware and know the names of the outputs, (like for example if you ran "xrandr" yourself once without arguments on said hardware) writing something that can reliably scrape the output of the xrandr tool so someone who can't be bothered to read instructions themselves can run it withou

Re:

[subreality]

Can you give me a hint how? I'd love to have this if it's easy.

Re:

[Narcocide]

first:
xrandr

(no options first to see the names of your outputs)

then:
xrandr --output [output] --auto

or just, you know, "man xrandr" and read the fucking directions yourself

Re:

[subreality]

That's just setting the resolution. It doesn't affect the high-DPI scaling.

Re:

[Thegrowthosphere]

Although, I am not pro in this topic, as per my knowledge XFCE allows u to configure it the way you want. One of our interns from The Growthosphere was talking about this last day.

Thanks!

[pacija]

I have been using it for last 15 years as primary desktop environment, mostly on FreeBSD. Does everything I need. Every now and then I try different DEs but I always keep coming back to XFCE.

Re:

[rlwinm]

You probably have almost the same environment as I do. I don't want lots of eye candy and Xfce seems to be the most lightweight X environment while still being practical. It's been a great daily driver environment for me for years.

Recursive search?

[olsmeister]

Shouldn't have this been there since day one?

Xfce

[rossdee]

How the fsck do you pronounce that?

Re:Xfce

[bill_mcgonigle]

"X" "F" "C" "E" .

Like one would pronounce NSA, CIA, or FBI but without the Gestapo accent.

Re:

[antdude]

What does XFCE stand then? :P

Re: Xfce

[flyingfsck]

You spell it: X F C E

Config Validation?

[bill_mcgonigle]

Does anybody know if they've fixed integrity validation of config writes?

I am so glad XFCE can give any Grandma a good UI (and for old machines) but with customization (Grandma never does that) eventually a config write will trash the files and next boot fails.

Several machines, ext4, zfs, xfs, same thing.

I moved to Plasma and Nemo for poweruser work but XFCE is a treat for a VM that needs a GUI. I just never customize (or devops the configuration). Still it would be nice.

Re:Config Validation?

[techno-vampire]

I don't know about that, partly because I rarely have to deal with that type of config files. Why don't you go over to the Xfce Forum [xfce.org] and ask? They're quite good about answering that kind of question, usually quite quickly.

Re:

[L.Kynes]

Gnome (GNU Network Object Model) is responsive and stable environment.

I am using Debian GNU/Linux which allows you to choose from about 10 desktops during installation with default setting to Gnome. Debian with Gnome is the most usable Linux on my machine with 2 GB RAM. Everything is fast and it automatically installs vmware tools during installation. After the first boot you already have full display resolution and shared folders to host machine. Nice.

Re:

[guygo]

"is responsive and stable environment." You forgot "ugly as sin".

Re:

[RUs1729]

"is responsive and stable environment." You forgot "ugly as sin".

And a memory hog that allows you to do what it thinks is good for you.

Re:

[youngone]

Not in my view.
I'm a very happy Gnome user thanks.

Re:

[phantomfive]

Stable? Really?

Prefer Bar over Dock Launch Bar

[BrendaEM]

I find a single bar across the bottom or top or side of the screen far less obtrusive that the dock-style quick-launch/command bar that XFCE prefers. I am sorry, but the Raspberry pi bar looks more tidy. Still, I agree that a desktop shouldn't have to take up gigabytes. Sadly, I don't see XFCE changing it. It took decades for Blender to give up their right-mouse select default.

Dark is the new dark in themes. I am surprised we don't see more screenies with a dark themes.

What would be wrong with calling t

Re:Prefer Bar over Dock Launch Bar

[sjames]

Unlike some desktops, XFCE allows you to easily configure it the way you want. I personally like a bar at the top with date/time, menu button, and a few quick launch items, and the bottom has window buttons and a multi-desktop chooser.

Who cares what the file manager is called, it's the thing that happens when you click the folder looking thingie. They can's ALL be called file manager just like we can't just give a choice like you can install "Operating System", "Operating System", "Operating system", or "Operating System" on your PC.

Re:

[BrendaEM]

Whereas configuring it yourself=going against the grain of people who don't know how people see things.