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gonzalo76
2004-04-15, 06:06 PM CDT
I was looking for an alternative for my KDE or GNOME Desktop Environment on Fedora Core 1 and I found XFce. It's fast, clean and certainly easy to use.

"Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for various *NIX systems.
Designed for productivity, it loads and executes applications fast, while conserving system resources."
Olivier Fourdan, creator of Xfce

2004/04/15 - Xfce 4.0.5 is out.
The Xfce Team is pleased to announce the release 4.0.5 of the Xfce 4 Desktop Environment and Development Platform.

A quick XFCE review

It's fast, clean, easy to use and fairly featureful. You will appreciate the speed, low memory footprint and fairly simple configuration file.

XFCE uses the GTK2 library and is completely themeable, as well as complying to the Freedesktop standards, meaning it will play nicely with GNOME and KDE applications.

It features many of the same things as more complete desktop environments, such as an integrated window manager, a panel, a taskbar and a file manager. These are all modular, and optional. It is certainly possible to run with just the bare minimum, or to take just parts of XFCE and run them.


Binary Packages:

The Xfce 4 project officially only release source code for the desktop environment. However, binary packages for Fedora Core are available.
There are 3 different methods for download the binary packages:

1. Download the packages manually from http://moongroup.com/yum-repository/fedora/linux/1/


2. Via APT adding the following lines to /etc/apt/sources.list as root:
#newrpms.sunsite.dk
rpm http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/apt/ redhat/en/i386/fc1 newrpms
rpm-src http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/apt/ redhat/en/i386/fc1 newrpms

3. Via YUM adding these lines to your /etc/yum.conf as root:
[newrpms.sunsite.dk]
name=Fedora Core 1 NewRPMS.sunsite.dk
baseurl=http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/apt/redhat/en/i386/fc1
To import the GPG Key just run:
rpm --import http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/gpg-pubkey-newrpms.txt


Index of xfce4rpms

1. dbh-1.0.15-2.i386
2. dbh-devel-1.0.15-2.i386
3. gtk-xfce-engine-2.1.8-2.i386
4. libxfce4mcs-4.0.3-1.i386
5. libxfce4mcs-devel-4.0.3-1.i386
6. libxfce4util-4.0.3-1.i386
7. libxfce4util-devel-4.0.3-1.i386
8. libxfcegui4-4.0.3-1.i386
9. libxfcegui4-devel-4.0.3-1.i386
10. xfcalendar-0.1.5-1.i386
11. xfce-mcs-manager-4.0.3-1.i386
12. xfce-mcs-manager-devel-4.0.3-1.i386
13. xfce-mcs-plugins-4.0.3-1.i386
14. xfce-utils-4.0.3-1.i386
15. xfce4-iconbox-4.0.3-1.i386
16. xfce4-mixer-4.0.3-1.i386
17. xfce4-panel-4.0.3-1.i386
18. xfce4-session-0.1.4-1.i386
19. xfce4-systray-4.0.3-1.i386
20. xfce4-themes-4.0.3-1.noarch
21. xfce4-toys-4.0.3-1.i386
22. xfce4-trigger-launcher-4.0.3-1.i386
23. xfdesktop-4.0.3-1.i386
24. xffm-4.0.3-1.i386
25. xffm-icons-4.0.3-1.i386
26. xfprint-4.0.3-1.i386
27. xfwm4-4.0.3.1-1.i386
28. xfwm4-themes-4.0.3-1.noarch


Installing the packages

1. Create a new folder called 'xfce'
$ mkdir xfce
This will create a folder called xfce in your HOME directory.

2. Download to that folder all the rpms needed to install XFce 4.0.5, in total, they are 28 packages.

3. Become root
$ su -
Password

4. Go to the folder where you downloaded the packages.
# cd xfce

5. From there, type:
# rpm -ivh *.rpm
(Installation log)


Preparing... ########################################### [100%]
1:libxfce4util ########################################### [ 4%]
2:libxfcegui4 ########################################### [ 7%]
3:libxfce4mcs ########################################### [ 11%]
4:xfce-mcs-manager ########################################### [ 14%]
5:xfce4-panel ########################################### [ 18%]
6:dbh ########################################### [ 21%]
7:xffm ########################################### [ 25%]
8:xfwm4 ########################################### [ 29%]
9:libxfcegui4-devel ########################################### [ 32%]
10:dbh-devel ########################################### [ 36%]
11:gtk-xfce-engine ########################################### [ 39%]
12:libxfce4mcs-devel ########################################### [ 43%]
13:libxfce4util-devel ########################################### [ 46%]
14:xfcalendar ########################################### [ 50%]
15:xfce4-iconbox ########################################### [ 54%]
16:xfce4-mixer ########################################### [ 57%]
17:xfce4-session ########################################### [ 61%]
18:xfce4-systray ########################################### [ 64%]
19:xfce4-themes ########################################### [ 68%]
20:xfce4-toys ########################################### [ 71%]
21:xfce4-trigger-launcher ########################################### [ 75%]
22:xfce-mcs-manager-devel ########################################### [ 79%]
23:xfce-mcs-plugins ########################################### [ 82%]
24:xfce-utils ########################################### [ 86%]
25:xfdesktop ########################################### [ 89%]
26:xffm-icons ########################################### [ 93%]
27:xfprint ########################################### [ 96%]
28:xfwm4-themes ########################################### [100%]

If everything went right, log out from your current session and log in into XFce Desktop Enviroment.

Installing via APT or YUM

APT
Open a Console, log in as root and type:
apt-get install xfce4

YUM
Open a Console, log in as root and type:
yum install xfce4

Hope you like your new Desktop Environment :)

http://xfce.org/

Good Luck !!
gonzalo

See my HowTo using APT at http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1608
Jman
2004-04-15, 06:54 PM CDT
This site is yummified, so it can be added to yum.conf. Here's what I came up with: [moongroup]
name=moongroup.com xfce4 rpms
baseurl=http://moongroup.com/yum-repository/fedora/linux/$releasever/$basearch/xfce4rpms

Also, if you want to get all the rpms, wget can do it in one step: wget -r -l1 --no-parent -A.rpm http://moongroup.com/yum-repository/fedora/linux/1/i386/xfce4rpms/
This will download all the rpms into your working directory.
gonzalo76
2004-04-15, 07:39 PM CDT
Yes it is yummified, but I wanted to make my mini howto easy, that's why I thought that downloading all the packages manually would be easier than getting them via yum.
Anyway, I just added two more methods of getting the binary packages, via APT and YUM.

If you feel at ease doing it that way, just do it!

Thanks for the advice!!
greetings
AliOop
2004-04-15, 11:21 PM CDT
gonzalo76, I was able to install and run XFce but I'd like to be able to use "Desktop Switching Tool" to acces it. I have no problem "loging out" and choosing XFce and using it. I just can't get it as a choice in "Desktop Switching". How do I do that? Thanks.
Darkmage
2004-04-16, 12:46 AM CDT
Also if you would like a menu for your gnome or kde apps for easy access, then

grab menumaker (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=67400&package_id=65766) and follow these instructions


do this http://menumaker.sourceforge.net/node7.html
exit #To come back to the user which you want to generate the menu for
mmaker -o ~/.xfce4/menu.xml XFce4

After that just right click on the screen and there is your menu:D
shtik
2004-05-02, 01:11 PM CDT
thanks for the tip w/ menumaker, very nice, no need for starting the slow gnome-panel anymore!

shtik
fjleal
2004-05-02, 04:51 PM CDT
Gonzalo76, the moongroup link is broken. There's a build for RH9 available from SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=19869&release_id=231404), I don't know (yet) if it works on FC1...

EDIT: It DOES work! :) Small error on a script, nothing important. Works like a charm, and it's really fast! It it any inferior to Gnome/KDE? What does it lack?
gonzalo76
2004-05-02, 05:46 PM CDT
Originally posted by fjleal
Gonzalo76, the moongroup link is broken. There's a build for RH9 available from SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=19869&release_id=231404), I don't know (yet) if it works on FC1...

Thanks I just added a new way of installing xfce4 via YUM or APT adding a few lines to the sources files.

Greetings
oriant
2004-05-14, 09:04 AM CDT
Thx£¡£¡I finally added a window manager.oops,it's so easy.
gonzalo76
2004-05-14, 09:39 AM CDT
Great !!!
piggysmile
2004-05-26, 05:46 PM CDT
gonzalo76 i followed your instructions upon installing xfce 4 under fedora but i'm using redhat linux 9. things went out smoothly until there was an error regarding gcc wasnt found and was needed by dbh. how do i fix this?
barmach
2004-06-02, 04:00 PM CDT
That's because you didn't install gcc. Insert the first of your installation cd's. Boot from CD. Choose the update-option and find 'gcc' and check the box. Reboot and do the installation again. Because you already tried to install xfce it's possible it gives some conflicts if you just type rpm -ivh *.rpm
Therefore, type rpm -ivh --force *.rpm.
gonzalo76
2004-06-03, 09:25 AM CDT
Originally posted by barmach
That's because you didn't install gcc. Insert the first of your installation cd's. Boot from CD. Choose the update-option and find 'gcc' and check the box. Reboot and do the installation again. Because you already tried to install xfce it's possible it gives some conflicts if you just type rpm -ivh *.rpm
Therefore, type rpm -ivh --force *.rpm.

It's not a good idea installing packages with --force or --nodeps command.
You'll definitely have lib conflicts in the future if you do that.
Nefarious
2004-06-03, 09:51 AM CDT
Yeah... take it from me, I had to do a total re-install after forcing it... lol

BTW: Thanks gonzalo76 for the How-to. :-D
NBZ
2004-07-01, 05:08 AM CDT
Thanks for that how-to

Just one Question...

Instead of right clicking, is it possible to put the menu as a launcher? If so anyone know how?
rh.arauz
2006-11-26, 10:31 PM CST
hey Gonzalo, me podés ayudar con el XFCE?? me da unos problemas bastante raros y no se como arreglarlo...
creoque le toqué algo que no debía, porque ahora cuando abro el configurador del escritorio desaparece todo, solo queda el puntero, no puedo hacer nada, me toca apagar la computadora manualmente...o a veces cuando abro el configurador, me cierra la sesión y me manda a la pantalla de inicio de nuevo....que puedo hacer??
lchisholm
2007-05-17, 01:06 PM CDT
when I added the lines in /etc/yum.conf for the new repo
I got and error that it could not open it.
[main]
cachedir=/var/cache/yum
keepcache=0
debuglevel=2
logfile=/var/log/yum.log
pkgpolicy=newest
distroverpkg=redhat-release
tolerant=1
exactarch=1
obsoletes=1
gpgcheck=1
plugins=1
metadata_expire=1800
[newrpms.sunsite.dk]
name=Fedora Core 1 NewRPMS.sunsite.dk
baseurl=http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/apt/redhat/en/i386/fc1

# PUT YOUR REPOS HERE OR IN separate files named file.repo
# in /etc/yum.repos.d


or did I place it in the wrong place?
Larry
leigh123linux
2007-05-17, 01:10 PM CDT
when I added the lines in /etc/yum.conf for the new repo
I got and error that it could not open it.
[main]
cachedir=/var/cache/yum
keepcache=0
debuglevel=2
logfile=/var/log/yum.log
pkgpolicy=newest
distroverpkg=redhat-release
tolerant=1
exactarch=1
obsoletes=1
gpgcheck=1
plugins=1
metadata_expire=1800
[newrpms.sunsite.dk]
name=Fedora Core 1 NewRPMS.sunsite.dk
baseurl=http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/apt/redhat/en/i386/fc1

# PUT YOUR REPOS HERE OR IN separate files named file.repo
# in /etc/yum.repos.d


or did I place it in the wrong place?
Larry

Forget this howto and delete all the changes you how made because it is for FC1 and is no good for FC 6
lchisholm
2007-05-17, 01:16 PM CDT
Thank you
Will edit it out.

larry.
lchisholm
2007-05-17, 03:14 PM CDT
While going thru my home folder I found a folder that had src in it and it is the one I downloaded from the site where the install sheets are for xfce and will try and get that running as it lists every thing to do and look for.
Thanks for the help.
Larry.
Jongi
2008-01-05, 02:14 AM CST
xfce is included in the fedora and fedora-updates repo, so all you need to do to install xfce is:

yum groupinstall "XFCE"

Then to add the various plugins:

# yum list | grep xfce4

Then

# yum install <xfce4 plug-in name>