The lightweight and efficient Xfce desktop environment has received a major update, bringing with it a slew of improvements, bug fixes, and a renewed focus on Wayland support.
After two years of development, Xfce 4.20 has finally landed, delivering a refined and polished experience for users of this popular desktop environment. While retaining its signature speed and simplicity, this release introduces several notable enhancements:
Wayland Progress:
- A significant effort has been made to prepare Xfce for the transition to Wayland, the next-generation display server protocol.
- Many core components now have experimental Wayland support, paving the way for a smoother and more feature-rich experience in the future.
New Features and Improvements:
- Windowing System Agnostic: A new library, libxfce4windowing, has been introduced to handle windowing concepts independent of the underlying system (X11 or Wayland), improving compatibility and future-proofing the desktop.
- Enhanced Settings: The Settings Manager has been redesigned for better navigation and organization.
- Thunar File Manager Updates: Thunar, the default file manager, now boasts improved directory monitoring, new keyboard shortcuts, and better handling of external drives.
- Revamped Appearance: Xfce 4.20 features improved icon and thumbnail scaling, along with enhancements to the Exo window manager.
- Performance Optimizations: Various performance optimizations have been implemented throughout the desktop environment, resulting in a snappier and more responsive user experience.
Availability:
Xfce 4.20 is available for download as source code or pre-built packages from the official Xfce website. It is also expected to be included in upcoming releases of various Linux distributions, such as Xubuntu 25.04.
Looking Ahead:
With a strong emphasis on Wayland support and continuous refinement, Xfce 4.20 demonstrates the project’s commitment to providing a lightweight, efficient, and modern desktop experience. Users can look forward to further improvements and enhancements as Xfce continues to evolve.
Sources:
- Xfce Official Website: https://www.xfce.org/
- Xfce 4.20 Release Announcement: https://www.xfce.org/about/news/?post=1734220800
- Phoronix: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Xfce-4.20-Released
- OMG! Ubuntu!: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/12/xfce-4-20-released-this-is-whats-new