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Xfce: Difference between revisions

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Add section about xmonad
A subsection on how to exclude packages in xfce.
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[http://www.xfce.org Xfce] is a lightweight desktop environment based on GTK+. It includes a window manager, a file manager, desktop and panel.
[http://www.xfce.org Xfce] is a lightweight desktop environment based on GTK+. It includes a window manager, a file manager, desktop and panel.
This article is an extension of the documentation in the [https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/#sec-xfce NixOS manual].


== Enabling ==
== Enabling ==
To use xfce set <code>service.xserver.desktopManager.xfce.enable</code> to <code>true</code>. For example:
To use xfce set <code>services.xserver.desktopManager.xfce.enable</code> to <code>true</code>. For example:
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|
<nowiki>
<nowiki>
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     enable = true;
     enable = true;
     desktopManager = {
     desktopManager = {
      default = "xfce";
       xterm.enable = false;
       xterm.enable = false;
       xfce.enable = true;
       xfce.enable = true;
     };
     };
   };
   };
  services.displayManager.defaultSession = "xfce";
   ...
   ...
}
}
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}}
}}
{{Evaluate}}
{{Evaluate}}
=== Excluding xfce applications ===
Xfce does not include as many applications by default as some other desktop environments. Still, those can be excluded as demonstrated in the example below. Place this before the <code>services.xserver</code> snippet from above.
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|
<nowiki>
{
  environment.xfce.excludePackages = with pkgs.xfce; [
    mousepad
    parole
  # ristretto
    xfce4-appfinder
  # xfce4-notifyd
    xfce4-screenshooter
  # xfce4-session
  # xfce4-settings
  # xfce4-taskmanager
  # xfce4-terminal
  ];
}
</nowiki>
}}


=== Using as a desktop manager and not a window manager ===
=== Using as a desktop manager and not a window manager ===
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     enable = true;   
     enable = true;   
     desktopManager = {
     desktopManager = {
      default = "xfce";
       xterm.enable = false;
       xterm.enable = false;
       xfce = {
       xfce = {
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     windowManager.i3.enable = true;
     windowManager.i3.enable = true;
   };
   };
  services.displayManager.defaultSession = "xfce";
   ...
   ...
}
}
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In your i3 config, replace <code>i3-msg exit</code> with <code>xfce4-session-logout</code>.
In your i3 config, replace <code>i3-msg exit</code> with <code>xfce4-session-logout</code>.


==== Usage with xmonad as window manager ====
==== With xmonad as the window manager ====


One of the possibilities is to use <code>xmonad</code> as a window manager in a <code>Xfce</code> desktop environment.
One of the possibilities is to use <code>xmonad</code> as a window manager in a <code>Xfce</code> desktop environment.
===== Without xfce desktop =====
The previously described configuration is extended with the part that configures xmonad:
The previously described configuration is extended with the part that configures xmonad:
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|
{{file|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|
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     enable = true;   
     enable = true;   
     desktopManager = {
     desktopManager = {
      default = "xfce";
       xterm.enable = false;
       xterm.enable = false;
       xfce = {
       xfce = {
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     };
     };
     windowManager = {
     windowManager = {
      default = "xmonad";
       xmonad = {
       xmonad = {
         enable = true;
         enable = true;
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     };
     };
   };
   };
  services.displayManager.defaultSession = "xfce+xmonad";
   ...
   ...
}
}
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   main = xmonad xfceConfig
   main = xmonad xfceConfig
         { terminal = "xfce4-terminal"
         { terminal = "xfce4-terminal"
         , modMask = mod4Mask -- optional: use Win key instead of Alt as modifier key
         , modMask = mod4Mask -- optional: use Win key instead of Alt as MODi key
         }
         }
</nowiki>
</nowiki>
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Since Xfce uses Alt for a lot of keybindings, using the Win key for xmonad hotkeys may be preferred.
Since Xfce uses Alt for a lot of keybindings, using the Win key for xmonad hotkeys may be preferred.
{{Evaluate}}
{{Evaluate}}
After choosing the <code>xfce+xmonad</code> session in your display manager, you will be taken to a clean screen, where you can open a terminal with <code>MOD+Shift+Enter</code> or launch an application with <code>MOD(+SHIFT)+p</code>.
===== With xfce desktop =====
If you instead prefer to have panels (like the top panel) in addition to the main clean display area managed by xmonad, you can remove the <code>xfce.noDesktop = true;</code> option from the configuration.
{{Evaluate}}
After switching to your new configuration, reboot and clean your sessions with <code>rm -rf ~/.cache/sessions/*</code> before logging in to a graphical session.
After logging in you will be greeted by xfce's desktop which interferes with xmonad. To solve this issue you have to remove the <code>xfdesktop</code> process from being started in the session.
Open the session manager in the application launcher with <code>MOD(+SHIFT)+p</code> and then typing in "Session and Startup". Go to tab "Session" and set the restart style of <code>xfdesktop</code> to "Never". Kill the process with "Quit program", then "Save session." After this, xfce4 and xmonad will work together nicely.
===== Java-based GUI applications  =====
Java-based applications may not work properly with xmonad. The applications main window may stay blank or gray on startup. This is a known issue with some versions of Java, where xmonad is not recognized as a "non-reparenting" window manager. There are multiple solutions to this problem as described on xmonad's FAQ page.
One alternative is to fake xmonad's window manager name, after running the EMWH initialization. This particular approach works well when running xmonad alongside the xfce-based desktop (described above).
{{file|~/.xmonad/xmonad.hs|haskell|
<nowiki>
    import XMonad
    import XMonad.Config.Xfce
    import XMonad.Hooks.EwmhDesktops
    import XMonad.Hooks.SetWMName
    main = xmonad xfceConfig
            { terminal = "xfce4-terminal"
            , modMask = mod4Mask -- Use Win as MOD key
            , startupHook = ewmhDesktopsStartup >> setWMName "LG3D" -- for some reason the double greater sign is escaped here due to wiki formatting, replace this with proper greater signs!
            }
</nowiki>
}}
===== Additional resources =====


Note that, unlike suggested in additional resources, the xmonad packages should not be installed in the environment (neither as systemPackages nor user packages), since that leads to errors when (re)compiling xmonad's config file.
Note that, unlike suggested in additional resources, the xmonad packages should not be installed in the environment (neither as systemPackages nor user packages), since that leads to errors when (re)compiling xmonad's config file.
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[https://wiki.haskell.org/Xmonad/Using_xmonad_in_XFCE Haskell Wiki: Using xmonad in Xfce]
[https://wiki.haskell.org/Xmonad/Using_xmonad_in_XFCE Haskell Wiki: Using xmonad in Xfce]
[https://wiki.haskell.org/File:Xmbindings.png Haskell Wiki: Xmonad default key bindings]
[https://wiki.haskell.org/Xmonad/Frequently_asked_questions#Problems_with_Java_applications.2C_Applet_java_console Haskell Wiki FAQ: Problems with Java applications]


== Troubleshooting ==
== Troubleshooting ==
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If you use pulse audio, set <code>nixpkgs.config.pulseaudio = true</code> as shown above. Otherwise, you may
If you use pulse audio, set <code>nixpkgs.config.pulseaudio = true</code> as shown above. Otherwise, you may
experience glitches like being able to mute the sound card but not unmute it.
experience glitches like being able to mute the sound card but not unmute it.
[[Category:Desktop environment]]
[[Category:NixOS Manual]]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Xfce"