How To Install XFCE On Linux Mint 14

You could just run a distro that has XFCE for the default desktop. Wouldn't that be easier? Is that just too obvious?

> You could just run a distro that has XFCE for the default desktop.

I can even recommend a couple that are probably quite a bit faster than the Mint one. :)

Me too :)

Or install Mint 14 that already bundles XFCE.

The article claimed that Mint dropped XFCE for 14. I'm not a Mint user so I'm not up to date on what they're doing. Is the article wrong?

It looks like Linux Mint doesn't release every version all at the same time. The MATE and Cinnamon versions appear to be out

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2216

While the XFCE and KDE versions are still in RC status

http://www.linuxmint.com/index.php

XFCE: http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2246

KDE: http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2244

A lot of distros stagger releases like that. Thanks, BernardSwiss. That clarifies things.

You can't just add xfce from the repos regardless of what Mint "version" you're running?

Quoting:You can't just add xfce from the repos regardless of what Mint "version" you're running?

Yes, you can. If fact, that's exactly what this article is instructions for. Not exactly what I'd think would constitute material for an entire article, but that's all it is.

Well, I guess it's good information if you've never thought about it. Both Ubuntu and Mint make it look like you're stuck with what the ISO ships.

It would be lousy for marketing, I guess, but Ubuntu could offer a "unified" ISO that allows a selection of a desktop environment at install time. Like Debian, Fedora, Slackware, PC-BSD ...

Could this chiefly be a way to make sure all the kinks are worked out? Realeasing a particular desktop version "when it's ready"?

The Article in question wrote: Preliminary Note

In addition to the method described here, it's also possible to install the xubuntu-desktop package which will give you the Xubuntu desktop (which also uses XFCE), but I found that this desktop, although it seems to work fine, reports various crashes concerning Ubuntu Software Center and update-apt-xapian-index. That's why I don't describe the Xubuntu method, but only the "pure" XFCE way.

So this article is aimed at those who can't wait -- and at users who are still learning how things work in the Linux/FOSS world.

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I like it. Essentially this says -- by practical example, by showing how -- "Don't be afraid to tinker... Linux let's you do things for yourself, instead of waiting helplessly for some corporation (that's likely as not already taken you're money, or will demand more money) to do what you want or need, for you."

My biggest problem with this article is that it's not placed where those who could most benefit are likely to come across it.

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(I'd like to see somebody on a "mainstream" site mention this -- it might even make a good kick-off for an article about how even Linux newbies can benefit from "the Linux Way", in ways both practical and realistically accessible to such new-comers).

My experience is that the "main" DE in a given distro is usually set up to a greater degree than are other DEs you add after the fact. The package selection, the default applications, default settings -- those can all get a little extra attention.

But packages shouldn't have showstopping bugs, and adding Xfce after the fact shouldn't pose too many problems. Once you've been around the cul-de-sac a few times, you can generally tweak it to look and perform the way you want.

I'm sure we all take configuration "ideas" from one distro and apply them to another.