How To Install XFCE Desktop on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
In this tutorial, we will show you how to install XFCE Desktop on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. XFCE is a lightweight, fast, and highly customizable desktop environment. It’s particularly popular among users seeking a more responsive and resource-efficient alternative to GNOME or KDE. With Ubuntu 24.04 LTS being a robust and widely used Linux distribution, installing XFCE on this system can significantly enhance your user experience, especially on older or less powerful hardware.
This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the XFCE desktop environment on Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble Numbat). You can follow the same instructions for Ubuntu 22.04 and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint, Elementary OS, Pop!_OS, and more as well.
Prerequisites
- A server running one of the following operating systems: Ubuntu and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint.
- It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
- SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
- An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies.
- An Ubuntu 24.04 system with root access or a user with sudo privileges.
Install XFCE Desktop on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Step 1. Updating the Package Repository.
Before installing XFCE, update your current system to ensure compatibility and security. Open a terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
These commands will update the package lists and upgrade installed packages to the latest versions.
Step 2. Installing XFCE Desktop Environment.
- Installing XFCE Using Tasksel.
Tasksel simplifies the installation of complete desktop environments. If Tasksel is not already installed on your system, install it with:
sudo apt install tasksel
Once Tasksel is installed, run the following command to install the XFCE desktop environment:
sudo tasksel install xubuntu-desktop
This command installs the Xubuntu desktop, a version of XFCE with additional enhancements and integrations.
- Installing XFCE Manually via APT.
If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can install XFCE and its goodies manually. Execute the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies
This installs the core XFCE desktop and additional useful plugins and tools.
Step 3. Setting XFCE as Default Desktop Environment.
You need to set it as the default desktop environment. To do this, use the update-alternatives command:
sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
You’ll see a list of installed session managers. Select XFCE from the list to set it as the default. Alternatively, you can choose XFCE from the login screen by clicking on the session menu and selecting XFCE.
LightDM is a lightweight and fast display manager that pairs well with XFCE. To install LightDM, use the following command:
sudo apt install lightdm
During the installation, you’ll be prompted to select the default display manager. Choose LightDM. If you need to reconfigure it later, run:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
Step 4. Switch to XFCE Desktop Environment.
Once the installation is complete, reboot your system to apply the changes:
reboot
After rebooting, on the login screen, click on the Username, and then before entering the password, click on the Gear icon given on the right bottom side.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed the Xfce desktop. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the XFCE desktop environment on the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the XFCE website.
