XFCE4? Should I goto it or stick with Gnome?

nberardi · n00b Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Posts: 52 Location: Exton, PA

I am currently debating having only XFCE4 installed on my newly setup box and I was wondering what are oppinions of it from people that have used it. Or if I should stick to what I know and currently love, Gnome?

Jefklak · l33t Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Posts: 818 Location: Belgium

I used to love gnome too but recently switched to XFCE4

Reasons to switch:

> startup time 5x faster than gnome
> programs start usual 2x faster! (no shit)
> Very low memory usage (xfce4 usual uses 32mb on startup, gnome 50+, kde 60+, windows 120+)
> Very flexible panel. If you dont like it you can still use the gnome-panel!
> GTK2 themes like gnome.
> cool customable menu (rightclick) (XML)

So... You should change RIGHT NOW!

Or at least give it a try.

Anderas · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 08 Sep 2003 Posts: 77

Stu L Tissimus · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:08 pm Post subject:

Personally, the XFce4 panel needs some more options and stuff. In it's current position, everybody has a bar with buttons and a taskbar. Why not make it more customizable, like the Kicker or gnome-panel?

Also, I think they really need to make better use of right-clicking on the desktop.
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Jefklak · l33t Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Posts: 818 Location: Belgium

Maybe, you can change your XML file manually, they will be implementing a program to automatically change every menu... It takes time, you know.
I like the panel. Its good enough for me. Like I said if you want the gnome-panel, all you have to do is edit your xinitrc file in /etc/xfce4

Gnome really takes up to 7 seconds to start up. XFCE4 about 2.

Kesereti · Guru Joined: 07 Nov 2002 Posts: 520

Kesereti · Guru Joined: 07 Nov 2002 Posts: 520

DarrenM · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 5:01 am Post subject:

Install both. Try them out. Unmerge the one you don't want.

Any opinion posted here is useless to you because everyone has their own tastes/needs and only you are you. Don't be a sheep, try them out for yourself and use what you like best. That's the beauty of choice. :wink:

wm's are like Pokemon. Gotta try em all :lol:

dl1vr8r · n00b Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 39 Location: SLC

I was a longtime fluxbox user, but now I use XFCE almost exclusively. I always try out the new releases of KDE and Gnome, but I always end up back with XFCE. It's minimal, but not too minimal.

Things I love:
virtual desktop wheeling (like flux)
nice control panel for WM/GTK and other settings
no desktop icons

window snapping
panel that's simple, but supports freedesktop system tray standards and has a bunch of cool plugins
the taskbar can be shut off completely

Things I don't like:
I wish that it supported multiple panels, I think this will be in 4.1
hmmm... what else... the name?

Seriously, I really love XFCE and you should too

Jefklak · l33t Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Posts: 818 Location: Belgium

I was not saying you should not try Gnome, i too have both installed -- I use a lot of gnome programs together with XFCE. I dont really care about the startup time, but some people do. I DO care about the startup time and the memory usage of all programs.

Realmaker · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 3:32 pm Post subject:

i also tried XFCE4 but the things i didn't like was .. how to say in english? .. the panel wasn't tight. (hope it's the right word =) )
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BenjyD_UK · n00b Joined: 03 Sep 2003 Posts: 44

The amount of memory used by the desktop environment isn't generally that large - last time I checked, a bare KDE session used about 15mb more than a 'lean' windowmanager than XFCE. That's less than half a mozilla session. I imagine Gnome is similar to that.

angryelephant · n00b Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 23 Location: san diego

I installed XFCE4 over the weekend and have been very pleased. its very snappy and has just the right amount of features. i say install it and see how you like it. all you have to do is emerge it and add it to kdm/gdm. easy enough to remove if you don't like it.

my only complaint is that i have been able to mount my samba network printer yet, but i wasn't able to do that in kde either.

dl1vr8r - love the avatar. im reading quicksilver right now and just convinced my girlfriend to read snow crash.

mirko_3 · l33t Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 605 Location: Birreria

ehm... I guess this says it:

Lisandro · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 6:59 pm Post subject:

XFCE4 did it for me. It seems like it's getting a lot of attention lately, and it's no wonder why; it's really that good. It's minimal, but not so that it becomes unusable; it's fast, lightweight, user friendly, and UNBLOATED. KDE has been suffering the dreaded bloat for several versions now, and Gnome seemed to start addresing the same problem lately.
It's very snappy too; even QT apps load faster on it and feel snappier than they ever did on KDE. Ah, and it looks sexy too

Anyway, as it's been said, try both. GNOME is good and seems to be getting better, and XFCE is much like GNOME without the fat. Who knows, you might end up liking both.

stefanwa · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 09 Dec 2002 Posts: 140

Out of curiosity...which graphical login manager do you guys use with XFCE4? GDM? Any alternatives? Somehow I don't want to emerge all this Gnome libs and KDM doesn't start very fast. XDM is ugly.

DefconAlpha · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:48 pm Post subject:

angryelephant · n00b Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 23 Location: san diego

Kesereti · Guru Joined: 07 Nov 2002 Posts: 520

BenjyD_UK · n00b Joined: 03 Sep 2003 Posts: 44

Jimboberella · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 12:27 am Post subject: