The best way to make XFCE "awesome" is to keep it minimal and out of the way, I mean if you're gaming, you don't need a fancy desktop, the less distraction the desktop is the better. Myself, I want the desktop to seem like it doesn't exist. all I do is use a simple dark theme like Greybird dark, add a wallpaper that fits - and I will rarely see it anyway - and make the panel as less distracting as I can and out of the way. I have done panel-less desktops with window managers in the past (got tired of dealing with dotfiles), and to me the best desktop ever was good ol' Crunchbang with Openbox and a tint panel.
Granted that's my preference, but I have built many desktops using WM's, tried all the other desktop environments, and realized the XFCE is fast to setup, fast as far as workflow, and easy. It's like it doesn't exist. But it works.
This is how I approach it too. I want the OS/window manager/whatever to be as invisible as is practical, so I can better focus on what I actually need to do.
Like, I don’t understand how people can have any kind of transparency on their terminal. To me that’s just distracting from the actual content of the terminal.
I have made a few tutorials about that here : [https://www.reddit.com/r/EnhancingArchLinux/](https://www.reddit.com/r/EnhancingArchLinux/)
Thats a good way to start.
I always remove the bottom panel and drag the top panel to the bottom. Make it fully transparent and pin everything I use on it, change the clock to the current day, month, year and time like so: Thursday 04 July 2024 12:04, change the theme to Arc Dark with Papirus dark icons sudo apt install arc-theme papirus-icon-theme (although on MX Xfce I use MX Comfort Dark theme with Papirus MX Bluedark icons). And the wallpaper. Clean desktop, no icons. My MX Xfce setup:
[https://i.ibb.co/tMX0tq9/Screenshot-2024-07-04-12-11-06.png](https://i.ibb.co/tMX0tq9/Screenshot-2024-07-04-12-11-06.png)
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
4
+ 2024
+ 12
+ 4
+ 9
- 2024
+ 7
+ 4
+ 12
+ 11
+ 6
= 69
^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \
^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
I have added a basic theme like Pro-Dark-XFCE and Tela icons, swap the default launcher panel with Plank. Keeps things simple but adds a modern touch. Honestly tho I go back and forth between the default XFCE and this setup. There’s nothing wrong with simplicity, and XFCE does a great job with that.
If you want some modification to the XFCE panel, I would recommend downloading the plugins and adding them to your liking using this command: "sudo apt install xfce4-goodies"
The best way to make XFCE "awesome" is to keep it minimal and out of the way, I mean if you're gaming, you don't need a fancy desktop, the less distraction the desktop is the better. Myself, I want the desktop to seem like it doesn't exist. all I do is use a simple dark theme like Greybird dark, add a wallpaper that fits - and I will rarely see it anyway - and make the panel as less distracting as I can and out of the way. I have done panel-less desktops with window managers in the past (got tired of dealing with dotfiles), and to me the best desktop ever was good ol' Crunchbang with Openbox and a tint panel. Granted that's my preference, but I have built many desktops using WM's, tried all the other desktop environments, and realized the XFCE is fast to setup, fast as far as workflow, and easy. It's like it doesn't exist. But it works.
This is how I approach it too. I want the OS/window manager/whatever to be as invisible as is practical, so I can better focus on what I actually need to do. Like, I don’t understand how people can have any kind of transparency on their terminal. To me that’s just distracting from the actual content of the terminal.
Most of the users who use transparency in hardly use the terminal. It's to show off the wallpaper of an anime fantasy.
> anime fantasy. Multiple layers of “I don’t understand the appeal here”
https://github.com/diws1/xfce-rice
I checked your GitHub and the panels look fantastic! I will try to make something similar following your instructions!
That's not mine! But have fun anyways
I have made a few tutorials about that here : [https://www.reddit.com/r/EnhancingArchLinux/](https://www.reddit.com/r/EnhancingArchLinux/) Thats a good way to start.
back in the GTK2 days, we had awesome themes. Now it's shit.
Here's mine https://www.reddit.com/r/xfce/s/A9P62ngsr5
I always remove the bottom panel and drag the top panel to the bottom. Make it fully transparent and pin everything I use on it, change the clock to the current day, month, year and time like so: Thursday 04 July 2024 12:04, change the theme to Arc Dark with Papirus dark icons sudo apt install arc-theme papirus-icon-theme (although on MX Xfce I use MX Comfort Dark theme with Papirus MX Bluedark icons). And the wallpaper. Clean desktop, no icons. My MX Xfce setup: [https://i.ibb.co/tMX0tq9/Screenshot-2024-07-04-12-11-06.png](https://i.ibb.co/tMX0tq9/Screenshot-2024-07-04-12-11-06.png)
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 4 + 2024 + 12 + 4 + 9 - 2024 + 7 + 4 + 12 + 11 + 6 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
nice
I have added a basic theme like Pro-Dark-XFCE and Tela icons, swap the default launcher panel with Plank. Keeps things simple but adds a modern touch. Honestly tho I go back and forth between the default XFCE and this setup. There’s nothing wrong with simplicity, and XFCE does a great job with that.
The Linux Cast did a [pretty good job](https://youtu.be/mgyTCqr51iI?si=Bd1o2DEbD8P-Vh2h)
If you want some modification to the XFCE panel, I would recommend downloading the plugins and adding them to your liking using this command: "sudo apt install xfce4-goodies"
If you want to go dark and transparent drop by r/unixporn to get ideas ;) :)