How to install Xfce on Ubuntu

Ubuntu's default desktop environment is Gnome. Sometimes people using Ubuntu want to try out Xfce as well, though.

Even though these instructions are for adding Xfce to Gnome, the same principle applies for adding Gnome to KDE, Xfce to KDE or KDE to Gnome. Basically, you install the desktop environment, log out, and choose the desktop environment.

Go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager

Enter your password when prompted.

Search for xubuntu and then right-click the xubuntu-desktop package and mark it for installation.

When prompted to mark a bunch of packages for installation, confirm the selection by clicking Mark

Click Apply in the main window and you'll get prompted with a smaller dialogue window.

In the dialogue window, you'll be asked if you want to apply certain changes. If you want to see the details, click the little arrows to expand the list of what's to be installed. If you want to proceed, click Apply

Wait for the software packages to download and install. Then click Close and quit Synaptic.

Log out of Gnome.

At the login screen, go to Options and select Select Session

Under Sessions, select Xfce and then proceed with Change Session

Then enter your username and password to log into Xfce. If you want to use Xfce only for this session, you can do that, or you can make it your default session, in which case you'll have to explicitly choose Gnome again to log into the Gnome session.

Then you should be in Xfce!

If you decide you want to remove Xfce, it's not enough to go to Synaptic Package Manager and remove the xubuntu-desktop package, as that is just an empty package that points to all the software packages that make up a default Xubuntu installation. Removing the pointer package won't remove all the packages it points to.

If you want to remove Xfce, follow these instructions.