XFCE 4.20: Two years of hard work, a new lightweight desktop environment

After nearly two years of development, the XFCE team finally released the highly anticipated version of XFCE 4.20. This update is of great significance, bringing a lot of exciting new features, a number of meticulous improvements, and numerous bug fixes. You can choose to download a single package or a complete compressed package.

Catalog

• Thunar File Manager Update
• Other Improvements
• App Update
• Summary

Wayland support

The most notable change in XFCE 4.20 is the experimental Wayland support. Wayland is a modern display server protocol designed to replace the old X11 system. Wayland is designed to be simpler and safer than the X11 and offers superior performance, enhanced HiDPI display support, and a more modern approach to synthesizer centralization.

Most XFCE components are currently available on Wayland, which is an important step forward for XFCE, which means that XFCE users can now enjoy the many advantages that Wayland brings. However, Wayland support is still in the experimental stage, and the XFCE team recommends that only advanced users try it out at the moment.

Related Readings: Check if you are using Wayland or X11 on Linux system

Thunar File Manager Update

XFCE's file manager Thunar has also been updated, including a series of new features and improvements, including:

• The mount point now displays the badge with a type description.
• Support IPv6 remote URLs.
• Symbol links can now be created at remote locations.
• The context menu of search results can now be opened before the search is completed.
• New toolbar buttons, including view switcher, menu button, new label button and new window button.
• Options to use client decor.
• Option to show hidden files in the status bar.
• Only files that have been successfully opened will be added to the list of most recently used files.
• Directory is no longer added to the list of most recently used files.
• Use symbolic icons in the sidebar and use colored icons in the toolbar.
• When dragging a file, hover over the folder and the folder will open automatically.
• Multiple performance improvements make Thunar more responsive when processing large amounts of files.
• The shortcut keys for custom actions can now work when the custom actions are in the submenu.
• Improved file transfer dialog with fewer buttons and more reasonable thumbnail requests.
• Trusted launchers display the launcher name instead of the file name by default.
• Before canceling any delete operation, you will be asked if you confirm.
• List view now supports folder expansion.
• Shortcuts to switch between split view panes, and improved visual distinction between focus and non-focus panes.
• When closing a split pane with multiple tabs, a confirmation dialog box appears.

Other improvements

XFCE 4.20 also includes many other improvements. The team fixed the zoom issue for icons and thumbnails and added various missing icons for larger zoom. This means that XFCE should look great on HiDPI monitors now.

Exo icon view has been improved, and it can process 100,000 or more files without freezing. The Type Early Search box in the Exo icon view is always located within the view window.

libxfce4ui library has also been updated. The Shortcut Key Editor allows you to use shortcut keys for multiple operations. The About dialog box displays the release logo and information about the window system and GPU.

App update

XFCE 4.20 also includes updates to other applications:

1. xfce4-appfinder:

Added support for Ctrl N/Ctrl P navigation, automatic closing of windows when focus is lost, and immediate execution of commands using Ctrl Enter.
Application-specific actions can now be accessed by right-clicking.
Added a universal launcher name and a single click startup option.
Appfinder can now run as a daemon to speed up response time.

2. xfce4-panel:

Pan panel border width is now configurable.
The clock plug-in has been enhanced, adding new features to LCD and analog clocks, including week display and 24-hour mode.
Show desktop plugin is activated when the mouse is hovered.
• The
Preferences dialog box allows multiple panel objects to be deleted simultaneously using the Delete key.

3. xfce4-power-manager:

• The security tab has been deleted and lock screen management has been simplified.
• Added support for power profiles via power-profiles-daemon, as well as options for lid closing operations.

4. xfce4-session:

• The logout dialog box no longer contains the session save check box.
• The Wayland session can now be started using the command startxfce4 --wayland.

5. xfce4-settings:

• Icon theme loads in separate threads and warns of incomplete topics.
• Client decoration is now optional and has improved support for dark themes.
• The display settings dialog is enhanced with extended profile management and improved scaling and mirroring status processing.
• The Mouse Settings dialog box contains check boxes for adaptive or flat mouse acceleration profiles and supports high resolution scrolling with compatible mice.
• MIME Settings dialog box allows multiple items to be selected and changed simultaneously.

6. xfconf:

• Added systemd user unit for D-Bus session service.
• When writing the xfconf channel to disk, the spaces are now escaped correctly and the xfconf-query displays the array contents.

7. xfdesktop:

• Wallpaper loops now avoid duplication until all wallpapers are displayed.
• The old Xfce background has been converted to SVG and the gradient is rendered using gamma correction.
• The Desktop Icon Arrangement Confirmation dialog is now optional. Custom icon labels and background colors can be set, and the icon grid for each monitor is independent.
• The window icon is displayed on the monitor that the window last existed.
The
• Context menu contains additional options and can sort folders before the files.
• Save icon position to prevent accidental movement when adding or deleting the monitor.
• New and drag-and-drop files are placed near the cursor.
• Added option to display fixed disk and drive icons.
The Desktop Icon tab in the Preferences dialog box has been redesigned and now all xfdesktop shortcuts are configurable.
Another background image folder was added as a shortcut in the Settings dialog box, and will now update dynamically if the background is changed externally.
Wallpaper image folder loads asynchronously to prevent lag.
Castrated customization operations are displayed correctly and multiple selected folders can be opened simultaneously.
The context menu opens when the button is pressed instead of releasing it. The middle click window list menu has new styles and features.

8. xfwm4:

• Added support for stretch theme variants.
• For GLX vsync, Softpipe is blocked and now includes the skip taskbar/patcher option when passing focus.
• Fixed a crash when Alt-Tab.

Summary

XFCE 4.20 is an important release that brings many new features and improvements. Experimental Wayland support is an important update, with other improvements that make XFCE more refined and user-friendly. If you are looking for a lightweight, customizable and reliable desktop environment, XFCE 4.20 is a great choice.

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