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+++
title = "Modernizing XFCE"
date = 2023-02-05
template = "blog-page.html"
[taxonomies]
tags = [ "foss", "advice" ]
+++
This article is more of a memo for myself. Since I often re-install Linux systems, I spend a lot of time doing repetitive tasks and often forget some steps, which leads me to waste even more time figuring out what's wrong.
These instructions allow you to get a fully functional and modern-looking XFCE desktop on a fresh install of [Void Linux](https://voidlinux.org/) (even though they can be adapted to work in any distro).
## Initial system update
First thing I tried was to update the system, but the ISO was quite old. I had to update `xbps` before anything else:
```
sudo xbps-install -Su xbps
sudo xbps-install -Su
```
## Avoid session saving
One thing I hate about XFCE is its fixation to save sessions. A lot of times I get my session saved and restored even with all settings turned off.
A quick and easy solution to disable session saving entirely is just to create an empty file in place of the `sessions` directory.
```
rm ~/.cache/sessions -rf
touch ~/.cache/sessions
```
This way, even with everything turned on, XFCE fails create a folder with that name and everything works (or doesn't, in this case) like a charm.
## Change that shell
Your shell is the main tool you use to communicate with your system, so it makes sense to replace `bash` with something more modern and feature-rich.
```
sudo xbps-install -S zsh zsh-completions curl
chsh -s /bin/zsh
zsh
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zimfw/install/master/install.zsh | zsh
```
## Get some good sound quality
I don't like `pulseaudio`. Let's replace it with `pipewire` and `wireplumber`.
```
su
xbps-install pipewire wireplumber
mkdir -p /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d
sed '/path.*=.*pipewire-media-session/s/{/#{/' /usr/share/pipewire/pipewire.conf > /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf
echo 'context.exec = [ { path = "/usr/bin/wireplumber" args = "" } ]' > /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-wireplumber.conf
ln -s /usr/share/applications/pipewire* /etc/xdg/autostart
xbps-remove pulseaudio alsa-plugins-pulseaudio
reboot
```
## Make Firefox more secure
I like Firefox as a browser, but it doesn't come with sane defaults as far as privacy's concerned.
First, visit [Firefox Profilemaker](https://ffprofile.com/) and create a customized `profile.zip`.
Then, extract your zip file to the correct destination:
```
sudo xbps-install zip unzip p7zip xarchiver thunar-archive-plugin
unzip -o ~/Downloads/profile.zip -d ~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default-default/
```
Some useful extensions I always install are:
- [Bitwarden](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bitwarden-password-manager), a password manager;
- [Decentraleyes](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes), to serve common JS libraries locally;
- [I still don't care about cookies](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/istilldontcareaboutcookies), to hide and auto-reject cookie warnings;
- [LibRedirect](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/libredirect), a redirector for [alternative front-ends](https://github.com/mendel5/alternative-front-ends);
- [SponsorBlock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sponsorblock), to skip YouTube sponsorships automagically;
- [uBlock Origin](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin), the best ad-blocker.
## Customize your DE
Install the last required packages for desktop usability:
```
sudo xbps-install -S xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin xfce4-clipman-plugin xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin xfce4-screenshooter xclip micro neovim mpv yt-dlp
```
Remove orphaned and cached packages:
```
sudo xbps-remove -Oo
```
Now, open XFCE's Settings Manager and set the following options:
- Appearance → Style → Choose "Adwaita-dark"
- Desktop → Background → _<Choose your favorite wallpaper>_
- Desktop → Icons → Set "Icon type" to "None"
- Panel → _<Customize your panels>_
- Screensaver → Disable "Enable Screensaver"
- Text Editor Settings → Enable:
- "Show line numbers",
- "Highlight matching brackets",
- "Wrap long lines"
- Window Manager → Style → Button layout → Remove "Shade" button from title bar
- Window Manager → Advanced → Windows snapping → Enable "To other windows"
- Window Manager → Advanced → Wrap workspaces when reaching the screen edge → Disable "With a dragged window"
- Window Manager Tweaks → Cycling → Enable:
- "Cycle through minimized windows in most recently used order",
- "Cycle through windows on all workspaces",
- "Raise windows while cycling"
- Window Manager Tweaks → Accessibility → Disable:
- "Raise windows when any mouse button is pressed",
- "Use mouse wheel on title bar to roll up the window"
- Window Manager Tweaks → Accessibility → Enable "Notify of urgency by making window's decoration blink"
- Window Manager Tweaks → Compositor → Enable "Show shadows under popup windows"
- Xfce Terminal Settings → General → Scrolling → Set "Scrollbar is" to "Disabled"
- Xfce Terminal Settings → Appearance →
- enable "Use system font",
- set "Background" to "Transparent background",
- set Opacity to 0.80;
- Xfce Terminal Settings → Colors → Presets → Choose "Tango"
- Keyboard → Behavior → Enable "Restore num lock state on startup"
## Shortcuts
Finally, set the following shortcuts:
- Keyboard → Application Shortcuts
| Command | Shortcut |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| `exo-open --launch TerminalEmulator` | `Super` + `Return` |
| `xfce4-popup-whiskermenu` | `Super` |
| `xfce4-screenshooter --clipboard --region` | `Shift` + `Super` + `S` |
| `xfce4-screenshooter --clipboard --window` | `Super` + `S` |
| `xfce4-screenshooter --clipboard --fullscreen` | `Print` |
| `sh -c 'xclip -selection clipboard -t image/png -o > "$HOME/Pictures/$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%T).png"'` | `Shift` + `Super` + `V` |
| `xflock4` | `Super` + `L` |
| `loginctl suspend` | `Shift` + `Super` + `L` |
|