xfce change question

[Diametric]

I currently us 10.04 with gnome desktop. Would it be pain in the *** to switch to xfce (xubuntu, I think)? I'd like to try it out, but am also concerned that I won't have the same multi-media abilities with xfce....I use gnome with lost of media players and other shite.

Any feedback from anyone who has switched would be cool.

Thanks!

PS: Want to make sure i was clear about not having to reinstall my OS to try xfce, but to instead remove gnome and try the xfce desktop...

[wildmanne39]

I currently us 10.04 with gnome desktop. Would it be pain in the *** to switch to xfce (xubuntu, I think)? I'd like to try it out, but am also concerned that I won't have the same multi-media abilities with xfce....I use gnome with lost of media players and other shite.

Any feedback from anyone who has switched would be cool.

Thanks!

PS: Want to make sure i was clear about not having to reinstall my OS to try xfce, but to instead remove gnome and try the xfce desktop...Hi,just open synaptic and install xfdesktop4 and that should install everything you need, then you log out and click on your user name go to the bottom of the screen and choose xfce, and you music and all will be able to be played in xfce.

[wildmanne39]

Double post

[Bucky Ball]

Hi,just open synaptic and install xfdesktop4 ...

No! Not xubuntu-desktop! You will also get all the packages ... you will basically be installing Xubuntu and you probably don't want that; you only want to try the xfce desktop environment, NOT Xubuntu.

Just open Synaptics, search for xfce4 and install that. Desktop environment ONLY.

Then log out and from the sessions menu choose 'Xfce Session'. Log in to your xfce DE.

[wildmanne39]

Hi, thank you for correcting my mistake I appreciate it.

[koleoptero]

Xfce doesn't have limited media capabilities. You can use any media program you use in gnome there too. Literally ANY program. So if you want to install xfce alongside gnome for a ride install the above-mentioned package, or if you want to convert your ubuntu installation to a pure xubuntu installation then open a terminal and run:


sudo apt-get remove adium-theme-ubuntu alacarte app-install-data-partner binfmt-support binutils bluez-gstreamer branding-ubuntu brltty brltty-x11 capplets-data checkbox checkbox-gtk cli-common compiz compiz-core compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-gnome compiz-plugins compizconfig-backend-gconf computer-janitor computer-janitor-gtk couchdb-bin dcraw desktopcouch empathy empathy-common eog erlang-base erlang-crypto erlang-inets erlang-mnesia erlang-public-key erlang-runtime-tools erlang-ssl erlang-syntax-tools erlang-xmerl evolution evolution-common evolution-couchdb evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common evolution-exchange evolution-indicator evolution-plugins evolution-webcal example-content f-spot gbrainy gcc gcc-4.4 gconf-defaults-service gconf-editor gdm-guest-session gedit gedit-common gnome-about gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-bluetooth gnome-control-center gnome-disk-utility gnome-media gnome-media-common gnome-nettool gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-power-manager gnome-screensaver gnome-session gnome-session-canberra gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-themes-selected gnome-themes-ubuntu gnome-user-share gnome-utils gstreamer0.10-gnonlin gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-tools gvfs-fuse gwibber gwibber-service humanity-icon-theme ibus ibus-gtk ibus-m17n ibus-table indicator-applet indicator-applet-session indicator-me indicator-messages indicator-session indicator-sound libanthy0 libart2.0-cil libc-dev-bin libc6-dev libcamel1.2-14 libcanberra-pulse libcompizconfig0 libcouchdb-glib-1.0-2 libcryptui0 libdecoration0 libdesktopcouch-glib-1.0-2 libebackend1.2-0 libebook1.2-9 libecal1.2-7 libedata-book1.2-2 libedata-cal1.2-6 libedataserver1.2-11 libedataserverui1.2-8 libegroupwise1.2-13 libexchange-storage1.2-3 libexempi3 libflickrnet2.2-cil libgail-gnome-module libgconf2.0-cil libgd2-xpm libgdata-google1.2-1 libgdata1.2-1 libgdict-1.0-6 libgdiplus libgdu-gtk0 libgif4 libglade2.0-cil libglib2.0-cil libglitz-glx1 libglitz1 libgmime2.4-cil libgnome-keyring1.0-cil libgnome-media0 libgnome-pilot2 libgnome-vfs2.0-cil libgnome-window-settings1 libgnome2.24-cil libgnomepanel2.24-cil libgoocanvas-common libgoocanvas3 libgpgme11 libgpod-common libgpod4 libgraphite3 libgtk2.0-cil libgtkhtml-editor-common libgtkhtml-editor0 libgtkhtml3.14-19 libgtksourceview2.0-0 libgtksourceview2.0-common libgweather-common libgweather1 libhyphen0 libibus1 libical0 libido-0.1-0 liblaunchpad-integration1.0-cil liblpint-bonobo0 libm17n-0 libmetacity-private0 libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil libmono-addins0.2-cil libmono-cairo2.0-cil libmono-corlib2.0-cil libmono-data-tds2.0-cil libmono-i18n-west2.0-cil libmono-posix2.0-cil libmono-security2.0-cil libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil libmono-sqlite2.0-cil libmono-system-data2.0-cil libmono-system-runtime2.0-cil libmono-system-web2.0-cil libmono-system2.0-cil libmono2.0-cil libmtp8 libmusicbrainz4c2a libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil libndesk-dbus1.0-cil libneon27-gnutls libnunit2.4-cil libotf0 libpisock9 libpisync1 libprotobuf5 libprotoc5 libpst4 libpth20 libraptor1 librasqal2 librdf0 libsctp1 libsdl1.2debian-pulseaudio libsqlite0 libstlport4.6ldbl libtelepathy-farsight0 libubuntuone-1.0-1 libupower-glib1 libwmf0.2-7-gtk light-themes linux-headers-2.6.32-21 linux-headers-2.6.32-21-generic linux-headers-generic linux-libc-dev lksctp-tools m17n-contrib m17n-db manpages-dev media-player-info metacity metacity-common mono-2.0-gac mono-gac mono-runtime mousetweaks nautilus nautilus-data nautilus-sendto nautilus-sendto-empathy nautilus-share obexd-client openoffice.org-base-core openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-emailmerge openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-help-en-us openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-galaxy openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer pitivi pkg-config plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo protobuf-compiler pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pulseaudio-module-gconf python-avahi python-configglue python-couchdb python-crypto python-desktopcouch python-desktopcouch-records python-egenix-mxdatetime python-egenix-mxtools python-farsight python-fstab python-gnomekeyring python-gtksourceview2 python-gtkspell python-ibus python-indicate python-mako python-openssl python-pam python-papyon python-protobuf python-pycurl python-pygoocanvas python-pyinotify python-serial python-telepathy python-twisted-bin python-twisted-core python-twisted-names python-twisted-web python-ubuntuone python-ubuntuone-client python-ubuntuone-storageprotocol python-uno python-wnck rdesktop rhythmbox rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder rhythmbox-plugins rhythmbox-ubuntuone-music-store screen-resolution-extra seahorse ssh-askpass-gnome telepathy-butterfly telepathy-gabble telepathy-haze telepathy-idle telepathy-mission-control-5 telepathy-salut tomboy tsclient ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-mono ubuntu-sounds ubuntu-system-service ubuntu-wallpapers ubuntuone-client ubuntuone-client-gnome uno-libs3 upower ure vino whois xdg-user-dirs-gtk xfonts-mathml && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop


WARNING: this only applies to 10.04. For the rest of the versions check here (http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/purexfce)

[Diametric]

thanks for the awesome answers, everyone - but it looks like I ran into a snag.

I did the following:

1. installed the xfce4 package and associated files
2. logged out and did not see the option to log into a xfce desktop
3. rebooted and still did not see the option
4. reinstalled the xfce package...still nothing.

Any ideas on what I could have done wrong?

Cheers,
-Dylan

[SoFl W]

After you selected your name, at the bottom in the "session" box (on the right), the choice should be there.

[Diametric]

Yup, that was it. Many thanks for your help.

My first impression is that the menu listing is a bit cluttered - not a huge deal, but doesn't seem as clean. However, it also appears to be much faster than gnome. going to play with it for a bit and see how I like it.

Thanks all...

[Bucky Ball]

Menu list not as clean? You shouldn't have installed any other packages by installing Xfce4, just DE. Remember, you are running Xfce as a DE in Ubuntu, therefore you actually have all the Ubuntu packages installed. A full Xubuntu install has less packages than Ubuntu (by quite a bit) so faster again.

Yes, Xfce is faster than Gnome. I did a minimal install a couple of weeks ago (of Xubuntu) and was getting to login screen in about 12 seconds! Love Xfce, I do. ;)

Have fun.