What's New in Xfce

ToZ · 2014-07-10 03:16:25

Given the recent posts regarding a perceived lack of development in Xfce, and since I follow the dev mailing list and see the announcements about new features/enhancements and regularly build Xfce from git, I thought I'd start this thread to show whats being worked on and whats coming down the pipeline. To kick it off, here are three recent enhancements:

1. Xfce Power Manager
Recent enhancements to better support systemd and upower along with some design changes:

2. Parole
Complete update and redesign:

3. Display Manager
Introduction of a new drag-and-drop display settings dialog. This new dialog works more reliably and is significantly easier to use with multiple monitors. It is based on the MATE Display Settings dialog, while maintaining the Xfce flair. (Sorry, I don't have multiple monitors to fully demonstrate this enhancement):

I'll add to this thread as new enhancements are commited to the master branch.

EDIT: Updated xfce4-power-manager screenshots to account for today's design/layout changes.

Last edited by ToZ (2014-07-27 21:38:18)

the98 · 2014-07-10 15:09:59

Thanks for the news, ToZ big_smile

ToZ · 2014-07-11 23:45:27

Mousepad
- new Preferences dialog
- new toolbar
- numerous minor changes
- new fullscreen mode

Last edited by ToZ (2014-07-15 02:03:49)

videodrome · 2014-07-14 20:15:15

It is very helpful to have someone in the know posting active development updates like this. I appreciate it. A little news goes a very long way. Please remind the Xfce website administrator of this fact. Thanks

xfce6565 · 2014-07-14 22:01:12

not use mousepad is a word too long to write. I prefer to use gedit. It would be easier to use eg. "mpad"

ToZ · 2014-07-14 23:38:22

xfce6565 wrote:

not use mousepad is a word too long to write. I prefer to use gedit. It would be easier to use eg. "mpad"

Just add:

alias mpad='mousepad'

...to your $HOME/.bashrc file (if you are using bash) and then you can use "mpad" to start mousepad.

xfce6565 · 2014-07-15 01:03:13

thanks smile

ToZ · 2014-07-15 02:04:28

Updated Mousepad screenshots in post #3 to show newly-added options.

Last edited by ToZ (2014-07-15 02:04:40)

ToZ · 2014-07-15 02:14:10

Updated xfce4-power-manager screenshots in post #1 to reflect option changes.

xfce6565 · 2014-07-15 18:43:15

how to update xfce-power-manager, parole and display manger?
Update Xubuntu but these programs are not updated with new features.

ToZ · 2014-07-15 22:00:39

xfce6565 wrote:

how to update xfce-power-manager, parole and display manger?
Update Xubuntu but these programs are not updated with new features.

The only way now is to build from source. Barring that, you'll need to wait for someone to throw up a PPA or wait until an official release. From what I've read on the dev list, they are looking to release 4.12 later this year, in time for Debian Jesse.

gxagar · 2014-07-17 19:47:56

Nice update, ToZ. Thanks for keeping us informed. Some folks gotta learn that slow and sure doesn't mean stopped and dead.

ToZ · 2014-07-19 15:01:21

A couple of updates:

1. Mousepad now supports gtk3. Here are 2 screens of the Preferences and Open file dialogs:

2. Xfdesktop bug fix that fixes an issue where thumbnails are missing from the desktop (I've seen some complaints about this issue recently):

Jristz · 2014-07-21 06:10:50

so as far only Mousepad and PArole has been ṕorted to GTk-3, right?

I read about adding the "add tab permanently/always enven if is 1" to Thunar, this is a thing or no progress?

ToZ · 2014-07-21 10:35:25

Jristz wrote:

so as far only Mousepad and PArole has been ṕorted to GTk-3, right?

It also looks like xfce4-notes-plugin and xfce4-indicator-plugin have been ported, as well as xfce4-panel supporting GTK3 plugins.

I read about adding the "add tab permanently/always enven if is 1" to Thunar, this is a thing or no progress?

I can't find any setting in thunar that does that. Do you have a link I can read through for more information?

cwizard · 2014-07-21 13:57:00

@ToZ,
Thank you very much for the information. Greatly appreciated.
Do you know if a GUI menu editor will be included in the next release?
Thanks, again.

ToZ · 2014-07-21 16:26:44

cwizard wrote:

@ToZ,
Thank you very much for the information. Greatly appreciated.
Do you know if a GUI menu editor will be included in the next release?
Thanks, again.

I don't believe so (there isn't anything currently in the git tree and I haven't heard of anything). We're still reliant on alacarte or menulibre to do gui menu editing, or manually by hand.

Korrode · 2014-07-22 07:06:56

Shameless Manjaro plug:

Our users already have all of these updates, AFAIK. smile

ToZ · 2014-07-22 10:29:08

Korrode wrote:

Shameless Manjaro plug:
Our users already have all of these updates, AFAIK.

It looks like in packages-extra, it grabs xfce4-power-manager from git so yes, it would have the latest version of xfce4-power-manager (though I'm not sure how it would be updated when a new git commit is made). Mousepad and parole though are installed from archive files so they are not at the latest versions.

However, with Arch Linux or any Arch derivative, you can install the git versions of these applications from the AUR to get the latest.

Korrode · 2014-07-22 10:49:40

ToZ wrote:

(though I'm not sure how it would be updated when a new git commit is made).

We do it manually when we see worthwhile new features or bugfixes committed, or when we have to (eg. recent changes to upower meant we had to). Our current xfce4-power-manager is only 6 days old.
(and, of course, these development pulls go through our unstable and then testing branches for quality checking)

ToZ wrote:

parole

We have Parole 0.7.0, which was released 16 days ago.
The Parole installed on my system is the same as your screenshots.

You've prompted me to realise our Parole package sources are not on our Git. I'll get that resolved.

ToZ wrote:

Mousepad

Yes sorry, I was referring to your first post. Though, GTK3 support doesn't mean new functionality anyway... and don't consider GTK3 to be worth much. On rolling release all we see it meaning is periods of breakage.

Last edited by Korrode (2014-07-22 11:01:04)

ToZ · 2014-07-22 13:00:15

Out of curiosity, where is parole coming from? I don't see it in package-extras. Doesn't Manjaro use mostly Arch packages but with the additions in package-extras? (I've used Manjaro in the past, maybe time to fire it up again to have a closer look).

And I agree with your comments about GTK3. I run Arch on my laptop and every GTK3 update leads to either breakage or general ugliness.

cwizard · 2014-07-22 13:32:22

ToZ wrote:

cwizard wrote:
@ToZ,
Thank you very much for the information. Greatly appreciated.
Do you know if a GUI menu editor will be included in the next release?
Thanks, again.
I don't believe so (there isn't anything currently in the git tree and I haven't heard of anything). We're still reliant on alacarte or menulibre to do gui menu editing, or manually by hand.

Sigh... After all these years they still can't put out a menu editor?! Time to move on.

Korrode · 2014-07-22 13:51:10

ToZ wrote:

Out of curiosity, where is parole coming from? I don't see it in package-extras. Doesn't Manjaro use mostly Arch packages but with the additions in package-extras? (I've used Manjaro in the past, maybe time to fire it up again to have a closer look).

Parole is in packages-community (it is in Arch too).

I've just realised 0.7.0 was only packaged 2 days ago, so it's only in our Unstable branch (sorry, this means i was mistaken before when i made the general statement that our users already have it, since it's not in Stable branch yet... but it will be very soon)

ToZ · 2014-07-22 16:51:37

Korrode wrote:

... but it will be very soon)

Sweet. It's a nice enhancement over the previous version.

ToZ · 2014-07-27 15:25:53

Updated first post with new xfce4-power-manager settings screenshots - there have been alot of design changes including the retirement of the brightness plugin as it will now be handled by the power manager (still need to get an updated screen of the brightness tab).

Also, many bug fixes coming through - have a look at the commit mailing list to see them.

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#1 2014-07-10 03:16:25

What's New in Xfce

#2 2014-07-10 15:09:59

Re: What's New in Xfce

#3 2014-07-11 23:45:27

Re: What's New in Xfce

#4 2014-07-14 20:15:15

Re: What's New in Xfce

#5 2014-07-14 22:01:12

Re: What's New in Xfce

#6 2014-07-14 23:38:22

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#7 2014-07-15 01:03:13

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#8 2014-07-15 02:04:28

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#9 2014-07-15 02:14:10

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#10 2014-07-15 18:43:15

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#11 2014-07-15 22:00:39

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#12 2014-07-17 19:47:56

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#13 2014-07-19 15:01:21

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#14 2014-07-21 06:10:50

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#15 2014-07-21 10:35:25

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#16 2014-07-21 13:57:00

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#17 2014-07-21 16:26:44

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#18 2014-07-22 07:06:56

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#19 2014-07-22 10:29:08

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#20 2014-07-22 10:49:40

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#21 2014-07-22 13:00:15

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#22 2014-07-22 13:32:22

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#23 2014-07-22 13:51:10

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#24 2014-07-22 16:51:37

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#25 2014-07-27 15:25:53

Re: What's New in Xfce

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