How can I change the default window manager for Xfce4?
For some reason, xfwm doesn't run when I run xfce4 shell.
Asked
Active
Viewed 1.1e+01k times
18
Kevin Bowen
- 19,395
- 55
- 76
- 81
idgar
- 2,820
- 7
- 27
- 28
-
How are you starting the xfce4 shell? – ish May 28 '12 at 19:08
-
You use the `--replace` order in a command, such as `compiz --replace` to use Metacity in XFCE or Emerald if it's Installed.. – Uri Herrera May 29 '12 at 03:54
-
Already tried it with xfwm4 --replace but it doesn't last after logging off. – idgar May 29 '12 at 04:15
-
**How are you starting the xfce4 shell?** – ish Jun 03 '12 at 09:17
-
1just choosing xfce session in lightdm – idgar Jun 08 '12 at 21:57
5 Answers
16
Doing YourWindowManager --replace means xfwm4 has already started upon login and you are now stopping it to start a new window manager...that's working but there's a quicker and cleaner way as this guy explains taking kwin as his example.
XFCE starts the window manager specified in /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml or, under xubuntu, in /etc/xdg/xdg-xubuntu/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml
In this file look for the Client0_Command property and edit its value: <value type="string" value="xfwm4"/> to <value type="string" value="kwin"/> (obviously, replace "kwin" with your window manager of choice) You would need to go root. You could also copy and only edit that file in /home/user/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml if you want the changes to only affect your userspace.
Because in XFCE it is common for us to save our session while logging out, don't forget to clean your session: Settings Manager->Session and Startup->Session tab->Clear saved sessions
Now you can logout and back in.
djahma
- 424
- 3
- 7
-
You could do the same from the command line using `xfconf-query --channel xfce4-session --property /sessions/Failsafe/Client0_Command --set openbox --force-array` (change `openbox` to your preferred window manager). – Mikel Feb 05 '18 at 17:40
-
@Mikel This gives me "There are 1 new values, but only 2 types could be determined." – d33tah Feb 09 '18 at 22:22
-
@d33tah This command worked for me with xfconf version 4.12.1: `xfconf-query --channel xfce4-session --property /sessions/Failsafe/Client0_Command --type string --set "awesome" --force-array` – josch Aug 11 '18 at 09:17
14
The easiest way I found to permanently change the default window manager is:
Download your desired WM.
Then go: system tools > preferences > startup applications.
Then click "add".
If you wanted, for example, to change your default WM to metacity, at "name" put "metacity" and at "command" put "metacity --replace". Click "add".
Log out > log in.
Kevin Bowen
- 19,395
- 55
- 76
- 81
Rafael
- 141
- 1
- 3
3
In general...
- Download your desired window manager if you don't already have it
- Run it with --replace, so for the XFCE default manager
xfwm4 --replace - Log out, but ensure that you have checked the 'Save session for future logins' option. The logout dialog, if otherwise unavailable, can be invoked from a command line
xfce4-session-logout
0
To change it to xfwm4, the following command should work. This would change it back to the setting Xfce has by default out of the box.
xfconf-query --channel xfce4-session --property /sessions/Failsafe/Client0_Command --type string --set 'xfwm4' --type string --set '--replace'
jbrock
- 3,227
- 23
- 33
-1
If you prefer a GUI solution, go to:
Settings >> Desktop Settings. In the Desktop Settings dialog, change the Window Manager to the manager of your choice.
Desktop Settings, Window Manager
This works in Linux Mint 20.2
-
Greetings, as LM is not an official Ubuntu derivative, I am voting to delete this as a non-answer. If you wish to post an update relevant to Ubuntu, I'd be happy to reverse the vote. As a LM user, you are more then welcome to post LM related solution on a dedicated LM forum. – mikewhatever Dec 18 '21 at 20:31