{"id":18601954,"url":"https://github.com/coonrad/debian-xfce4-minimal-install","last_synced_at":"2025-09-02T23:31:12.645Z","repository":{"id":39814742,"uuid":"329837689","full_name":"coonrad/Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install","owner":"coonrad","description":"Debian minimal Xfce desktop installation guide.","archived":false,"fork":false,"pushed_at":"2024-06-28T00:53:39.000Z","size":790,"stargazers_count":113,"open_issues_count":3,"forks_count":19,"subscribers_count":4,"default_branch":"main","last_synced_at":"2024-12-23T04:07:12.950Z","etag":null,"topics":["debian","guide","install","minimal","xfce4"],"latest_commit_sha":null,"homepage":"","language":"Shell","has_issues":true,"has_wiki":null,"has_pages":null,"mirror_url":null,"source_name":null,"license":null,"status":null,"scm":"git","pull_requests_enabled":true,"icon_url":"https://github.com/coonrad.png","metadata":{"files":{"readme":"README.md","changelog":null,"contributing":null,"funding":null,"license":null,"code_of_conduct":null,"threat_model":null,"audit":null,"citation":null,"codeowners":null,"security":null,"support":null,"governance":null,"roadmap":null,"authors":null,"dei":null,"publiccode":null,"codemeta":null}},"created_at":"2021-01-15T07:17:52.000Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T22:32:20.000Z","dependencies_parsed_at":"2024-06-28T02:11:38.134Z","dependency_job_id":"75d61166-2e55-4ea7-9073-3875f77be13d","html_url":"https://github.com/coonrad/Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install","commit_stats":null,"previous_names":[],"tags_count":0,"template":false,"template_full_name":null,"repository_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/coonrad%2FDebian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install","tags_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/coonrad%2FDebian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install/tags","releases_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/coonrad%2FDebian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install/releases","manifests_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/coonrad%2FDebian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install/manifests","owner_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners/coonrad","download_url":"https://codeload.github.com/coonrad/Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install/tar.gz/refs/heads/main","host":{"name":"GitHub","url":"https://github.com","kind":"github","repositories_count":231814991,"owners_count":18430609,"icon_url":"https://github.com/github.png","version":null,"created_at":"2022-05-30T11:31:42.601Z","updated_at":"2022-07-04T15:15:14.044Z","host_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub","repositories_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories","repository_names_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repository_names","owners_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners"}},"keywords":["debian","guide","install","minimal","xfce4"],"created_at":"2024-11-07T02:09:50.454Z","updated_at":"2025-09-02T23:31:12.617Z","avatar_url":"https://github.com/coonrad.png","language":"Shell","funding_links":[],"categories":[],"sub_categories":[],"readme":"![debian-xfce.jpg](debian-xfce.jpg)\n\n## Debian Xfce4 Minimal Install Guide\n\nThe standard Debian installation process for Xfce desktop includes additional packages that may not be necessary for many users. This guide will allow you to install a minimal Xfce desktop, adding additional packages as needed.\n\n## Requirements\n\n* A debian installation (hardware or virtual machine) with appropriate video drivers.\n\n* sudo privileges to install packages and run optional install script.\n\n* Installation of `git` to clone this repo `sudo pkg install git`\n\n* Installation of `bash` to run install script `sudo pkg install bash`\n\n## ISO for Installing Debian\n\n* [debian-12.4.0-amd64-netinst.iso](https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/debian-12.4.0-amd64-netinst.iso)\n\n* [Installing Debian 12](https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/debian-installer/)\n\n* [Debian “bookworm” Release Information](https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/)\n\n## Installing Debian without a desktop environment\n\nAs you progress through the debian installation, towards the end you will be presented with the following screen for Software selection:\n\n![debian-installer.jpg](debian12-installer.jpg)\n\nUncheck **Debian desktop environment** to install a minimal debian system.\n\n## Update sources to testing or unstable (optional)\n\nUpdate sources to `trixie`. The current testing branch.\n\n`sudo nano /etc/apt/sources`:\n\n```bash\ndeb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie main\n#deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie main\n\ndeb http://security.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main\n#deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main\n\ndeb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie-updates main\n#deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie-updates main\n```\n\nAdd `contrib non-free-firmware` after each `main` entry if you need special drivers or additional firmware.\n\nThe other option would be debian sid. Update `sources` as follows:\n\n```bash\ndeb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ unstable main\n#deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ unstable main\n```\n\nUpgrade your system:\n\n```bash\nsudo apt update \u0026\u0026 apt upgrade\n```\n\nReboot to load updated kernel and services.\n\n## Quick install Xfce and required packages\n\n```bash\ngit clone https://github.com/coonrad/Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install.git\ncd Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install\nsudo ./xfce-install.sh\n```\n\n## Manually install Xfce and required packages\n\nIf you've read this far, and you're getting impatient:\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install xfce4\n```\n\nThis will give you a basic Xfce desktop with lightdm greeter. For additional plugins and ''goodies', add:\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install xfce4-goodies\n```\n\nThis still may include too much 'stuff' for the minimalists among us. In that case, strip it down further and start with:\n\n```bash\napt install \\\n    libxfce4ui-utils \\\n    thunar \\\n    xfce4-appfinder \\\n    xfce4-panel \\\n    xfce4-session \\\n    xfce4-settings \\\n    xfce4-terminal \\\n    xfconf \\\n    xfdesktop4 \\\n    xfwm4\n\n# laptop users may want to add\n# xfce4-battery-plugin\n```\n\nFrom this point you should have a working Xfce desktop environment. You can reboot, and add only what you need going forward. If you plan to start xfce4 without lightdm, you may need to install xinit.\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install xinit\n```\n\n## Additional packages and configuration\n\nAdd a browser, password manager, document viewer, image viewer and office apps:\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install firefox-esr keepassxc atril ristretto libreoffice-gtk3 \\\nlibreoffice-calc libreoffice-writer\n```\n\nAdd NetworkManager and openvpn:\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install network-manager-openvpn network-manager-gnome \\\nnetwork-manager-openvpn-gnome\n```\n\nAdd a few nice icon themes to choose from:\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install paper-icon-theme moka-icon-theme papirus-icon-theme\n```\n\nKeep the default Adwaita theme as scientists have proven it is the best theme. Xfce comes with Lightdm for the display manager. It sources `.xessionrc` on login. Here are a few useful additions:\n\n```bash\n# source the system profile\n# if [ -f /etc/profile ]; then\n#     . /etc/profile\n# fi\n\n# QT5 qt5ct\nexport QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt5ct\n\n# QT5 scaling\n# Uncomment for hidpi display\n# export QT_AUTO_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTOR=1\n# export QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS=2\n```\n\nInstall `qt5ct` and `adwaita-qt` to have your QT apps match the default GTK theme.\n\n```bash\nsudo apt install qt5ct adwaita-qt\n```\n\nLaunch `qt5ct` and configure the theme and fonts.\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fcoonrad%2Fdebian-xfce4-minimal-install","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fcoonrad%2Fdebian-xfce4-minimal-install","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fcoonrad%2Fdebian-xfce4-minimal-install/lists"}