Xfce & Xubuntu 2018 Year In Review
January
News
- Xubuntu 17.04 “Zesty Zapus” reached End of Life
- Xubuntu 17.10.1 “Artful Aardvark” was released, resolving the Lenovo BIOS corruption bug
Major Releases
- MenuLibre 2.1.4 introduced some useful new features to the popular menu editor, including a Test Launcher button to try out a launcher before saving and the Parsing Errors dialog to easily identify menu configuration issues.
Other Notable Releases
- Catfish 1.4.4 (performance and error handling improvements)
- Xfce Timer Plugin 1.7.0 (GTK+ 3 port and UI improvements)
February
News
Major Releases
- Exo 0.12.0 was the first stable Xfce 4.14 release for the Xfce application development library. The new release included support for both GTK+ 2 and 3, and added Brave, Geary, Google Chrome, and Vivaldi to the natively supported application defaults.
- MenuLibre 2.1.5 expanded it’s support of desktop environments. With this release, MenuLibre’s powerful menu editing options are available for Budgie, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, Pantheon, Unity, and Xfce.
Other Notable Releases
- Thunar 1.6.14 (stable bugfix release)
- Thunar 1.7.1 (development bugfix and feature release)
- Thunar Media Tags Plugin 0.3.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- thunarx-python 0.5.1 (Python 3 documentation fixes)
- Xfce PulseAudio Plugin 0.3.5 (improved device and media player management)
- Xfce Terminal 0.8.7 / 0.8.7.1 (bugfixes and new configuration options)
- xfce4-volumed-pulse 0.2.3 (GTK+ 3 port)
March
News
Major Releases
- MenuLibre 2.2.0 was finally released with an expansive list of improvements. Expanded desktop environment support, easy window identification, launcher testing, and parsing error reporting are just a few of the key improvements.
- Parole Media Player 1.0.0 included playback performance updates, automatic video output selection, and improved podcast and live stream support. The new Mini Mode reduces the player to a small window that simultaneously stays out of the way and in reach.
- Xfce PulseAudio Plugin 0.4.0 introduced device manage and MPRIS support to the audio management plugin. Available input and output devices can be selected from the plugin menu, immediately moving streams to the new device. MPRIS support adds media player controls for supported applications.
- Xfce Settings 4.12.2, 4.12.3, and 4.13.2 improved multi-monitor support for both stable and development releases. The mouse cursor can now be shown with the press of a key, configurable with the Xfce Settings Manager.
Other Notable Releases
- LightDM GTK+ Greeter 2.0.5 (improved defaults and theme support)
- Thunar Shares Plugin 0.3.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Tumbler 0.1.33 and 0.2.1 (bugfix releases)
- Xfce Indicator Plugin 2.3.4 (fixed builds with Xfce 4.14 development libraries)
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.2 (improved stability and several bug fixes)
- Xfce Terminal 0.8.7.2 and 0.8.7.3 (bugfix releases)
April
News
- Xubuntu 18.04 Community Wallpaper Contest winners were announced
- Xubuntu 18.04 was released! I featured some screenshots here.
Major Releases
- Xubuntu 18.04 “Bionic Beaver”, an LTS release supported for 3 years, was released with 32-bit and 64-bit downloads available. This release included some new desktop applications: Some MATE components replaced their GNOME counterparts for improved desktop consistency; Xfce PulseAudio Plugin replaced the Sound Indicator; and the Xfce Notifications plugin, featuring a new Do Not Disturb mode, was added to the panel.
Other Notable Releases
- Parole Media Player 1.0.1 (translations)
- Thunar 1.6.15 and 1.7.2 (bugfix releases)
- Xfce PulseAudio Plugin 0.4.1 (translations)
- Xfce Verve Plugin 1.1.1 (GTK+ 2, translations and feature release)
- Xfce Verve Plugin 2.0.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.1.6 and 2.1.7 (translations and bug fixes)
May
This was the first month I started published monthly news roundups. For an in-depth look at May’s development progress, check out the June Development Update.
News
- New Xubuntu Testers Wiki Pages, written by the testers themselves, were announced
- The last of Xubuntu’s repositories were migrated from Bazaar to Git
- The codename for Ubuntu 18.10, “Cosmic Cuttlefish”, was announced
- Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, and Ubuntu Studio announced that they would no longer provide 32-bit ISOs for 18.10 and forward
- I chatted about Xfce and Xubuntu on Destination Linux and Late Night Linux Extra
Notable Releases
- Xfce CPU Frequency Plugin 1.2.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Screenshooter 1.9.2 (various enhancements and dropped Zimagez support)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.0 (bug fixes and code quality improvements)
- Xfce Panel 4.13.3 (bug fixes and usability improvements)
- Xfce Terminal 0.8.7.4 (bugfix and feature release)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.0 (performance and usability improvements)
June
Major Releases
- Thunar 1.8.0 and 1.8.1 were the first stable GTK+ 3 releases of the Xfce file manager, offering major usability and developer-friendly improvements. The pathbar now includes navigation buttons and a much tidier location selector. GObject Introspection for Thunar’s plugin library makes it possible to develop plugins in a number of programming languages.
- Xfce Settings 4.12.4 and 4.13.4 featured improvements to display manufacturer recognition. The mappings were updated and various manufacturer names were simplified for better screen real estate. 4.13.4 introduced Xrandr display scaling, making it possible to scale the X display and all applications.
Other Notable Releases
- Exo 0.12.2 (performance improvements and support for the latest GCC)
- libxfce4util 4.13.2 (support for Vala bindings and improved documentation builds
- Mousepad 0.4.1 (bugfix release)
- Ristretto 0.8.3 (Port to GDBus and various bug fixes)
- Thunar VCS Plugin 0.1.90 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Desktop 4.13.2 (support for the Thunarx-3 API and various bug fixes)
- Xfce Dictionary 0.8.1 (appearance improvements)
- Xfce Task Manager 1.2.1 (bug fixes and a new –start-hidden commandline flag)
- Xfconf 4.13.5 (bugfix release)
July
News
- Xubuntu 17.10 is now End of Life
- Xubuntu 18.04.1 was released
- Catfish and Xfce Panel Profiles became official Xfce projects
Major Releases
- Xubuntu 18.04.1, the first point release in the Bionic Beaver series, became available. At this time, users of a prior release should have received an upgrade notice. This release included several stability and performance improvements.
- Xfwm 4.13.1 included a massive amount of updates, including a full port to GTK+ 3 and various fixes. This component is one of the critical pieces of the Xfce 4.14 release, so it’s great to see it humming along.
Other Notable Releases
- Catfish 1.4.6 (improved thumbnailer and various bug fixes)
- Thunar VCS Plugin 0.2.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Mount Plugin 1.1.3 (translation updates)
- Xfce Panel Profiles 1.0.8 (bugfix release)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.1 (bugfix release)
- Xfwm 4.12.5 (bugfix release)
August
Notable Releases
- Mugshot 0.4.1 (bug fixes and code quality improvements)
- Xfce Appfinder 4.13.1 (bug fixes and usability improvements)
- Xfce Screenshooter 1.9.3 (bugfix and feature release)
- Xfce Session 4.13.1 (numerous bug fixes and code quality improvements)
September
September & October Development Roundup
News
- Elementary Xfce 0.13 switched to Manila folder icons, following upstream
Notable Releases
- Thunar 1.8.2 (bugfix release)
- Tumbler 0.2.2 and 0.2.3 (bug fixes and performance improvements)
- Xfce Battery Plugin 1.1.1 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Cpufreq Plugin 1.2.1 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Weather Plugin 0.9.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
October
September & October Development Roundup
News
Major Releases
- Xubuntu 18.10 “Cosmic Cuttlefish” featured a number of appearance updates and Xfce 4.14 components. Our icon theme, elementary-xfce, was updated with new manila folder icons and optimized, resulting in a smaller install size and improved performance. Many more GTK+ 3 Xfce applications were included.
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.0 (and 0.1.1) was announced as a new screen locker and screensaver for Xfce. This application is a port of MATE Screensaver, adapted to tightly integrate with the Xfce desktop. It shares theming with LightDM GTK+ Greeter to guarantee a consistent login and lock experience for users of both.
- Xfce Settings 4.13.5 featured the new display profiles: saved multi-monitor layouts that are automatically applied when a new monitor configuration is detected. This works with multi-monitor layouts as well as switching a laptop to use only the external display when connected.
Other Notable Releases
- Exo 0.12.3 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Gigolo 0.4.90 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Clipman Plugin 1.4.3 (bug fix and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.3 (bugfix release)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.90 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.3.0 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
November
Major Releases
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.3 is the first beta release of the new Xfce Screensaver. It features an expanded configuration dialog, better support for X11 Screensaver and XDG Screensaver, and fully documented functionality. With a focus on improved code quality, contributors should have a much easier time with the project going forward.
Other Notable Releases
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.2 (bugfix release)
- Thunar Volume Manager 0.9.1 (bug fixes, appearance improvements, and Blu-Ray media support)
- Xfce Dictionary 0.8.2 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce System Load Plugin 1.2.2 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
December
News
- Lubuntu and Xubuntu announced that they will no longer ship 32-bit ISOs for Ubuntu 19.04 and onwards. Ubuntu 18.04 will continue to be supported for the 3-year LTS support window.
- André Miranda published The Ultimate Contributor’s Guide to Xfce, which is definitely a worthwhile read for new and existing contributors.
Notable Releases
- Garcon 0.6.2 (bugfix release)
- Xfce Appfinder 4.13.2 (bugfix release)
- Xfce MPC Plugin 0.5.1 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Task Manager 1.2.2 (bug fixes and usability improvements)
Cheers to 2019
Look out for Xfce 4.14, we’re so close! Keep an eye out for more updates in the coming months.
Xfce & Xubuntu 2018 Year In Review
January
News
- Xubuntu 17.04 “Zesty Zapus” reached End of Life
- Xubuntu 17.10.1 “Artful Aardvark” was released, resolving the Lenovo BIOS corruption bug
Major Releases
- MenuLibre 2.1.4 introduced some useful new features to the popular menu editor, including a Test Launcher button to try out a launcher before saving and the Parsing Errors dialog to easily identify menu configuration issues.
Other Notable Releases
- Catfish 1.4.4 (performance and error handling improvements)
- Xfce Timer Plugin 1.7.0 (GTK+ 3 port and UI improvements)
February
News
Major Releases
- Exo 0.12.0 was the first stable Xfce 4.14 release for the Xfce application development library. The new release included support for both GTK+ 2 and 3, and added Brave, Geary, Google Chrome, and Vivaldi to the natively supported application defaults.
- MenuLibre 2.1.5 expanded it’s support of desktop environments. With this release, MenuLibre’s powerful menu editing options are available for Budgie, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, Pantheon, Unity, and Xfce.
Other Notable Releases
- Thunar 1.6.14 (stable bugfix release)
- Thunar 1.7.1 (development bugfix and feature release)
- Thunar Media Tags Plugin 0.3.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- thunarx-python 0.5.1 (Python 3 documentation fixes)
- Xfce PulseAudio Plugin 0.3.5 (improved device and media player management)
- Xfce Terminal 0.8.7 / 0.8.7.1 (bugfixes and new configuration options)
- xfce4-volumed-pulse 0.2.3 (GTK+ 3 port)
March
News
Major Releases
- MenuLibre 2.2.0 was finally released with an expansive list of improvements. Expanded desktop environment support, easy window identification, launcher testing, and parsing error reporting are just a few of the key improvements.
- Parole Media Player 1.0.0 included playback performance updates, automatic video output selection, and improved podcast and live stream support. The new Mini Mode reduces the player to a small window that simultaneously stays out of the way and in reach.
- Xfce PulseAudio Plugin 0.4.0 introduced device manage and MPRIS support to the audio management plugin. Available input and output devices can be selected from the plugin menu, immediately moving streams to the new device. MPRIS support adds media player controls for supported applications.
- Xfce Settings 4.12.2, 4.12.3, and 4.13.2 improved multi-monitor support for both stable and development releases. The mouse cursor can now be shown with the press of a key, configurable with the Xfce Settings Manager.
Other Notable Releases
- LightDM GTK+ Greeter 2.0.5 (improved defaults and theme support)
- Thunar Shares Plugin 0.3.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Tumbler 0.1.33 and 0.2.1 (bugfix releases)
- Xfce Indicator Plugin 2.3.4 (fixed builds with Xfce 4.14 development libraries)
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.2 (improved stability and several bug fixes)
- Xfce Terminal 0.8.7.2 and 0.8.7.3 (bugfix releases)
April
News
- Xubuntu 18.04 Community Wallpaper Contest winners were announced
- Xubuntu 18.04 was released! I featured some screenshots here.
Major Releases
- Xubuntu 18.04 “Bionic Beaver”, an LTS release supported for 3 years, was released with 32-bit and 64-bit downloads available. This release included some new desktop applications: Some MATE components replaced their GNOME counterparts for improved desktop consistency; Xfce PulseAudio Plugin replaced the Sound Indicator; and the Xfce Notifications plugin, featuring a new Do Not Disturb mode, was added to the panel.
Other Notable Releases
- Parole Media Player 1.0.1 (translations)
- Thunar 1.6.15 and 1.7.2 (bugfix releases)
- Xfce PulseAudio Plugin 0.4.1 (translations)
- Xfce Verve Plugin 1.1.1 (GTK+ 2, translations and feature release)
- Xfce Verve Plugin 2.0.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.1.6 and 2.1.7 (translations and bug fixes)
May
This was the first month I started published monthly news roundups. For an in-depth look at May’s development progress, check out the June Development Update.
News
- New Xubuntu Testers Wiki Pages, written by the testers themselves, were announced
- The last of Xubuntu’s repositories were migrated from Bazaar to Git
- The codename for Ubuntu 18.10, “Cosmic Cuttlefish”, was announced
- Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, and Ubuntu Studio announced that they would no longer provide 32-bit ISOs for 18.10 and forward
- I chatted about Xfce and Xubuntu on Destination Linux and Late Night Linux Extra
Notable Releases
- Xfce CPU Frequency Plugin 1.2.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Screenshooter 1.9.2 (various enhancements and dropped Zimagez support)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.0 (bug fixes and code quality improvements)
- Xfce Panel 4.13.3 (bug fixes and usability improvements)
- Xfce Terminal 0.8.7.4 (bugfix and feature release)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.0 (performance and usability improvements)
June
Major Releases
- Thunar 1.8.0 and 1.8.1 were the first stable GTK+ 3 releases of the Xfce file manager, offering major usability and developer-friendly improvements. The pathbar now includes navigation buttons and a much tidier location selector. GObject Introspection for Thunar’s plugin library makes it possible to develop plugins in a number of programming languages.
- Xfce Settings 4.12.4 and 4.13.4 featured improvements to display manufacturer recognition. The mappings were updated and various manufacturer names were simplified for better screen real estate. 4.13.4 introduced Xrandr display scaling, making it possible to scale the X display and all applications.
Other Notable Releases
- Exo 0.12.2 (performance improvements and support for the latest GCC)
- libxfce4util 4.13.2 (support for Vala bindings and improved documentation builds
- Mousepad 0.4.1 (bugfix release)
- Ristretto 0.8.3 (Port to GDBus and various bug fixes)
- Thunar VCS Plugin 0.1.90 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Desktop 4.13.2 (support for the Thunarx-3 API and various bug fixes)
- Xfce Dictionary 0.8.1 (appearance improvements)
- Xfce Task Manager 1.2.1 (bug fixes and a new –start-hidden commandline flag)
- Xfconf 4.13.5 (bugfix release)
July
News
- Xubuntu 17.10 is now End of Life
- Xubuntu 18.04.1 was released
- Catfish and Xfce Panel Profiles became official Xfce projects
Major Releases
- Xubuntu 18.04.1, the first point release in the Bionic Beaver series, became available. At this time, users of a prior release should have received an upgrade notice. This release included several stability and performance improvements.
- Xfwm 4.13.1 included a massive amount of updates, including a full port to GTK+ 3 and various fixes. This component is one of the critical pieces of the Xfce 4.14 release, so it’s great to see it humming along.
Other Notable Releases
- Catfish 1.4.6 (improved thumbnailer and various bug fixes)
- Thunar VCS Plugin 0.2.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Mount Plugin 1.1.3 (translation updates)
- Xfce Panel Profiles 1.0.8 (bugfix release)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.1 (bugfix release)
- Xfwm 4.12.5 (bugfix release)
August
Notable Releases
- Mugshot 0.4.1 (bug fixes and code quality improvements)
- Xfce Appfinder 4.13.1 (bug fixes and usability improvements)
- Xfce Screenshooter 1.9.3 (bugfix and feature release)
- Xfce Session 4.13.1 (numerous bug fixes and code quality improvements)
September
September & October Development Roundup
News
- Elementary Xfce 0.13 switched to Manila folder icons, following upstream
Notable Releases
- Thunar 1.8.2 (bugfix release)
- Tumbler 0.2.2 and 0.2.3 (bug fixes and performance improvements)
- Xfce Battery Plugin 1.1.1 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Cpufreq Plugin 1.2.1 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Weather Plugin 0.9.0 (GTK+ 3 port)
October
September & October Development Roundup
News
Major Releases
- Xubuntu 18.10 “Cosmic Cuttlefish” featured a number of appearance updates and Xfce 4.14 components. Our icon theme, elementary-xfce, was updated with new manila folder icons and optimized, resulting in a smaller install size and improved performance. Many more GTK+ 3 Xfce applications were included.
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.0 (and 0.1.1) was announced as a new screen locker and screensaver for Xfce. This application is a port of MATE Screensaver, adapted to tightly integrate with the Xfce desktop. It shares theming with LightDM GTK+ Greeter to guarantee a consistent login and lock experience for users of both.
- Xfce Settings 4.13.5 featured the new display profiles: saved multi-monitor layouts that are automatically applied when a new monitor configuration is detected. This works with multi-monitor layouts as well as switching a laptop to use only the external display when connected.
Other Notable Releases
- Exo 0.12.3 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Gigolo 0.4.90 (GTK+ 3 port)
- Xfce Clipman Plugin 1.4.3 (bug fix and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.3 (bugfix release)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.90 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.3.0 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
November
Major Releases
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.3 is the first beta release of the new Xfce Screensaver. It features an expanded configuration dialog, better support for X11 Screensaver and XDG Screensaver, and fully documented functionality. With a focus on improved code quality, contributors should have a much easier time with the project going forward.
Other Notable Releases
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.2 (bugfix release)
- Thunar Volume Manager 0.9.1 (bug fixes, appearance improvements, and Blu-Ray media support)
- Xfce Dictionary 0.8.2 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce System Load Plugin 1.2.2 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
December
News
- Lubuntu and Xubuntu announced that they will no longer ship 32-bit ISOs for Ubuntu 19.04 and onwards. Ubuntu 18.04 will continue to be supported for the 3-year LTS support window.
- André Miranda published The Ultimate Contributor’s Guide to Xfce, which is definitely a worthwhile read for new and existing contributors.
Notable Releases
- Garcon 0.6.2 (bugfix release)
- Xfce Appfinder 4.13.2 (bugfix release)
- Xfce MPC Plugin 0.5.1 (bug fixes and appearance improvements)
- Xfce Task Manager 1.2.2 (bug fixes and usability improvements)
Cheers to 2019
Look out for Xfce 4.14, we’re so close! Keep an eye out for more updates in the coming months.
Xfce Screensaver 0.1.3 Released
After 3 weeks of dedicated development time, the first Xfce Screensaver beta release is now available! With better event handling, a significantly upgraded preferences dialog, and a tidier codebase, the new version is nearly ready for prime time.
What’s New?
Features
- All available configuration options are now available in the Preferences dialog, boosting the easily accessible options from 4 to 13!
- Idle time is now based on the X11 Screensaver plugin instead of the GNOME Session Manager.
- Xfce Screensaver now respects the xdg-screensaver state, inhibiting the screensaver when using apps like Caffeine or watching a fullscreen video.
- Screensaver and lock screen functionality can easily now be toggled separately.
General
- All deprecated DBUS methods and signals have been removed from the documentation.
- Documentation has been written and is available at on the Xfce Docs site. Available docs include:
Preferences
- Dropped unused configuration options [1, 2, 3]
- Renamed all Xfconf properties for improved clarity and easier maintenance [1, 2]
Bug Fixes
- Replaced Help link with a link to the Xfce Docs (Xfce #14877)
- Added /usr/lib and /usr/libexec as trusted engine paths, enabling local installs on Linux with access to existing screensavers (Xfce #14883)
- Fixed screen blanking and locking on FreeBSD and OpenBSD (Xfce #14846)
- Fixed lock screen crash on laptop lid-close events (GTK #1466)
- Fixed daemon crash when scrolling through available themes
- Improved window size resizing for smaller displays
- Renamed included screensavers to avoid conflicts with MATE Screensaver
- Reduced flicker rate when multiple keyboard layouts are available (still not fully fixed, but greatly improved)
Build Improvements
- Silenced warning: ar: ‘u’ modifier ignored since ‘D’ is the default
- Fixed warning: Target given more than once in the same rule
Code Quality
- Applied cpplint fixes and added cpplint configuration file
- Cleaned up unused variables, trailing spaces, and deprecated code
- Glade templates were cleaned up and organized for easier maintenance
Translation Updates
Albanian, Basque, Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Danish, French, Galician, Hebrew, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Turkish
Screenshots
Downloads
This is the first beta release of Xfce Screensaver. While still not recommended for production machines, this is a great time to test and report bugs so we can put together an awesome stable release soon.
Source tarball (md5, sha1, sha256)
Xubuntu users (18.04, 18.10, and 19.04) can grab the package from the Xubuntu QA Experimental PPA.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/experimental
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xfce4-screensaver
Remember to also remove or exit light-locker and start xfce4-screensaver (or log out and back in) and add support for xfce4-screensaver to the xflock4 script.
Thanks and enjoy!
Xfce Screensaver 0.1.3 Released
What’s New?
Features
- All available configuration options are now available in the Preferences dialog, boosting the easily accessible options from 4 to 13!
- Idle time is now based on the X11 Screensaver plugin instead of the GNOME Session Manager.
- Xfce Screensaver now respects the xdg-screensaver state, inhibiting the screensaver when using apps like Caffeine or watching a fullscreen video.
- Screensaver and lock screen functionality can easily now be toggled separately.
General
- All deprecated DBUS methods and signals have been removed from the documentation.
- Documentation has been written and is available at on the Xfce Docs site. Available docs include:
Preferences
- Dropped unused configuration options [1, 2, 3]
- Renamed all Xfconf properties for improved clarity and easier maintenance [1, 2]
Bug Fixes
- Replaced Help link with a link to the Xfce Docs (Xfce #14877)
- Added /usr/lib and /usr/libexec as trusted engine paths, enabling local installs on Linux with access to existing screensavers (Xfce #14883)
- Fixed screen blanking and locking on FreeBSD and OpenBSD (Xfce #14846)
- Fixed lock screen crash on laptop lid-close events (GTK #1466)
- Fixed daemon crash when scrolling through available themes
- Improved window size resizing for smaller displays
- Renamed included screensavers to avoid conflicts with MATE Screensaver
- Reduced flicker rate when multiple keyboard layouts are available (still not fully fixed, but greatly improved)
Build Improvements
- Silenced warning: ar: ‘u’ modifier ignored since ‘D’ is the default
- Fixed warning: Target given more than once in the same rule
Code Quality
- Applied cpplint fixes and added cpplint configuration file
- Cleaned up unused variables, trailing spaces, and deprecated code
- Glade templates were cleaned up and organized for easier maintenance
Translation Updates
Albanian, Basque, Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Danish, French, Galician, Hebrew, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Turkish
Screenshots
Downloads
This is the first beta release of Xfce Screensaver. While still not recommended for production machines, this is a great time to test and report bugs so we can put together an awesome stable release soon.
Source tarball (md5, sha1, sha256)
Xubuntu users (18.04, 18.10, and 19.04) can grab the package from the Xubuntu QA Experimental PPA.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/experimental
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xfce4-screensaver
Remember to also remove or exit light-locker and start xfce4-screensaver (or log out and back in) and add support for xfce4-screensaver to the xflock4 script.
Thanks and enjoy!
Xfce Screensaver 0.1.3 Released
What’s New?
Features
- All available configuration options are now available in the Preferences dialog, boosting the easily accessible options from 4 to 13!
- Idle time is now based on the X11 Screensaver plugin instead of the GNOME Session Manager.
- Xfce Screensaver now respects the xdg-screensaver state, inhibiting the screensaver when using apps like Caffeine or watching a fullscreen video.
- Screensaver and lock screen functionality can easily now be toggled separately.
General
- All deprecated DBUS methods and signals have been removed from the documentation.
- Documentation has been written and is available at on the Xfce Docs site. Available docs include:
Preferences
- Dropped unused configuration options [1, 2, 3]
- Renamed all Xfconf properties for improved clarity and easier maintenance [1, 2]
Bug Fixes
- Replaced Help link with a link to the Xfce Docs (Xfce #14877)
- Added /usr/lib and /usr/libexec as trusted engine paths, enabling local installs on Linux with access to existing screensavers (Xfce #14883)
- Fixed screen blanking and locking on FreeBSD and OpenBSD (Xfce #14846)
- Fixed lock screen crash on laptop lid-close events (GTK #1466)
- Fixed daemon crash when scrolling through available themes
- Improved window size resizing for smaller displays
- Renamed included screensavers to avoid conflicts with MATE Screensaver
- Reduced flicker rate when multiple keyboard layouts are available (still not fully fixed, but greatly improved)
Build Improvements
- Silenced warning: ar: ‘u’ modifier ignored since ‘D’ is the default
- Fixed warning: Target given more than once in the same rule
Code Quality
- Applied cpplint fixes and added cpplint configuration file
- Cleaned up unused variables, trailing spaces, and deprecated code
- Glade templates were cleaned up and organized for easier maintenance
Translation Updates
Albanian, Basque, Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Danish, French, Galician, Hebrew, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Malay, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Turkish
Screenshots
Downloads
This is the first beta release of Xfce Screensaver. While still not recommended for production machines, this is a great time to test and report bugs so we can put together an awesome stable release soon.
Source tarball (md5, sha1, sha256)
Xubuntu users (18.04, 18.10, and 19.04) can grab the package from the Xubuntu QA Experimental PPA.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/experimental
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xfce4-screensaver
Remember to also remove or exit light-locker and start xfce4-screensaver (or log out and back in) and add support for xfce4-screensaver to the xflock4 script.
Thanks and enjoy!
Xubuntu Development Update November 2018
Aaaaaaaaaaaand, we’re back! After skipping last month’s development update, there’s a lot of new developments to unpack for the previous 2 months. Let’s get right to it.
Xubuntu 18.10 “Cosmic Cuttlefish”
We wrapped up development on Xubuntu 18.10 throughout September and October, landing the following changes in the last month and a half of work.
- elementary Xfce 0.13.1
- Exo 0.12.2
- Greybird 3.22.8
- Tumbler 0.2.3
- Xfce Settings 4.13.4
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.1
- Xfwm 4.12.5
- Xubuntu Artwork 18.10.3
- Xubuntu Default Settings 18.10.2
This release includes 6 new GTK+ 3 Xfce components, giving users a snapshot of the Xfce 4.14 development. More information about the release can be found in the release notes.
Upcoming Fixes
Since the 18.10 release, we’ve identified fixes for two of our documented bugs. We’ll be pushing these fixes to our users via the stable release updates.
- Panel: Window buttons are not clickable at the top pixel of the screen (LP: #1795135)
- Resolution: Export GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS = 1 (Xfce Git)
- Settings Manager: Mouse fails to scroll embedded panels (LP: #1653448)
- Resolution: Export GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS = 1 (Xfce Git)
Xfce
September New Releases
- Tumbler 0.2.2 / 0.2.3
- These releases feature a significant performance boost for “sparse” video and image files, those with allocated space but incomplete contents.
- Xfce Battery Plugin 1.1.1
- Xfce Cpufreq Plugin 1.2.1
- Xfce Weather Plugin 0.9.0 (New GTK+ 3 release!)
- Thunar 1.8.2 (Major bugfix release)
October New Releases
- Exo 0.12.3
- This release prevents a critical bug related to GNOME Software (Xfce #14588)
- Gigolo 0.4.90 (New GTK+ 3 release!)
- Xfce Clipman Plugin 1.4.3
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.3
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.0 / 0.1.1 (New Xfce Application!)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.90
- Xfce Settings 4.13.5
- This release includes the new display profiles I previewed in my last development update. Click the link to check it out!
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.3.0
4.14 Roadmap Updates
The Xfce development team has worked on tidying up the Xfce 4.14 roadmap over the last few days. Statuses have been updated, pending work has been moved to the top of each section, and completion percents have been adjusted to better reflect each project’s progress. With these updates, we can now see that…
Xfce 4.14 is now approximately 83% complete.
Of course, we need all the help we can get to get this milestone out the door. Check out the Xfce Contribute page to find out how you can help.
What’s Next?
With the 18.10 release now behind us, and the 19.04 cycle starting today, it’s time to get back to work! No release goals have been determined yet, so stay tuned to the Xubuntu Development mailing list for updates about Xubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” development.
Xfce Screensaver 0.1.1 Released
The second release of Xfce Screensaver is now available! Featuring a number of bug fixes, translations, and general improvements, this release is a big step forward for the newest Xfce application.
What’s New?
General
- Added support for color settings from Xfdesktop 4.12 and 4.13
- The black fallback color has been replaced with the Xfdesktop default
- #152233 or super dark blue
- The interface files for the preferences dialog and lock screen are now compiled and included in the binaries
- The warning displayed as the root user is now an InfoBar to make it more visible
- Screensaver Preferences can now be embedded in the Xfce Settings Manager
Bug Fixes
- Fix crash when no background placement is configured (Xfce #14769)
- Redraw the screensaver on monitor configuration events (Xfce #14796)
- Automate detection of PAM configuration, add a new flag to override (Xfce #14779)
--with-pam-auth-type=<common|system>
- Notify the user when Xfce Power Manager has an incompatible configuration and include a button to resolve it (Xfce #14782)
- The unlock dialog is now correctly drawn with the Adwaita GTK theme
- Fix builds on OpenBSD, build status can now be tracked on the Xfce Build Bot
Translations (All NEW!)
Albanian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Malay, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Packaging
With just a single release, packaging for the new screensaver is starting to appear all over the place! If you know of any other places it’s been packaged, drop me a line.
Screenshots
Downloads
Please be aware that this is alpha-quality software. It is not currently recommended for use in production machines. Please continue to test it, report bugs, provide feedback, and submit patches so we can make the best screensaver and locker possible for Xfce.
Source tarball (md5, sha1, sha256)
Xubuntu Development Update November 2018
Xubuntu 18.10 “Cosmic Cuttlefish”
We wrapped up development on Xubuntu 18.10 throughout September and October, landing the following changes in the last month and a half of work.
- elementary Xfce 0.13.1
- Exo 0.12.2
- Greybird 3.22.8
- Tumbler 0.2.3
- Xfce Settings 4.13.4
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.1
- Xfwm 4.12.5
- Xubuntu Artwork 18.10.3
- Xubuntu Default Settings 18.10.2
This release includes 6 new GTK+ 3 Xfce components, giving users a snapshot of the Xfce 4.14 development. More information about the release can be found in the release notes.
Upcoming Fixes
Since the 18.10 release, we’ve identified fixes for two of our documented bugs. We’ll be pushing these fixes to our users via the stable release updates.
- Panel: Window buttons are not clickable at the top pixel of the screen (LP: #1795135)
- Resolution: Export GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS = 1 (Xfce Git)
- Settings Manager: Mouse fails to scroll embedded panels (LP: #1653448)
- Resolution: Export GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS = 1 (Xfce Git)
Xfce
September New Releases
- Tumbler 0.2.2 / 0.2.3
- Xfce Battery Plugin 1.1.1
- Xfce Cpufreq Plugin 1.2.1
- Xfce Weather Plugin 0.9.0 (New GTK+ 3 release!)
- Thunar 1.8.2 (Major bugfix release)
October New Releases
- Exo 0.12.3
- Gigolo 0.4.90 (New GTK+ 3 release!)
- Xfce Clipman Plugin 1.4.3
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.3
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.0 / 0.1.1 (New Xfce Application!)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.90
- Xfce Settings 4.13.5
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.3.0
4.14 Roadmap Updates
The Xfce development team has worked on tidying up the Xfce 4.14 roadmap over the last few days. Statuses have been updated, pending work has been moved to the top of each section, and completion percents have been adjusted to better reflect each project’s progress. With these updates, we can now see that…
Xfce 4.14 is now approximately 83% complete.
Of course, we need all the help we can get to get this milestone out the door. Check out the Xfce Contribute page to find out how you can help.
What’s Next?
With the 18.10 release now behind us, and the 19.04 cycle starting today, it’s time to get back to work! No release goals have been determined yet, so stay tuned to the Xubuntu Development mailing list for updates about Xubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” development.
Xubuntu Development Update November 2018
Xubuntu 18.10 “Cosmic Cuttlefish”
We wrapped up development on Xubuntu 18.10 throughout September and October, landing the following changes in the last month and a half of work.
- elementary Xfce 0.13.1
- Exo 0.12.2
- Greybird 3.22.8
- Tumbler 0.2.3
- Xfce Settings 4.13.4
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.2.1
- Xfwm 4.12.5
- Xubuntu Artwork 18.10.3
- Xubuntu Default Settings 18.10.2
This release includes 6 new GTK+ 3 Xfce components, giving users a snapshot of the Xfce 4.14 development. More information about the release can be found in the release notes.
Upcoming Fixes
Since the 18.10 release, we’ve identified fixes for two of our documented bugs. We’ll be pushing these fixes to our users via the stable release updates.
- Panel: Window buttons are not clickable at the top pixel of the screen (LP: #1795135)
- Resolution: Export GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS = 1 (Xfce Git)
- Settings Manager: Mouse fails to scroll embedded panels (LP: #1653448)
- Resolution: Export GDK_CORE_DEVICE_EVENTS = 1 (Xfce Git)
Xfce
September New Releases
- Tumbler 0.2.2 / 0.2.3
- Xfce Battery Plugin 1.1.1
- Xfce Cpufreq Plugin 1.2.1
- Xfce Weather Plugin 0.9.0 (New GTK+ 3 release!)
- Thunar 1.8.2 (Major bugfix release)
October New Releases
- Exo 0.12.3
- Gigolo 0.4.90 (New GTK+ 3 release!)
- Xfce Clipman Plugin 1.4.3
- Xfce Notifications 0.4.3
- Xfce Screensaver 0.1.0 / 0.1.1 (New Xfce Application!)
- Xfce Sensors Plugin 1.3.90
- Xfce Settings 4.13.5
- Xfce Whisker Menu Plugin 2.3.0
4.14 Roadmap Updates
The Xfce development team has worked on tidying up the Xfce 4.14 roadmap over the last few days. Statuses have been updated, pending work has been moved to the top of each section, and completion percents have been adjusted to better reflect each project’s progress. With these updates, we can now see that…
Xfce 4.14 is now approximately 83% complete.
Of course, we need all the help we can get to get this milestone out the door. Check out the Xfce Contribute page to find out how you can help.
What’s Next?
With the 18.10 release now behind us, and the 19.04 cycle starting today, it’s time to get back to work! No release goals have been determined yet, so stay tuned to the Xubuntu Development mailing list for updates about Xubuntu 19.04 “Disco Dingo” development.
Xfce Screensaver 0.1.1 Released
What’s New?
General
- Added support for color settings from Xfdesktop 4.12 and 4.13
- The black fallback color has been replaced with the Xfdesktop default
- The interface files for the preferences dialog and lock screen are now compiled and included in the binaries
- The warning displayed as the root user is now an InfoBar to make it more visible
- Screensaver Preferences can now be embedded in the Xfce Settings Manager
Bug Fixes
- Fix crash when no background placement is configured (Xfce #14769)
- Redraw the screensaver on monitor configuration events (Xfce #14796)
- Automate detection of PAM configuration, add a new flag to override (Xfce #14779)
- Notify the user when Xfce Power Manager has an incompatible configuration and include a button to resolve it (Xfce #14782)
- The unlock dialog is now correctly drawn with the Adwaita GTK theme
- Fix builds on OpenBSD, build status can now be tracked on the Xfce Build Bot
Translations (All NEW!)
Albanian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Malay, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Packaging
With just a single release, packaging for the new screensaver is starting to appear all over the place! If you know of any other places it’s been packaged, drop me a line. 🙂
Screenshots
Downloads
Please be aware that this is alpha-quality software. It is not currently recommended for use in production machines. Please continue to test it, report bugs, provide feedback, and submit patches so we can make the best screensaver and locker possible for Xfce.
Source tarball (md5, sha1, sha256)