XFce 4.0.0 (Download of the Month)

XFce 4.0.0

Most Linux distributions come with a heavyweight desktop environment - typically KDE or GNOME. However, many users don't need the full power of these and can save on both memory and CPU cycles - achieving snappier performance - by using a 'lighter' alternative. There are many to choose from: fluxbox, fvwm/fvwm95, WindowMaker, IceWM and many, many more. My particular favourite is XFce, which has just had a major upgrade with the release of version 4.

To install the latest version on Red Hat 9, download the file xfce-4.0.0-rpm-rh9.tar.bz2 then issue the following commands:

tar xjvf /path/to/xfce-4.0.0-rpm-rh9.tar.bz2
cd xfce-4.0.0/rpm/rh9
su
<Enter your root password>
rpm -ivh *.rpm

Now you can log out of your current desktop environment, and when you log in again, select "XFce4" on the "> Session" menu at the bottom of the GDM login screen. You should be pleasantly suprised by how fast XFce starts up!

Price: free

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