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In 2026, the safest way to get a maintained Xfce desktop is to upgrade to a currently supported Xubuntu release—not to add Xfce 4.18 to Xubuntu 22.04 or 22.10. Both releases are out of support. Xubuntu 22.10 shipped Xfce 4.17, a development version, while Xubuntu 22.04 did not ship Xfce 4.18 by default. A third-party staging PPA method has been documented, but it is an unsupported experiment, not an official upgrade route.
What Xfce version did Xubuntu 22.04 and 22.10 include?
Xubuntu 22.10 included Xfce 4.17, the development version leading to the next major release; it did not ship Xfce 4.18 as its default desktop. Xubuntu’s 22.10 release notes identify 4.17 as the development version. Xubuntu 22.04 likewise did not include Xfce 4.18 by default. Xfce 4.18 itself was released on December 15, 2022, according to the Xfce Forum announcement.
Why upgrading the old installation is not the best option now
As of 2026, neither target release receives support: Xubuntu 22.10’s nine-month support period ended in July 2023, and Xubuntu 22.04’s three-year support period ended in April 2025. These end dates are documented in the respective 22.10 release notes and 22.04 release notes.
Installing a newer desktop stack does not make an obsolete Ubuntu base supported. The practical maintained route is to back up your files and upgrade to a currently supported Xubuntu release using its documented upgrade process. Check Xubuntu’s current release and upgrade guidance before proceeding, since the recommended destination and available upgrade path can change.
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Supported route: upgrade Xubuntu instead of installing a staging PPA
Prepare the system
- Back up important user data, and make sure you can access recovery or installation media if the upgrade fails.
- Record any additional software repositories you enabled. Third-party repositories can affect release upgrades; consult current Xubuntu guidance about handling them.
- Install all pending updates for the current system before starting the release upgrade.
Follow Xubuntu’s release-upgrade process
Xubuntu’s 22.04 upgrade guide documents this sequence: open Update Manager, install pending updates, then run update-manager -c -d and follow the upgrade prompt. The guide also states that upgrading from Xubuntu 22.04 to 22.10 is supported. That historical path does not make either release supported today, so use current documentation to choose a maintained destination rather than treating 22.10 as the end goal.
What about installing Xfce 4.18 from the staging PPA?
A third-party tutorial documents the following commands for Xubuntu 22.04 or 22.10:
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/staging
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install xubuntu-desktopThis is community guidance, not an official Xubuntu-supported upgrade path or a guarantee that the PPA currently has packages for either historical Ubuntu codename. Its current package inventory for those codenames is not established here. Before considering it, verify that packages are published for your exact codename, inspect the changes APT proposes, make a full backup, and have recovery media ready. Do not proceed if the packages or proposed changes are unclear.
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sudo apt install ppa-purge
sudo ppa-purge ppa:xubuntu-dev/stagingPurging a PPA may require package downgrades and is not a substitute for a backup. Package changes can also affect desktop integration, so this approach is best treated as a reversible experiment only when you understand the proposed changes and have a recovery plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Xfce 4.18 packages can be awkward on an older Ubuntu base
Xfce 4.18’s changelog lists minimum dependency versions including GLib 2.66, GTK 3.24, libcairo 1.16, gdk-pixbuf 2.40, and gobject-introspection 1.66. See the Xfce 4.18 changelog. A desktop stack assembled from packages intended for a different Ubuntu base can encounter dependency conflicts or integration issues; meeting individual minimum versions alone does not establish that a package set is compatible with your system.
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Which option should you choose?
| Approach | Support and maintenance | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade to a currently supported Xubuntu release | Uses Xubuntu’s documented release-upgrade process and a supported base when you choose a currently maintained destination. | Requires a release upgrade and advance preparation. |
| Install packages from the staging PPA | Third-party community method; not an official supported upgrade path. Availability for the historical codenames is not established. | Potential dependency, desktop-integration, and rollback complications on an obsolete base. |
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