The 2020 method for getting Xfce 4.16 on Ubuntu 20.04 or Linux Mint 20 used the Xubuntu Developers staging PPA, followed by an APT upgrade and installation of xubuntu-desktop. That PPA was intended for testing, and reports from January 2023 say its Ubuntu 20.04 experimental packages were deleted. Check that the 20.04 series is still published before adding it; never use a 22.04 repository on a 20.04 installation.
Choose the installation route
| Route | Version target | Repository provenance | Risk and reversibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xubuntu Developers staging PPA | Xfce 4.16-era packages, as documented on December 24, 2020 | Testing repository maintained for Xubuntu development | Higher risk; ppa-purge can roll packages back if matching stock versions exist |
| Ubuntu distribution packages | Ubuntu’s packaged Xfce release; the xfce4 package is version 4.16 in the Ubuntu 20.04 package set |
Ubuntu’s Universe repository | Lower risk and maintained with the base release, but it is not the staging-PPA route |
Ubuntu’s xfce4 metapackage pulls in the session manager (xfce4-session), settings manager (xfce4-settings), configuration utilities (xfconf), desktop manager (xfdesktop4) and window manager (xfwm4). Optional recommendations include xfce4-goodies, thunar-volman and xfce4-notifyd.
Check whether the historical PPA is usable
- Confirm the machine is actually running Ubuntu 20.04 or a Linux Mint 20 release based on Ubuntu 20.04.
- Inspect the Xubuntu Developers staging PPA for an Ubuntu 20.04 series before changing your package sources. An Xfce forum administrator reported on January 8, 2023 that the 20.04 experimental packages had been deleted.
- If no 20.04 packages are offered, stop. Do not point a 20.04 system at a 22.04 PPA. Moving to a newer Ubuntu base is the supported direction for newer Xfce releases; the administrator noted that Xfce 4.18 needed newer libraries not available in Ubuntu 20.04.
Install Xfce 4.16 with the staging PPA
These are the commands published for the December 24, 2020 testing procedure. Save work first: apt upgrade can update other packages as well as Xfce.
-
Add the staging repository:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/stagingThe packages were described as “primarily geared towards testing. Use it at your own risk!”
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Refresh package metadata:
sudo apt update -
Apply available upgrades:
sudo apt upgrade -
Install the Xubuntu desktop metapackage:
sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop
The installation adds the Xfce/Xubuntu session alongside your existing desktop rather than automatically replacing it. At the login screen, choose the Xfce or Xubuntu session when that choice is offered. The cited procedure does not establish that every display manager will show a selection prompt, so log out and check the session menu rather than assuming a particular screen will appear.
What Linux Mint 20 provides
Linux Mint’s Una package listing shows Xfce 4.16-era components built for the Ubuntu 20.04 base, including:
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| Package | Listed version |
|---|---|
xfce4-session |
4.16.0-1ubuntu2~20.04 |
xfce4-settings |
4.16.2-1ubuntu1~20.04 |
xfconf |
4.16.0-2vanir1~20.04 |
xfce4-terminal |
0.8.10-1~20.04 |
These package versions explain why Mint 20 can use the same 20.04-era dependency base, but they do not make the deleted staging-PPA contents available again.
Roll back the staging PPA
For an Xubuntu or Linux Mint Xfce installation, the documented rollback uses ppa-purge:
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sudo apt install ppa-purge
sudo ppa-purge ppa:xubuntu-dev/stagingThis purges the PPA and attempts to downgrade affected Xfce packages to the versions supplied by the normal repositories. Review the proposed changes and do not confirm if APT wants to remove essential desktop components or cannot find suitable replacement versions.
Remove only the repository
The 2020 instructions list this command for removing the staging source:
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/stagingAfter changing a repository, run sudo apt update. Verify in your software-source configuration that the staging entry is no longer enabled before installing or upgrading packages. Removing a source does not downgrade packages already installed from it; use ppa-purge when a rollback is required.
Complete removal (not recommended for Xubuntu or Mint Xfce)
The documented broad removal command is:
sudo apt remove --auto-remove '~nxubuntu*' '~nxfce4*' '~nthunar*' atril-common brltty-x11 tumbler-commonIt can remove the desktop session and shared applications. Before confirming, read APT’s complete proposed package list and make sure it will not remove the desktop you still need. The original instructions explicitly discourage this route on Xubuntu and Linux Mint Xfce editions.
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When upgrading is the better fix
If the 20.04 staging packages are unavailable, the practical choices are to use the distribution’s supported Xfce packages or upgrade to a newer Ubuntu-based release. The January 8, 2023 forum guidance specifically rejected an Xfce 4.18 update on Ubuntu 20.04 because required supporting libraries were too old. A newer Ubuntu base is therefore a maintenance decision, not a repository substitution.
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