Artix (XFCE) personal use app list
Last updated : 28/8/2025 (incomplete, will require additions)
Introduction
This article is to list out the apps that I use in Artix, with XFCE DE.
General things that are considered important for the apps I use :
- Available in Artix repos (world / galaxy) preferred, though Arch repos (extra only) is a fine minimum, as long as the app isn't dependent on systemd (not that I can install systemd on Artix anyway, so ignore that).
- A balance of having lots of features & having some that work well; as well as being usable in GUI. As much as I love simplicity, there are times where an app can be too "simple" for my personal usage... such as terminal apps (which I never got the hang of at the time of writing).
- GTK3-only since it's a XFCE dependency, no Qt dependencies whatsoever (unless I have no choice but to use Qt-dependent apps). Also no GTK2/GTK4... unless XFCE switches to either.
- Having a consistent & reliable maintenance, both from upstream & repos' maintainers / packagers.
- Libre software - arguably the least important point as every apps in Artix repo are open source (but not necessarily libre).
Some nice to haves for the apps I use :
- Does not access the internet without proper reason & documentation. This is not exactly easy to find out considering GTK3 has no decent network monitoring apps that I know.
Gallery
XFCE's default image viewer.
Video
Honorable mentions :
Parole
XFCE's default media player.
Music
Currently looking for another music app aside from Quod Libet, even though I couldn't care less.
Not available in world / galaxy Artix repositories.
Text / source code editor
Mentions :
- Gedit : GNOME's default text editor, before gnome-text-editor. Supports restoring tabs between sessions with Ex-Mortis (not included in gedit-plugins), but doesn't support tab scrolling & keyboard tab switching is ctrl-alt-(pgup/pgdn) without control-your-tabs plugin.
- Lapce : A code editor written in Rust. Supports restoring tabs between sessions & tab scrolling (where it browses through visible tabs instead of switching them, just like good ol' Notepad++)... though the oversized interface (which feels somewhat alien in materia-dark) & how it opens new tabs (it simply overwrites whatever's there - if you want multitab maybe open multiple screens & drag them?) ruined it for me.
- Mousepad : XFCE's text (and code) editor. Restores tabs between sessions (might require setting session restore to always in Preferences > File), but lacks tab scrolling. Mousepad also keeps unsaved buffers, which can be neat.
- Pantheon Code : Text / source code editor from elementary OS. Supports tab scrolling (where scrolling changes the active tab instead of browsing through visible tabs), automatically restores tabs between sessions (and automatically saves them after a single change), and also comes with a sidebar that eases workflow by displaying project folder contents (Geany comes with one as well, but only shows currently opened files). However, it is not available in world / galaxy yet, has limited customizability, and lacks support for some GTK keybindings.
- Pluma : MATE DE default text editor, available in galaxy. Similar to Gedit & xed, it supports tab scrolling (where scrolling changes the active tab instead of browsing through visible tabs) & lacks tab restoration.
- SciTE : SCIntilla-based text editor. With the same base component as Notepad++ & Geany; I expected tab restoration and/or tab scrolling, but unfortunately SciTE lacks both, which probably qualifies SciTE as the worst in this list.
- xed : A text editor made by Linux Mint developers, as the default for their Cinnamon DE. Supports tab scrolling (where scrolling changes the active tab instead of browsing through visible tabs), but does not restore open tabs between sessions.
A fast & lightweight integrated development environment. Restores tabs between sessions & supports tab scrolling (where scrolling changes the active tab instead of browsing through visible tabs - browsing through visible tab is better but at least here's better than nothing). Comes with its own themes, though you can always try to copy/paste alternate themes to /home/$username/.config/geany/colorschemes (or even make your own... which makes Geany's color customization basically unlimited). Both geany & geany-plugins are available in world, so you don't have to add Arch repos for this.
Nano
A text editor for the terminal. As someone who primarily uses the GUI, I won't be using this all that often (aside from some one-time configurations on installing Artix). But then again, I'm not the general audience for terminal-only apps... including Vim (but then again that one is a lifestyle).
Document reader
1st-party JS & XHR required to view site.
Browser
Honorable mentions :
- Ungoogled Chromium : Chromium, without Google integration. Mainly a one-dev-show, with separate contributors compiling the binaries. Available in Artix omniverse.
Requires usage of AUR (but not any other optional repositories), as seen on AUR-based installation guide.
File manager
XFCE's default file manager. Requires gvfs to automatically deal with removeable storages.
Picture editing
Mentions :
- Pinta : Drawing program modeled after Paint.NET. Became AUR‐exclusive for some reason.
Started using after I found out GIMP moved from GTK2 to GTK3 (if only to keep added dependencies to a minimum).
Office suite
In an ideal world, Microsoft's office format is everyone's office format to play with. Alas, it remained Microsoft's.
Mentions :
- LibreOffice : Serviceable, but mixed (usually questionable) support for Microsoft Office formats.
An office suite with (allegedly) the least worst Microsoft Office format support compared to other non‐Microsoft office suites. Interface is a bit slow and ignores system themes. Only available in AUR.
Personal installation guide :
Other stuff
- Theme : Adwaita‐dark for now, as materia themes sucked at highlighting stuff in Thunar.
- Init system : OpenRC for now, mostly thanks to easier terminal inputs. Used to run runit as well.
- Sound server : PulseAudio. I would switch to either sndio / pipewire (the latter is now a dependency for mpv), but I don't have time to set either up.
- Firewall : (g)ufw - no experience on others for now (or any personal experience regarding ufw usage aside from defaults).
- Terminal emulator : XFCE Terminal or ctrl+alt+f1, depending on my need for root account.
- X11 : Currently running XLibre, fresh from Artix galaxy.
- Portable installations (AppImage / Flatpak) : Self-contained apps that should run on any Linux distros. Currently not using any of them.
- Attempts at tidying up home directory
- Bundle AUR files & folders in ~/aur/$packagename (such as ~/aur/$palemoon for Pale Moon)
Back to top
Index - computers
Main Page