---
name: "xfdesktop"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xfdesktop"
version: "4.20.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xfdesktop"
---

# xfdesktop(1)

The Xfce 4 Desktop Environment's desktop manager

## NAME

xfdesktop - The Xfce 4 Desktop Environment's desktop manager

## SYNOPSIS

**xfdesktop**\
 **xfdesktop** *\[options\]*\

## DESCRIPTION

**xfdesktop** manages the desktop itself in the Xfce 4 Desktop Environment. This includes drawing the desktop backdrop and providing a right-click applications menu and middle-click window list menu, as well as drawing icons on the desktop.  Only one instance of xfdesktop can be running at a time, and should be started by running **xfdesktop** without any arguments.

## OPTIONS

### HELP OPTIONS:

- **-h, --help**

  Show help options

- **--help-all**

  Show all help options

- **--help-gtk**

  Show GTK+ Options

- **--help-sm-client**

  Show session management options

### APPLICATION OPTIONS:

- **-V, --version**

  Display version information

- **-R, --reload**

  Causes an already-running instance of **xfdesktop** to reload all its settings and redraws the desktop background.

- **-N, --next**

  Causes an already-running instance of **xfdesktop** to advance to the next wallpaper on the current workspace.

- **-M, --menu**

  Causes an already-running instance of **xfdesktop** to pop up the applications menu at the current position of the mouse cursor.

- **-W, --windowlist**

  Causes an already-running instance of **xfdesktop** to pop up the window list menu at the current position of the mouse cursor.

- **-A, --arrange**

  Automatically arrange all the icons on the desktop

- **-D, --disable-wm-check**

  Do not wait for a window manager on startup

- **-e, --enable-debug**

  Enable debug messages

- **-d, --disable-debug**

  Disable debug messages

- **-Q, --quit**

  Cause **xfdesktop** to quit

- **--display=\[DISPLAY\]**

  X display to use

## ENVIRONMENT

**xfdesktop**'s behavior is affected by the following environment variables.

- **XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME**

  Specifies the root for all user-specific configuration files.  If this environment variable is not present, it defaults to *~/.config*

- **XDG\_CONFIG\_DIRS**

  Specifies a colon-separated list of system directories in which to search for configuration data. If this environment variable is not present, it defaults to */etc/xdg*

## FILES

**xfdesktop** searches for a menu description file in *$XDG\_CONFIG\_DIRS/menus/xfce-applications.menu*. **xfdesktop** can also use a user-customized menu in *$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/menus/*.

## BUGS

Please report any bugs to *https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/xfdesktop*.\
 Development discussion should be conducted on the *xfce4-dev@xfce.org* mailing list.\
 Usage-related questions should be directed to the *xfce@xfce.org* mailing list.

## HOMEPAGE

*https://xfce.org/*

## AUTHOR

Jasper Huijsmans \<huysmans@users.sourceforge.net\>, Benedikt Meurer \<benny@xfce.org\>, Brian Tarricone \<brian@tarricone.org\>, and Eric Koegel \<eric@xfce.org\>.

This manual page was originally written by Brian Tarricone \<brian@tarricone.org\>.