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The standard Debian installation process for Xfce desktop includes additional packages that may not be necessary for many users. This guide will allow you to install a minimal Xfce desktop, adding additional packages as needed.

• A debian installation (hardware or virtual machine) with appropriate video drivers.

• sudo privileges to install packages and run optional install script.

• Installation of git to clone this repo sudo pkg install git

• Installation of bash to run install script sudo pkg install bash

• debian-11.2.0-amd64-netinst.iso

• Installing Debian 11.2

• Debian “bullseye” Release Information

As you progress through the debian installation, towards the end you will be presented with the following screen for Software selection:

Uncheck Debian desktop environment to install a minimal debian system.

Update sources to bookworm. The current testing branch.

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources:

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security main
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security main

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main

# deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-backports main
# deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-backports main

Add contrib non-free after each main entry if you need special drivers or additional firmware.

The other option would be debian sid. Update sources as follows:

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ unstable main
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ unstable main

Upgrade your system:

sudo apt update && apt upgrade

Reboot to load updated kernel and services.

git clone https://github.com/coonrad/Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install.git
cd Debian-Xfce4-Minimal-Install
sudo ./xfce-install.sh

If you've read this far, and you're getting impatient:

sudo apt install xfce4

This will give you a basic Xfce desktop with lightdm greeter. For additional plugins and ''goodies', add:

sudo apt install xfce4-goodies

This still may include too much 'stuff' for the minimalists among us. In that case, strip it down further and start with:

apt install \
    libxfce4ui-utils \
    thunar \
    xfce4-appfinder \
    xfce4-panel \
    xfce4-session \
    xfce4-settings \
    xfce4-terminal \
    xfconf \
    xfdesktop4 \
    xfwm4

From this point you should have a working Xfce desktop environment. You can reboot, and add only what you need going forward.

Add a browser, password manager, document viewer, image viewer and office apps:

sudo apt install firefox-esr keepassxc atril ristretto libreoffice-gtk3 \
libreoffice-calc libreoffice-writer

Add NetworkManager and openvpn:

sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn network-manager-gnome \
network-manager-openvpn-gnome

Add a few nice icon themes to choose from:

sudo apt install paper-icon-theme moka-icon-theme papirus-icon-theme

Keep the default Adwaita theme as scientists have proven it is the best theme. Xfce comes with Lightdm for the display manager. It sources .xessionrc on login. Here are a few useful additions:

# source the system profile
# if [ -f /etc/profile ]; then
#     . /etc/profile
# fi

# QT5 qt5ct
export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt5ct

# QT5 scaling
# Uncomment for hidpi display
# export QT_AUTO_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTOR=1
# export QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS=2

Install qt5ct and adwaita-qt to have your QT apps match the default GTK theme.

sudo apt install qt5ct adwaita-qt

Launch qt5ct and configure the theme and fonts.