It's my daily driver now. What can I say 😉

    minh did you learn to make the panel your own and live with it in peace? or did you break down and install Plank?
    asking for a friend.

      The default and then templates in Panel Profiles are more than enough for me. I rarely hold the mouse to click on an icon in panel, instead set up shortcuts for the apps I use frequently. Also, the shortcuts to snap window to the left, corner or maximize are important. Those are things I use most.

      One thing I find not comfortable is the left Win key when it's bind to Whisker menu. Moving from Budgie, I used the left Win + E to open Files Manager. Here it shows the Whisker menu first, then File Manager when I hit this combination. But I could live with it by training myself to other combination, like Ctrl + Alt + E.

      Another thing I miss when moving from Budgie is the Win + A to see the calendar and switch Audio sources when I'm in a call, or when to switch from speaker to headset.

      For the notification, I find Xfce integrate it better to the apps, or browser. When the notification comes, I could click on it to bring me to the app.

      Rather than that, I find Xfce is super smooth, stable, flexible to custom, nothing to complain. I also like the big LCD clock, it catches my eyes when I want to check the time.

        minh I also like the big LCD clock, it catches my eyes when I want to check the time.

        I got rid of it in panel--I wanted an analog one and plank had a docklet for it.
        I love what you did with this panel and you even got your panel icons around the same size as your widgets, something I was not good at.

        minh But I could live with it by training myself to other combination, like Ctrl + Alt + E.

        exactly how I felt coming from Budgie. retraining some things is no problem. there's a video I posted in another thread with a guy tricking out the Whisker menu (not keybindings thought). that I would like to remake in my own sensibility.

        Also--how did (shortcut or other) you bring up Calendar? I could not find one installed and missed the one keystroke to see it in Raven. Or do I need to install gnome-calendar?

        minh For the notification, I find Xfce integrate it better to the apps, or browser.

        me as well.

        minh Rather than that, I find Xfce is super smooth, stable, flexible to custom, nothing to complain.

        I would have to say the same thing. I had some minor stuff to report, but all in all I got this cool DE to a daily driver and it took me a while.

        ps--I have to say this is every part a 'tinkerer's distro' as Plasma. really impressed.

                minh But I could live with it by training myself to other combination, like Ctrl + Alt + E.

                Interesting. I tried it on a Windows machine, and discovered the difference. On Windows, the menu is bound to the Win key's being released. On Solus, it's bound to the Win key's being pressed. So on Solus, Win+E does display Thunar, but it launches the Whisker menu on the way to doing that.

                If you simply train yoursef to press both keys at the same time, you'll get the result you want.

                    WetGeek On Windows, the menu is bound to the Win key's being released. On Solus, it's bound to the Win key's being pressed

                    This is the issue. I simply changed the Whisker shortcut to Win + Space, then issue solved. I can use other combination without issue

                      9 days later

                      brent Do you have this in solus
                      Settings->Window Manager Tweaks->Compositor and untick "Show shadows under dock windows

                          brent could you replicate this plank thing in xfce?

                          No white line when I move the plank to the left or right side, but there's a strange darkly shaded line that shows up next to the plank. Perhaps this screenshot will show that.

                          I didn't move the plank to the top, 'cause that's where the panel is. And what appears to be a white line is simply the shoreline in the lake.

                              Axios I'm not going into XFCE anytime soon and I can't find this in budgie system settings. or dconf-editor or menu or gnome-control-center. I'm sure I'm looking in the wrong place.

                              my big problem in XFCE is it forces me to change refresh rate to use anything with success (I have other bugs filed about this) and I forget to experiment with refresh rate with plank/xfce, maybe next time. I went from In Love to Bitter with this Beta🙂

                                  WetGeek yeah.....those look identical to my pictures. "white line" was just my verbiage, accurate of not. ok so so happy that's not me. most of my xfce problems resolve when I'm forced to use the bottom setting of refresh rate (60) but I forgot to try it with this.

                                  thank you for checking it out.

                                    Axios I got to find me that tool.---according to your source and another I just read it's native to xfce and is either stock or in repo. Thank you!

                                        Ya we know what it is just not sure how solus xfce does stuff I didnt run it long enuf.

                                          brent I got to find me that tool.

                                          Let us know if you locate it. I'm headed to bed in a few minutes, and I still have stuff to do first, but I'll look for a post from you when I get up in the morning.

                                          Now that I knew what to look for, I noticed it was present when the dock was on the bottom, too, but just lost as part of the background picture.

                                            Axios I will give the WMT a whirl tomorrow. I did not know that was a well known thang.
                                            edit: @WetGeek

                                            thanks both

                                            PS --it's Beta I should not be griping.

                                                brent I will give the WMT a whirl tomorrow.

                                                Looks like I beat you to it.

                                                Indeed, it's available in solus. Just launch the GUI settings manager, and you'll see it right away. No need to install anything. And I can confirm that it works like a charm.

                                                    WetGeek did you get rid of your plank line with this settings manager?

                                                        brent did you get rid of your plank line with this settings manager?

                                                        Indeed. You can toggle it on and off using that "Show shadows under dock windows" setting. Lotsa fun!

                                                            WetGeek thanks for corroborating and investigating (you too @Axios ) on my behalf, It's appreciated.
                                                            Look forward to using XFCE again.
                                                            (I wish I didn't need Plank and could live with the panel but I couldn't make it as uniform and neat as Budgie's and/or lost patience. Plank and XFCE seem a good fit.)