XFCE Desktop is not ready, but it needs to be in the repository for the team to move forward, do wider testing including internal test ISOs. Users should not install it unless they just want to play and know they might need to reinstall if something breaks. You will get no support for it at this stage.

EDIT:
To be clear individual applications like thunar should be fine to install just don't expect support for trying to run XFCE desktop at this stage, we haven't made a beta ISO available and do not even have a xfce-desktop-branding package (sets default theme etc).

    Harvey Appearing in the app center makes it confusing, would be cool to have site-wide notices on stuff like this or for these to be redcoded in the gui. I accidently messed up my internet, but I don't mind reinstalling with a 4.4 iso as I was already contemplating reinstalling as I used the 4.2 iso and was already tinkering a lot.

        bleh Appearing in the app center makes it confusing

        How is it confusing? Those packages are available, and you may install some of them. Same goes for any other desktop's packages that you see in their respective categories. Packages for e.g. sway are also available, even though actually using it requires some additional configuration.

            Staudey I think it's just part of the lack of documentation. Linux configuration is far more complex and detailed than mainstream operating systems. Solus is a very experimental distro, it would be nice to have safegaurds in a software center. Risk assesment is left to the user and most users aren't prepared for that. I went into linux trying my best to learn, but most tutorials available are made for other distros.

            I enjoy the curation and having programs that actually serve a purpose, but technecalities of programs should be made clear and accessible. Even after reading, searching, and learning some linux, only now am I starting to understand terminology like operating system, daemon, package, package manager, desktop environment, firmware, bios, etc. Supported and compatible are what the average person knows, that's what I erroneously assumed of all the software center software, flatpaks, appimages, and snaps.

                bleh you just can't wait for it, that's what it is🙂.
                I know I can't.

                    brent Exactly, personally I want to ease myself into testing material and eventually contribute, but as solus shows as an OS for "everyone" my only gripe has been the software center which is getting better and better and since this thread is on unstable packages appearing, I think it should be communicated, as the transition to serpent base should be widely known and also understood, even if technical details can be difficult to explain. I did attempt to use bleachbit and other similar software, so I probably deleted something related to the wifi driver. I simply wandered into the snakepit thinking I was safe!

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                        • Post #9

                        bleh That shouldn't happen if one doesn't run BleachBit as root.

                            bleh I simply wandered into the snakepit thinking I was safe!

                            If it is possible for you, you could have two pcs or laptops. One for everyday use, labelled 'Do not mess with me', and the other one for experimentation/testing, labelled 'Crash 'n Burn'. 😄

                                bleh I simply wandered into the snakepit thinking I was safe!

                                If I had a nickel for every time this has happened to me on my linux journey

                                bleh e software center which is getting better and better and since this thread is on unstable packages appearing

                                this I have not noticed. but I've been leaning on flatpaks lately.

                                bleh I think it should be communicated, as the transition to serpent base should be widely known and also understood

                                if I had to guess this will be a massive undertaking. communication, to me, has been 1000X better since Strobl & Co. ressurected Solus. What happened to you sounds anamolous. And I don't say that in jest--my only problems are the weird and rare ones myself...

                                bleh Even after reading, searching, and learning some linux, only now am I starting to understand terminology like operating system, daemon, package, package manager, desktop environment, firmware, bios, etc.

                                oh yeah I am still learning this stuff. but I don't expect any distro to have plain-speak tutorials on an app or package beyond the software center blurb. linux requires a bit of independent research sometimes. I read a handful of articles.videos for any driver I may want to install or any reckless undertaking (my specialty) that would jeopardize the OS, or software I want to try. you got to put yourself in the position not to be in the dark, I think. Or that's just what I've learned on this non-windows road.

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                                          • Post #12

                                          brent It's not really a Linux thing, one can overwrite their system drive with CCleaner if they don't know what they're doing.

                                              [deleted] When it comes time to destroy my own opearating system by accident, I prefer Gparted.

                                                  [deleted] that moment when you realize you wrote to dev/sda1 and not from /dev/sda1

                                                    [deleted] I don't remember if I ran it as root, could be.
                                                    Edit: You know what, I'm gonna join the big leagues and break debian!

                                                      bleh The packages are only "experimental" in the sense that the desktop environment / Solus edition they're building up to hasn't been released yet. Doesn't mean your computer will explode by installing them.
                                                      Now, if your system gets a bit untidy by installing random packages, that's on you and there's no way for the Software Center to prevent that.
                                                      All of that to say that I don't see what the issue is here.

                                                      • bleh replied to this.

                                                          Staudey I wouldn't really call it an issue, like you say, the computer is perfectly fine. I can't pinpoint what I did so it's not worth looking into. It's not about untidiness though, my wifi just stopped functioning correctly after a reboot. I was able to boot up my tails usb so everything's fine. The only "weird" thing that happened outside of that is bleachbit getting stuck and having 30gb of cache. It's a bit strange, but it's not a big deal, probably a very circumstantial thing.

                                                              bleh gotcha. I just wasn't sure where one topic ended and the other began lol. It's not a big deal, especially since mods and split threads now.