When using the XFCE4 desktop environment, especially in lightweight Linux distributions like Xubuntu, many users eventually find themselves asking: “Where is the login screen configuration stored?” or “Where can I customize or change the XFCE login screen?”
Contrary to what some might assume, XFCE4 itself doesn’t handle the login screen directly. The login screen (or greeter) is generally managed by a display manager, not XFCE itself. Let’s explore this in detail.
Understanding the Display Manager in XFCE4
Even though you’re running XFCE4 as your desktop environment, the login screen you interact with when starting your system is controlled by a Display Manager (DM). This is a separate component that runs before your desktop environment launches. Common display managers used with XFCE4 include:
- LightDM (most popular with XFCE)
- GDM (GNOME Display Manager)
- SDDM (used with KDE but sometimes chosen for XFCE setups)
Out of these, LightDM is the default and most widely used with XFCE4, especially in distributions like Xubuntu.
Where Is the Login Screen Configuration Stored?
If you are using LightDM (the default for XFCE), then the login screen configuration is not located under XFCE directories like ~/.config/xfce4/. Instead, it resides in system-wide configuration directories.
Here’s where you should look:
1. LightDM Main Configuration File
/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
This file controls the core behavior of LightDM, including:
- Default session
- Autologin settings
- Logging
- Greeter session (UI of the login screen)
If this file doesn’t exist by default, you can create it manually and configure the required sections.
2. LightDM Greeter Settings (Appearance of Login Screen)
The greeter is the visual part of the login screen. For XFCE4 setups, this is typically the GTK Greeter, and its settings are found at:
/etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf
This file allows you to configure:
- Background image or color
- Font and theme
- Cursor theme
- Panel position
- Icons
Example content of lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf:
[greeter]
background=/usr/share/backgrounds/xfce-login.jpg
theme-name=Adwaita
icon-theme-name=Papirus
font-name=Ubuntu 11
xft-antialias=true
xft-hintstyle=hintfull
Make sure you have the appropriate themes installed if you change them here.
Customizing the XFCE4 Login Screen (Visually)
Although XFCE4 doesn’t manage the login screen directly, you can make your system feel more XFCE-integrated by:
- Setting a custom background image in the greeter config.
- Matching themes and icons with those used in your XFCE session.
- Ensuring the GTK greeter uses the same look-and-feel as your XFCE desktop.
Permissions and Reloading
After modifying LightDM configuration files:
- Ensure the files are owned by
rootand readable by LightDM. - Use this command to test your configuration (optional):
sudo lightdm --test-mode
- Restart the display manager to apply changes:
sudo systemctl restart lightdm
Important Note: Restarting LightDM will end your current session, so save your work beforehand.
Recap: Key Directories and Files
| Purpose | Path |
|---|---|
| LightDM main config | /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf |
| Greeter UI settings | /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf |
| Greeter themes (system-wide) | /usr/share/themes/ or /usr/share/icons/ |
| XFCE4 session config (user-level) | ~/.config/xfce4/ (not login-related) |
Conclusion
The XFCE4 desktop environment does not manage the login screen directly. Instead, it relies on a display manager—most commonly LightDM—to handle the login screen. The settings for the XFCE login screen (technically, LightDM’s GTK greeter) are stored in /etc/lightdm/.
Understanding the separation between desktop environments and display managers is key when customizing or troubleshooting your Linux login screen.
References
- More XFCE configuration tips and tutorials at AskFullStack
- Login screen customization walkthroughs available on WWebHub