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Menu Customization in Xubuntu: Native XFCE Tools (2026)

Organize, edit, and modernize your application launcher with utilities from the official repository

1. How does the XFCE menu work today?

The XFCE menu system is based on three key components:

• .desktop files: Define each application (located in /usr/share/applications/ or ~/.local/share/applications/)
• XML menu file: xfce-applications.menu organizes the categories
• Graphical tools: MenuLibre and Whisker Menu simplify editing

The advantage: changes in your personal folder (~/.local/) take precedence over system files, allowing you to customize without affecting other users.

2. Recommended tools in 2026

3. First steps: verify your environment

1. Open a terminal and run: Copy verification commands

   
   xfce4-panel --version
   xfdesktop --version
       

2. If you use XFCE 4.16 or higher, all tools described here will work without issues.
3. To test changes without risk: always work in ~/.local/share/applications/, never modify system files directly.

4. MenuLibre: step‑by‑step graphical editing

MenuLibre is a modern menu editor, compliant with the FreeDesktop.org standard, that works in XFCE, LXDE, MATE and more. Unlike older tools, it offers a clean GTK3 interface, icon preview, and changes applied immediately without logging out.

4.1. Installation on Xubuntu/Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install menulibre
menulibre --version

✅ MenuLibre is officially available in Debian 12/13 and Ubuntu 22.04+ repositories.

4.2. Common tasks with MenuLibre

🔹 Hide an application from the menu: Find the application → Advanced tab → check "Hide from menu" → save with Ctrl+S.

🔹 Add a custom launcher: Select a category (e.g., "Accessories") → ➕ Add item button → fill Name, Command, Icon → save.

🔹 Reorganize the menu: Drag applications between categories in the left tree. Use ▲▼ arrows to change order inside a category.

Advanced tip: If a change does not appear, run these commands: Copy refresh commands

xfdesktop --reload
update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications
    

5. Advanced manual editing (custom submenus)

Manual editing is useful for creating submenus with custom logic, modifying root menu entries, or automating changes with scripts. Recommended only for advanced users.

5.1. Key file structure

# System files (DO NOT edit directly)
/etc/xdg/menus/xfce-applications.menu
/usr/share/applications/*.desktop

# User files (YES edit here)
~/.config/menus/xfce-applications.menu          ← Menu structure
~/.local/share/applications/*.desktop           ← Custom launchers
~/.local/share/desktop-directories/*.directory  ← Submenu icons

✅ XFCE prioritizes files in your personal folder. Always copy originals before modifying.

5.2. Example: create a "My Tools" submenu

Step 1: Prepare directories and copy the base menu:

mkdir -p ~/.config/menus ~/.local/share/desktop-directories ~/.local/share/applications
cp /etc/xdg/menus/xfce-applications.menu ~/.config/menus/ 2>/dev/null || \
cp /etc/xfce/xdg/menus/xfce-applications.menu ~/.config/menus/ 2>/dev/null

Step 2: Edit ~/.config/menus/xfce-applications.menu.
How to do it: Open a terminal and type mousepad ~/.config/menus/xfce-applications.menu (graphical editor) or nano ~/.config/menus/xfce-applications.menu (terminal editor). Inside the file, locate the <Layout> section and add the following block:

<Menu>
  <Name>MyTools</Name>
  <Directory>my-tools.directory</Directory>
  <Include>
    <Category>X-MyTools</Category>
  </Include>
</Menu>

Step 3: Create the file ~/.local/share/desktop-directories/my-tools.directory.
How to do it: In the terminal: mousepad ~/.local/share/desktop-directories/my-tools.directory (or nano) and paste the following content:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Directory
Icon=applications-other
Name=My Tools
Comment=Personal tools organized

Step 4: Add a launcher to the submenu by creating ~/.local/share/applications/my-backup.desktop.
How to do it: In the terminal: mousepad ~/.local/share/applications/my-backup.desktop (or nano) and paste the following content (remember to change the Exec path):

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Backup
Comment=Custom backup script
Exec=/home/your_user/scripts/backup.sh
Icon=drive-removable-media
Categories=X-MyTools;
OnlyShowIn=XFCE;
StartupNotify=false

Step 5: Save the files and reload the desktop: run xfdesktop --reload or log out and back in.

5.3. Validation and debugging

desktop-file-validate ~/.local/share/applications/my-app.desktop
update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications
journalctl -f   # while reloading the menu to see errors

6. Whisker Menu: the modern menu

Whisker Menu offers real‑time search, customizable favorites, collapsible categories, and adaptable appearance. It has been the default menu in Xubuntu since 2014 and is actively maintained.

6.1. Installation and activation

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin

To add it to the panel: right‑click on the panel → Panel → Add New Items... → search for "Whisker Menu" → Add. Then remove the classic menu if desired.

6.2. Advanced customization

• Favorites: Right‑click on an app → Add to Favorites. Drag to reorder.
• Custom search actions: In Properties → Search actions, add patterns like: Copy example search actions

  
  Pattern: docs:            Command: xdg-open https://docs.xubuntu.org/user/C/
  Pattern: github:          Command: xdg-open https://github.com/search?q=%s
  Pattern: terminal:        Command: xfce4-terminal -e "%s"
      

• Integration with MenuLibre: Right‑click on an app from Whisker → Edit applications opens MenuLibre directly.

✓ Visual style: Whisker Menu inherits your system's GTK3 theme. You can change it from Settings → Appearance → Style/Icons.

7. Conclusion: classic menu or Whisker?

Recommendation for 2026: Use Whisker Menu as your main menu and MenuLibre to manage the content. That's the most powerful and maintainable combination.

📚 Useful links

• Official MenuLibre repository
• Whisker Menu repository
• Official XFCE guide to customize menus
• Xubuntu documentation on personalization