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System Administration in Xubuntu: Native XFCE Tools (2026)

Practical approach with utilities from the official Xubuntu repository

1. User and Session Management

In modern Xubuntu, user management is done using tools integrated into the XFCE ecosystem, avoiding external dependencies. The XFCE Settings Manager groups native modules for sessions, appearance and system behavior, without requiring GNOME components.

For advanced user tasks, Xubuntu maintains compatibility with standard Debian/Ubuntu commands. The recommended graphical interface is gnome-system-tools only if explicitly installed, but the XFCE philosophy prioritizes simplicity: essential settings accessible from xfce4-settings-manager → "Users and Groups" (if the package is present) or via terminal with controlled privileges.

Basic user management commands

# Create a new user
sudo adduser username

# Change a user's password
sudo passwd username

# Add user to a group (e.g. sudo)
sudo usermod -aG sudo username

# List system users
cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd

# View user's groups
groups username

2. Printer and Scanner Configuration

The printing subsystem in Xubuntu is based on CUPS (Common Unix Printing System), accessible via web browser at http://localhost:631. For a native graphical experience, XFCE includes xfprint4, which allows managing print queues without overloading the system. For scanners, xsane or simple-scan (the latter with minimal dependencies) offer full support for SANE-compatible devices.

Important note: Tools like system-config-printer (GNOME) work, but they are not exclusive to Xubuntu. To maintain XFCE philosophy, prioritize xfprint4 + CUPS web interface for advanced administration.

Useful printer commands

# List configured printers
lpstat -p -d

# Enable a printer
sudo cupsenable printer_name

# Restart CUPS service
sudo systemctl restart cups

# View print queue
lpq

3. Native Hardware Monitoring

XFCE offers panel plugins for real-time monitoring: xfce4-systemload-plugin and xfce4-sensors-plugin. Both are installed from the official repositories and integrate directly into the XFCE panel.

For detailed hardware analysis, hardinfo remains a valid and lightweight tool, although not exclusive to XFCE. The advantage in Xubuntu: these plugins consume fewer resources than their equivalents in heavier environments, aligning with XFCE's efficiency philosophy.

Installing monitoring plugins

The following command installs the native monitoring plugins in Xubuntu:

# Update repositories and install native XFCE plugins
sudo apt update
sudo apt install xfce4-systemload-plugin xfce4-sensors-plugin lm-sensors

# Detect sensors (run once)
sudo sensors-detect --auto

# Restart panel to apply changes
xfce4-panel -r

4. Networks and Removable Devices

Network management in Xubuntu is centralized in network-manager-applet, which integrates into the XFCE panel without unnecessary dependencies. For removable devices, thunar-volman configures automatic behavior for USB, CDs and other media, all within the XFCE ecosystem.

Recommended configuration: Access thunar-volman-settings from terminal or via the Settings menu → "Volume Manager" to customize actions when connecting devices.

Useful network commands

# View network interfaces
ip a

# Restart NetworkManager
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

# Scan available WiFi networks (if you have nmcli)
nmcli dev wifi list

# Connect to a hidden WiFi network
nmcli dev wifi connect "SSID" password "key" hidden yes

5. Drivers and Updates

Xubuntu manages proprietary drivers using the "Additional Drivers" tool, accessible from software-properties-gtk → "Additional Drivers" tab. This tool is fully integrated into Xubuntu and does not require GNOME components.

🔍 Important precision: The ubuntu-drivers autoinstall command installs the recommended drivers for ALL detected hardware (NVIDIA/AMD graphics cards, Wi-Fi, etc.). Its behavior depends on availability in the repositories of your specific Xubuntu/Ubuntu release.

For greater control and to avoid compatibility issues (such as when the kernel is updated or the driver version is not available for your release), it is recommended to:

1. List the available drivers for your hardware: Copy list command

   sudo ubuntu-drivers list

2. Install a specific version (e.g., for NVIDIA 550): Copy specific installation

   sudo ubuntu-drivers install nvidia:550

   or via direct APT: sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550

⚠️ Stability warning: In very recent Xubuntu versions (e.g., 24.10 or future 26.04) the NVIDIA driver recommended by autoinstall may not be fully compatible with the installed kernel, causing errors when starting the graphical session. To avoid this:

• Before installing: Check on NVIDIA's website which driver version supports your card and the kernel you are using (uname -r).
• Hold a working driver: Once you find a version that works correctly, prevent it from updating automatically with: Copy hold command

  sudo apt-mark hold nvidia-driver-550

  (replace "550" with the version you installed).
• If you already have a system running with a driver that is not in the official repositories for your version (for example, because you installed it manually), **do not use** ubuntu-drivers autoinstall as it could overwrite your configuration and break the system.

Recommended workflow: Settings → Settings Manager → "Update Manager" for security patches. For drivers, always use the graphical "Additional Drivers" option or the commands with list and specific install, avoiding autoinstall if you value fine control.

Useful commands for drivers and updates

# Update package list
sudo apt update

# Upgrade all packages (respecting holds)
sudo apt upgrade

# List available drivers for your hardware
sudo ubuntu-drivers list

# Install recommended driver (with caution, see warning)
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

# Install a specific version (safer)
sudo ubuntu-drivers install nvidia:550

# Hold a package to prevent automatic updates
sudo apt-mark hold package-name

# Release a held package
sudo apt-mark unhold package-name

# List currently held packages
apt-mark showhold

📚 Useful links

• Official XFCE Documentation
• Xubuntu Help Center
• XFCE Packages on Ubuntu
• Xubuntu 24.04 LTS User Guide