How to Set Up Dual Panels on XFCE 4

To set up dual panels in XFCE 4, enable both displays, add a second panel in Panel Preferences, assign it to the other monitor, and choose its position, length, and panel items. The menu labels below follow Xfce 4.20 documentation. Your distribution’s theme may look different, and the second output may be named HDMI-1, DP-1, or something else.

Prepare both displays

Open Settings Manager > Display. Confirm that both monitor tiles are present and enabled. Drag them in the preview so their left-to-right or top-to-bottom arrangement matches your desk. For an extended desktop, turn off Mirror Displays, then apply the change. If the second monitor is not detected here, Xfce cannot assign a panel to it yet. The display preview and controls are described in the Xfce 4.20 Display documentation.

Create the second panel

1. Open Panel Preferences

   Right-click an open section of the existing panel and choose Panel Preferences. Depending on the distribution’s menu layout, you may see the entry under Panel > Panel Preferences. You can also open Settings Manager > Panel.

   

2. Add a panel

   At the top of Panel Preferences, use the panel selector to see which panel is being edited. Click the adjacent + button to add a new, empty panel. Then select the new panel in the drop-down list, usually named Panel 2. Check the selector before changing settings so you do not move or edit your original panel by mistake.

   

3. Assign the new panel to the other monitor

   With the new panel selected, open its Display settings and choose the second monitor from Output. Set Mode to Horizontal for a standard top or bottom bar. Leave Span monitors off when you want one panel confined to one screen. Xfce only shows the Output and Span monitors controls when it detects a display output, so return to Display settings if those options are missing.

   

4. Position the panel

   Make sure Lock panel is off while positioning. The panel’s handles become available; drag the handle to the bottom edge of the second display, or to another edge you prefer. Xfce snaps an unlocked panel to screen edges. If the panel moves on the wrong screen, check its Output selection before dragging it again.

   

5. Set the panel’s length and thickness

   In the Measurements controls, Row Size changes the panel’s height, while Length is entered in pixels. Keep Number of rows at 1 for a simple bar. To make the panel span the display, increase Length until it reaches both edges; a 1920-pixel-wide output is a useful starting point at 1920 logical pixels. Display scaling can change the size reported to the desktop, so adjust the value if needed. Automatically increase the length lets the panel grow to fit its plugins, which is handy for a short panel. Xfce stores the length relative to the monitor so its proportions can carry over if the output size changes.

   

6. Lock it and choose its visibility

   After placing the panel, turn Lock panel on to hide its drag handles and avoid accidental movement. Set Automatically hide the panel to Never if you want it visible all the time. Intelligently hides it when a focused window overlaps it; Always keeps it hidden until you move the pointer to the edge. You can unlock it later to reposition it.

   

7. Add the items you use

   Open the Items tab and use Add New Items to place plugins on the second panel. Common choices include Launcher for app shortcuts, Window Buttons for open windows, and Notification Area for status icons. The available list depends on which Xfce plugins your distribution has installed. Use the arrow controls to reorder items; add separators if you want to keep groups or align items at opposite ends.

   

Fix common dual-panel problems

• The new panel appears on the first monitor: select the new panel in the drop-down and set Output to the second display.
• The panel stretches across both screens: turn off Span monitors, then confirm the Output setting.
• The second output is missing: enable the display in Settings Manager > Display, apply the layout, and reopen Panel Preferences.
• You cannot drag the panel: turn off Lock panel temporarily so the handles reappear.

The Xfce 4.20 Panel Preferences documentation explains panel selection, output, locking, measurements, hiding, and item management. The exact monitor names and available plugins depend on your hardware and Linux distribution.