Zorin OS 16 Lite will be using 4.16.
I am also using 4.16 currently.
However, I would honestly say that XFCE4 4.14 is the more stable.
4.16 is new and currently in the Dev Testing / Staging repository.
XF WM 4
XFCE Window Manager.
The window manager is what manages how windows appear, tile and position, close/max/min, compositing, etc. It is a Full Window Manager, unlike Gnome. Therefor, it has settings that you can access and modify.
Since you stated "stable":
sudo apt install xfce4 lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter-settings numlockx
If you prefer GDM3, you can shorten that to sudo apt install xfce4 numlockx
I admit that I do not recommend this... LightDM is more stable and operates more smoothly with XFCE than GDM does.
When you install lightdm, the terminal will open a Prompt for Configuring it. Be sure to choose LightDM and not GDM.
LightDM comes with a top bar. You can set this to be a Bottom Bar if you want. You can also set it to be transparent or pretty much anything else that you want.
Once everything is installed, you must log out. If you use The Number Pad for your Log In password, you will need to tap the numlock key this time. We will configure this shortly.
Move to the Upper Right side to find the Desktop Chooser (Much easier to find than on GDM) and select XFCE Session.
Logging in you will be taken to an Ugly Screen. This is because you are installing Base XFCE with an ugly wallpaper and the panel not really fleshed out. That is on you to do.
At this point, again, you can do pretty much anything that you want to do. Change that wallpaper out...
Right click the Panel and move to the Right Arrow, then Panel Preferences. In this, unlike Gnome-Shell, you can configure the panel however you like- a custom background image, transparent, any shape, height or length. I suggest just going to town on it, enjoying your ability to set it up by your own Rules without the limits placed by Windows or by Gnome.
Most XFCE themes (including mine) Theme the XFCE panel for you, with no need for you to do so- but you can if you want to.
Installing numlockx allows the numlock key to be active already at login. We can now configure that:
sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/lightdm.conf
Add this line: greeter-setup-script=/usr/bin/numlockx on and save and exit.
That is now done.
If you want the Zorin App Menu on your XFCE:
https://launchpad.net/~zorinos/+archive/ubuntu/stable/+files/xfce4-zorinmenulite-plugin_1.1.2_amd64.deb
Or you can use Whiskermenu... Which I use... It is highly configurable and a joy to use:
sudo apt install xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin
From the items tab in Panel Preferences you can add items including the aforementioned app menu. Select an item already added to the panel by clicking it in the list in that window, then position it by clicking the Up or Down arrows on the Right Vertical Toolbar.
You can add spacers (Separators) that can Expand pushing other items away and can be made transparent. There are also a large number of Useful Plugins to explore.
Adding any app as a launcher to the panel can be done from the App Menu. Right click and program in the App Menu list and select "Add to panel" - Done.
No need to try to make a desktop entry file.
I recommend performing this:
To consolidate all settings into One Manager. It makes things easier.
Zorin OS Themes are already included - so feel free to use them on XFCE.
