The setup I did was to just install Xubuntu, then: apt install cinnamon Once installed, I logged out, and then picked Cinnamon from the session selection menu

The setup I did was to just install Xubuntu, then: apt install cinnamon Once installed, I logged out, and then picked Cinnamon from the session selection menu (the little gear near the upper right corner). It comes right up, though it won't pick up your preferences from XFCE. I hadn't realized there was now a Cinnamon spin - is that still in testing? It's not on Ubuntu's list of flavors.