Along with my dotfiles, this will also document how I installed Arch Linux - in caseI have to do it again. This is my second installation because my first one, for whatever reason, died and I didn't even have my dotfiles backed up to git. Go here if you need help.
I already have an ISO image of Arch Linux on a USB so I just plugged that in, spammed F2/F3 repeatedly until I saw the boot menu. Then I selected the option to boot into the USB.
This is actually a bunch of steps but I usually do them all at once
# To see partitions
fdisk -l
My EFI disk is sda1 and the arch one is sda5.
# To format sda5
mkfs ext4 -L "Arch Linux" /dev/sda5
# To mount the partition
mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
# Get wifi
wifi-menu
# Install base system
pacstrap /mnt base base-devel vim
# Mount EFI partition
mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot/efi
# Generate the fstab (I have no clue what this is)
genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
# Chroot into arch linux
arch-chroot /mnt
pacman -S networkmanager
# Automatically start it up
systemctl enable NetworkManager
You need something to load your OS each time so get grub.
# Download grub
pacman -S grub efibootmgr
# Install grub into HDD
grub-install /dev/sda
ls -l /boot/efi/EFI/arch
# Generate grub config
grub -mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
timedatectl set-ntp true
# Set up timezone
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Canada/Eastern /etc/localtime
# Set clock
hwclock --systohc
# Also set locale
# First uncomment the Canada locale in /etc/locale.gen
vi /etc/locale.gen
# Generate the locales
locale-gen
# Do this step
mkinitcpio -p linux
# Set the root password
passwd
umount -R /mnt
reboot
Now you can take out the USB.
😎
After rebooting login as root and create a user.
useradd -m -g wheel suhavi
psswd suhavi
# Give sudo ability
vim /etc/sudoers
# Uncomment the following line
%wheel ALl=(ALL) ALL
This is a graphical server.
pacman -S xorg-server xorg-init
# Type startx to start it
- fish is a spicy shell
pacman -S termite fish git code
# Make fish your default
chsh -l # See all shells
chsh -s fish
# Copy the following to fish config file to make startx run on startup
if status is-login
if test -z "$DISPLAY" -a $XDG_VTNR = 1
exec startx -- -keeptty
end
end
It's time to get bspwm
pacman -S bspwm dmenu sxhkd
# Fonts
pacman -S noto-fonts
# Fonts can be managed at ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf
# Make x server start bspwm
vim ~/xinitrc
# Add the followng
sxhkd &
exec bspwm
# Make termite your default terminal by going into the sxhkdrc file and changing xterm to termite
# Add custom keybinds to sxhkdrc
I didn't have sound in the beginning.
pacman -S alsa-utils
alsamixer -c 0
Use the arrow keys and stuff to toggle all sound things on
- find a good wallpaper
feh --bg-scale wallpaper.jpg
# Edit the following to xinitrc
~/.fehbg &
# Make sure it's before exec bspwm^
- this will help download AUR things
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si
I actually hate this part
yay -S polybar
install -Dm644 /usr/share/doc/polybar/config $HOME/.config/polybar/config
example polybar
# Make a lot of changes to example config
# I was getting unicode errors so
sudo pacman -S ttf-font-awesome
# In polybar config change fonts
font-1 = "Font Awesome 5 Free:style=Regular:size=10;5"
font-2 = "Font Awesome 5 Free:style=Solid:size=10;5"
# Go through all unicode characters in polybar config and replace them with icons from the FA cheatsheet
# Put this line in bspwmrc
polybar main &
I'm not trying to lose all my stuff again.
# Initialize a git bare repo
git init --bare $HOME/.dotfiles
# Create an alias
alias dotfiles ="git --git-dir=$HOME/.dotfiles/ --work-tree=$HOME"
# Save alias
funcsave dotfiles
# Ignore files you don't want tracked
dotfiles config --local status.showUntrackedFiles no
# Create a github repo called .dotfiles
# dotfiles remote add origin https://github.com/gucci-ninja/.dotfiles
Since I have bspwm I don't have a display manager to add GTK themes to. So I have to get lxappearance >:( I feel lied to
yay -S lxappearance
sudo pacman -S gtk-engine-murrine adwaita-icon-theme
Step 20 was made possible largely due to this reddit post, https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/comments/74z2z6/easily_getting_started_with_bspwm_and_polybar/ and I wish I had found it earlier.
You don't need to do this, it's mostly fo showing off to people.
pacman -S neofetch
# Add the following to fish.config
neofetch
Now eveyr time you create a new terminal session you can show off.
- I'm using thunar
- this is too hard and I failed
- luckily it was easy to connect to Mac-WiFi (note the capitals)
- I'll post my wifi config if someone asks
$ pacman -S bluez bluez-utils
$ pacman -S pulseaudio-bluetooth pulseaudio-alsa pavucontrol
systemctl enable bluetooth.service
$ sudo vim etc/bluetooth/main.conf
# add the following line at the end
# this will ensure your bluetooth headphones auto-connect
AutoEnable=true
# make a directory for pulse (you may already have it)
$ mkdir ~/.config/pulse
# copy sample
$ cp /etc/pulse/* ~/.config/pulse/
$ systemctl restart bluetooth
$ bluetoothctl
# you should be in the bluetooth user now
[bluetooth]~ power on
[bluetooth]~ agent on
[bluetooth]~ default-agent
[bluetooth]~ scan on
# at this point you should put your headphones in pairing mode
# they should show up with a mac address
[bluetooth]~ pair 00:00:00:00:00
[bluetooth]~ connect 00:00:00:00:00
# if this part fails run the following in a new terminal
$ pulseaudio --start
# it should connect now
[bluetooth]~ trust 00:00:00:00:00
[bluetooth]~ scan off
[bluetooth]~ exit
# it should connect your headphoens at this point. if you don't hear sound, restart spotify or whatever and it should work
# if it doesn't, open pavucontrol
$ pavucontrol
# this interface will show you your connected devices, make sure it is not on mute and that under configuration tab it says it's connect to ADP SINK or sm dumbI updated my system and something broke.
$ uname -a
This is the linux version you're running
$ cd /var/cache/pacman/pkg
$ ls
These are the linux versions you have saved in your cache. Find one you want to downgrade to
$ sudo pacman -U linux-#.#.#.arch---
$ reboot