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| author | Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk> | 2015-02-04 04:14:49 (EST) |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk> | 2015-02-04 04:14:49 (EST) |
| commit | 4c3d46238022f0c9955ae7e8b10c9f1716dd871a (patch) | |
| tree | 8639e21d93df6493d952bda5f324efbe4d89447f /docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html | |
| parent | 5b6f5884280657c8554035503ee2bde5d84a276c (diff) | |
| download | libreboot-4c3d46238022f0c9955ae7e8b10c9f1716dd871a.zip libreboot-4c3d46238022f0c9955ae7e8b10c9f1716dd871a.tar.gz libreboot-4c3d46238022f0c9955ae7e8b10c9f1716dd871a.tar.bz2 | |
Documentation: implement theme, drastically improve readability
Diffstat (limited to 'docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html | 1234 |
1 files changed, 654 insertions, 580 deletions
diff --git a/docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html b/docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html index 0c8e92a..7f69cf7 100644 --- a/docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html +++ b/docs/gnulinux/configuring_parabola.html @@ -12,143 +12,169 @@ </head> <body> - <header> + <div class="section"> <h1 id="pagetop">Configuring Parabola (post-install)</h1> - <aside>Or <a href="index.html">back to main index</a></aside> - </header> - -<hr/> - - <h2>Table of Contents</h2> - <ul> - <li> - <a href="#pacman_configure">Configuring pacman</a> - <ul> - <li><a href="#pacman_update">Updating Parabola</a></li> - <li> - <a href="#pacman_maintain">Maintaining Parabola during system updates</a> - <ul> - <li><a href="#pacman_cacheclean">Clearing package cache after updating</a></li> - <li><a href="#pacman_commandequiv">Pacman command equivalents (compared to other package managers)</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li><a href="#yourfreedom">your-freedom</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li><a href="#useradd">Add a user account</a></li> - <li><a href="#systemd">System D</a></li> - <li><a href="#interesting_repos">Interesting repositories</a></li> - <li> - <a href="#network">Setup a network connection in Parabola</a> - <ul> - <li><a href="#network_hostname">Setting hostname</a></li> - <li><a href="#network_status">Network status</a></li> - <li><a href="#network_devicenames">Network interface names</a></li> - <li><a href="#network_setup">Network setup</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li><a href="#system_maintain">System maintenance</a> - important!</li> - <li> - <a href="#desktop">Configuring the desktop</a> - <ul> - <li><a href="#desktop_xorg">Install Xorg</a></li> - <li><a href="#desktop_kblayout">Xorg keyboard layout</a></li> - <li><a href="#desktop_lxde">Install LXDE</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_clock">LXDE - clock</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_font">LXDE - font</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_screenlock">LXDE - screenlock</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_automount">LXDE - automounting</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_suspend">LXDE - disable suspend</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_battery">LXDE - battery monitor</a></li> - <li><a href="#lxde_network">LXDE - network manager</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - </ul> - -<hr/> - - <p> - While not strictly related to the libreboot project, this guide - is intended to be useful for those interested in installing - Parabola on their libreboot machine. - </p> - - <p> - It details configuration steps that I took after installing the base system, - as a follow up to <a href="encrypted_parabola.html">encrypted_parabola.html</a>. - This guide is likely to become obsolete at a later date (due to the volatile - 'rolling-release' model that Arch/Parabola both use), but attempts will be made to maintain it. - </p> - - <p> - <b> - This guide was valid on 2014-09-21. If you see any changes that should to be made at the present date, please get in touch - with the libreboot project! - </b> - </p> - - <p> - You do not necessarily have to follow this guide word-for-word; <i>parabola</i> is extremely flexible. - The aim here is to provide a common setup that most users will be happy with. While Parabola - can seem daunting at first glance (especially for new GNU/Linux users), with a simple guide it can provide - all the same usability as Trisquel, without hiding any details from the user. - </p> - - <p> - Paradoxically, as you get more advanced Parabola can actually become <i>easier to use</i> - when you want to set up your machine in a special way compared to what most distributions provide. - You will find over time that other distributions tend to <i>get in your way</i>. - </p> - - <p> - <b> - This guide assumes that you already have Parabola installed. If you have not yet installed Parabola, - then <a href="encrypted_parabola.html">this guide</a> is highly recommended! - </b> - </p> - - <p> - A lot of the steps in this guide will refer to the Arch wiki. Arch is the upstream distribution that Parabola uses. - Most of this guide will also tell you to read wiki articles, other pages, manuals, and so on. In general it tries - to cherry pick the most useful information but nonetheless you are encouraged to learn as much as possible. - <b>It might take you a few days to fully install your system how you like, depending on how much you need to read. Patience is key, - especially for new users</b>. - </p> - - <p> - The Arch wiki will sometimes use bad language, such as calling the whole system Linux, using the term open-source (or closed-source), - and it will sometimes recommend the use of proprietary software. You need to be careful about this when reading anything on the - Arch wiki. - </p> - - <p> - Some of these steps require internet access. I'll go into networking later but for now, I just connected - my machine to a switch and did:<br/> - # <b>systemctl start dhcpcd.service</b><br/> - You can stop it later by running:<br/> - # <b>systemctl stop dhcpcd.service</b><br/> - For most people this should be enough, but if you don't have DHCP on your network then you should setup your network connection first:<br/> - <a href="#network">Setup network connection in Parabola</a> - </p> - -<hr/> - - <h2 id="pacman_configure">Configure pacman</h2> + <p> + Post-installation configuration steps for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre. Parabola is extremely flexible; this is just an example. + </p> + <p> + <a href="index.html">Back to previous index</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <h1>Table of Contents</h1> + <ul> + <li> + <a href="#pacman_configure">Configuring pacman</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="#pacman_update">Updating Parabola</a></li> + <li> + <a href="#pacman_maintain">Maintaining Parabola during system updates</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="#pacman_cacheclean">Clearing package cache after updating</a></li> + <li><a href="#pacman_commandequiv">Pacman command equivalents (compared to other package managers)</a></li> + </ul> + </li> + <li><a href="#yourfreedom">your-freedom</a></li> + </ul> + </li> + <li><a href="#useradd">Add a user account</a></li> + <li><a href="#systemd">System D</a></li> + <li><a href="#interesting_repos">Interesting repositories</a></li> + <li> + <a href="#network">Setup a network connection in Parabola</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="#network_hostname">Setting hostname</a></li> + <li><a href="#network_status">Network status</a></li> + <li><a href="#network_devicenames">Network interface names</a></li> + <li><a href="#network_setup">Network setup</a></li> + </ul> + </li> + <li><a href="#system_maintain">System maintenance</a> - important!</li> + <li> + <a href="#desktop">Configuring the desktop</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="#desktop_xorg">Install Xorg</a></li> + <li><a href="#desktop_kblayout">Xorg keyboard layout</a></li> + <li><a href="#desktop_lxde">Install LXDE</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_clock">LXDE - clock</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_font">LXDE - font</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_screenlock">LXDE - screenlock</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_automount">LXDE - automounting</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_suspend">LXDE - disable suspend</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_battery">LXDE - battery monitor</a></li> + <li><a href="#lxde_network">LXDE - network manager</a></li> + </ul> + </li> + </ul> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <p> + While not strictly related to the libreboot project, this guide + is intended to be useful for those interested in installing + Parabola on their libreboot machine. + </p> + + <p> + It details configuration steps that I took after installing the base system, + as a follow up to <a href="encrypted_parabola.html">encrypted_parabola.html</a>. + This guide is likely to become obsolete at a later date (due to the volatile + 'rolling-release' model that Arch/Parabola both use), but attempts will be made to maintain it. + </p> + + <p> + <b> + This guide was valid on 2014-09-21. If you see any changes that should to be made at the present date, please get in touch + with the libreboot project! + </b> + </p> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <p> + You do not necessarily have to follow this guide word-for-word; <i>parabola</i> is extremely flexible. + The aim here is to provide a common setup that most users will be happy with. While Parabola + can seem daunting at first glance (especially for new GNU/Linux users), with a simple guide it can provide + all the same usability as Trisquel, without hiding any details from the user. + </p> + + <p> + Paradoxically, as you get more advanced Parabola can actually become <i>easier to use</i> + when you want to set up your machine in a special way compared to what most distributions provide. + You will find over time that other distributions tend to <i>get in your way</i>. + </p> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <p> + <b> + This guide assumes that you already have Parabola installed. If you have not yet installed Parabola, + then <a href="encrypted_parabola.html">this guide</a> is highly recommended! + </b> + </p> + <p> - pacman (<b>pac</b>kage <b>man</b>ager) is the name of the package management system in Arch, which Parabola - (as a deblobbed parallel effort) also uses. Like with 'apt-get' on debian-based systems like Trisquel, - this can be used to add/remove and update the software on your computer. + A lot of the steps in this guide will refer to the Arch wiki. Arch is the upstream distribution that Parabola uses. + Most of this guide will also tell you to read wiki articles, other pages, manuals, and so on. In general it tries + to cherry pick the most useful information but nonetheless you are encouraged to learn as much as possible. + <b>It might take you a few days to fully install your system how you like, depending on how much you need to read. Patience is key, + especially for new users</b>. </p> + <p> - Based on <a href="https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Installation_Guide#Configure_pacman">https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Installation_Guide#Configure_pacman</a> - and from reading <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman</a> (make sure to read and understand this, - it's very important) and - <a href="https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Official_Repositories">https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Official_Repositories</a> + The Arch wiki will sometimes use bad language, such as calling the whole system Linux, using the term open-source (or closed-source), + and it will sometimes recommend the use of proprietary software. You need to be careful about this when reading anything on the + Arch wiki. </p> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + Some of these steps require internet access. I'll go into networking later but for now, I just connected + my machine to a switch and did:<br/> + # <b>systemctl start dhcpcd.service</b><br/> + You can stop it later by running:<br/> + # <b>systemctl stop dhcpcd.service</b><br/> + For most people this should be enough, but if you don't have DHCP on your network then you should setup your network connection first:<br/> + <a href="#network">Setup network connection in Parabola</a> </p> - <h3 id="pacman_update">Updating Parabola</h3> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="pacman_configure">Configure pacman</h2> + <p> + pacman (<b>pac</b>kage <b>man</b>ager) is the name of the package management system in Arch, which Parabola + (as a deblobbed parallel effort) also uses. Like with 'apt-get' on debian-based systems like Trisquel, + this can be used to add/remove and update the software on your computer. + </p> + <p> + Based on <a href="https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Installation_Guide#Configure_pacman">https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Installation_Guide#Configure_pacman</a> + and from reading <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman</a> (make sure to read and understand this, + it's very important) and + <a href="https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Official_Repositories">https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Official_Repositories</a> + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="pacman_update">Updating Parabola</h2> <p> In the end, I didn't change my configuration for pacman. When you are updating, resync with the latest package names/versions:<br/> # <b>pacman -Syy</b><br/> @@ -191,7 +217,12 @@ <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> - <h3 id="pacman_maintain">Maintaining Parabola</h3> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="pacman_maintain">Maintaining Parabola</h2> <p> Parabola is a very simple distro, in the sense that you are in full control and everything is made transparent to you. One consequence is @@ -202,7 +233,7 @@ <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> - <h4 id="pacman_cacheclean">Cleaning the package cache</h4> + <h3 id="pacman_cacheclean">Cleaning the package cache</h3> <p> <b> The following is very important as you continue to use, update and maintain your Parabola system:<br/> @@ -229,7 +260,7 @@ <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> - <h4 id="pacman_commandequiv">pacman command equivalents</h4> + <h3 id="pacman_commandequiv">pacman command equivalents</h3> <p> The following table lists other distro package manager commands, and their equivalent in pacman:<br/> <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman_Rosetta">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman_Rosetta</a> @@ -237,8 +268,12 @@ <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> + + </div> - <h3 id="yourfreedom">your-freedom</h3> + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="yourfreedom">your-freedom</h2> <p> your-freedom is a package specific to Parabola, and it is installed by default. What it does is conflict with packages from Arch that are known to be non-free (proprietary) software. When migrating from Arch (there is a guide on the Parabola @@ -249,526 +284,565 @@ <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> + + </div> -<hr/> + <div class="section"> - <h2 id="useradd">Add a user</h2> - <p> - Based on <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Users_and_Groups">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Users_and_Groups</a>. - </p> - <p> - It is important (for security reasons) to create and use a non-root (non-admin) user account for everyday use. The default 'root' account is intended - only for critical administrative work, since it has complete access to the entire operating system. - </p> - <p> - Read the entire document linked to above, and then continue. - </p> - <p> - Add your user:<br/> - # <b>useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash <i>yourusername</i></b><br/> - Set a password:<br/> - # <b>passwd <i>yourusername</i></b> - </p> - - <p><a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page</a></p> - -<hr/> - - <h2 id="systemd">systemd</h2> - <p> - This is the name of the system used for managing services in Parabola. It is a good idea to become familiar with it. - Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd</a> - and <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd#Basic_systemctl_usage">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd#Basic_systemctl_usage</a> - to gain a full understanding. <b>This is very important! Make sure to read them.</b> - </p> - <p> - An example of a 'service' could be a webserver (such as lighttpd), or sshd (openssh), dhcp, etc. There are countless others. - </p> - <p> - <a href="https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1149530#p1149530">https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1149530#p1149530</a> explains - the background behind the decision by Arch (Parabola's upstream supplier) to use systemd. - </p> - - <p> - The manpage should also help:<br/> - # <b>man systemd</b><br/> - The section on 'unit types' is especially useful. - </p> - - <p> - According to the wiki, systemd 'journal' keeps logs of a size up to 10% of the total size your / partition takes up. - on a 60GB root this would mean 6GB. That's not exactly practical, and can have performance implications later when the - log gets too big. Based on instructions from the wiki, I will reduce the total size of the journal to 50MiB (the wiki - recommends 50MiB). - </p> - <p> - Open /etc/systemd/journald.conf and find the line that says:<br/> - <i>#SystemMaxUse=</i><br/> - Change it to say:<br/> - <i>SystemMaxUse=50M</i> - </p> - <p> - The wiki also recommended a method for forwarding journal output to TTY 12 (accessible by pressing ctrl+alt+f12, - and you use ctrl+alt+[F1-F12] to switch between terminals). I decided not to enable it. - </p> - <p> - Restart journald:<br/> - # <b>systemctl restart systemd-journald</b> - </p> - - <p> - The wiki recommends that if the journal gets too large, you can also simply delete (rm -rf) everything inside /var/log/journald/* - but recommends backing it up. This shouldn't be necessary, since you already set the size limit above and systemd will automatically - start to delete older records when the journal size reaches it's limit (according to systemd developers). - </p> - - <p> - Finally, the wiki mentions 'temporary' files and the utility for managing them.<br/> - # <b>man systemd-tmpfiles</b><br/> - The command for 'clean' is:<br/> - # <b>systemd-tmpfiles --clean</b><br/> - According to the manpage, this <i>"cleans all files and directories with an age parameter"</i>. - According to the Arch wiki, this reads information in /etc/tmpfiles.d/ and /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/ - to know what actions to perform. Therefore, it is a good idea to read what's stored in these locations - to get a better understanding. - </p> - <p> - I looked in /etc/tmpfiles.d/ and found that it was empty on my system. However, /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/ contained some files. - The first one was etc.conf, containing information and a reference to this manpage:<br/> - # <b>man tmpfiles.d</b><br/> - Read that manpage, and then continue studying all the files. - </p> - <p> - The systemd developers tell me that it isn't usually necessary to touch the systemd-tmpfiles utility manually at all. - </p> - - <p><a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page</a></p> - -<hr/> - - <h2 id="interesting_repos">Interesting repositories</h2> - <p> - Parabola wiki at <a href="https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Repositories#kernels">https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Repositories#kernels</a> - mentions about a repository called [kernels] for custom kernels that aren't in the default base. It might be worth looking into what is available - there, depending on your use case. - </p> - <p> - I enabled it on my system, to see what was in it. Edit /etc/pacman.conf and below the 'extra' section add:<br/> - <i> - [kernels]<br/> - Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist - </i> - </p> - <p> - Now sync with the repository:<br/> - # <b>pacman -Syy</b> - </p> - <p> - List all available packages in this repository:<br/> - # <b>pacman -Sl kernels</b> - </p> - <p> - In the end, I decided not to install anything from it but I kept the repository enabled regardless. - </p> - <p><a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a></p> - -<hr/> - - <h2 id="network">Setup a network connection in Parabola</h2> - <p> - Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network</a>. - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> - <h3 id="network_hostname">Set the hostname</h3> - <p> - This should be the same as the hostname that you set in /etc/hostname when installing Parabola. You can also do it with systemd (do so now, if you like):<br/> - # <b>hostnamectl set-hostname <i>yourhostname</i></b><br/> - This writes the specified hostname to /etc/hostname. More information can be found in these manpages:<br/> - # <b>man hostname</b><br/> - # <b>info hostname</b><br/> - # <b>man hostnamectl</b> - </p> - <p> - Add the same hostname to /etc/hosts, on each line. Example:<br/> - <i> - 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost <u>myhostname</u><br/> - ::1 localhost.localdomain localhost <u>myhostname</u> - </i> - </p> - <p> - You'll note that I set both lines; the 2nd line is for IPv6. More and more ISPs are providing this now (mine does) - so it's good to be forward-thinking here. - </p> - <p> - The <i>hostname</i> utility is part of the <i>inetutils</i> package and is in core/, installed by default (as part of <i>base</i>). - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> - <h3 id="network_status">Network Status</h3> - <p> - According to the Arch wiki, <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Udev">udev</a> should already detect the ethernet chipset - and load the driver for it automatically at boot time. You can check this in the <i>"Ethernet controller"</i> section - when running this command:<br/> - # <b>lspci -v</b> - </p> - <p> - Look at the remaining sections <i>'Kernel driver in use'</i> and <i>'Kernel modules'</i>. In my case it was as follows:<br/> - <i> - Kernel driver in use: e1000e<br/> - Kernel modules: e1000e - </i> - </p> - <p> - Check that the driver was loaded by issuing <i>dmesg | grep module_name</i>. In my case, I did:<br/> - # <b>dmesg | grep e1000e</b> - </p> - <h3 id="network_devicenames">Network device names</h3> + <h2 id="useradd">Add a user</h2> <p> - According to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Device_names">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Device_names</a>, - it is important to note that the old interface names like eth0, wlan0, wwan0 and so on no longer apply. Instead, <i>systemd</i> - creates device names starting with en (for enternet), wl (for wifi) and ww (for wwan) with a fixed identifier that systemd automatically generates. - An example device name for your ethernet chipset would be <i>enp0s25</i>, where it is never supposed to change. + Based on <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Users_and_Groups">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Users_and_Groups</a>. </p> <p> - If you want to enable the old names (eth0, wlan0, wwan0, etc), the Arch wiki recommends - adding <i>net.ifnames=0</i> to your kernel parameters (in libreboot context, this would be accomplished by following the - instructions in <a href="grub_cbfs.html">grub_cbfs.html</a>). + It is important (for security reasons) to create and use a non-root (non-admin) user account for everyday use. The default 'root' account is intended + only for critical administrative work, since it has complete access to the entire operating system. </p> <p> - For background information, - read <a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/PredictableNetworkInterfaceNames/">Predictable Network Interface Names</a> + Read the entire document linked to above, and then continue. </p> <p> - Show device names:<br/> - # <b>ls /sys/class/net</b> - </p> - <p> - Changing the device names is possible (I chose not to do it):<br/> - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Change_device_name">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Change_device_name</a> - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> - <h3 id="network_setup">Network setup</h3> - <p> - I actually chose to ignore most of Networking section on the wiki. Instead, I plan to set up LXDE desktop with the graphical - network-manager client. Here is a list of network managers:<br/> - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/List_of_applications/Internet#Network_managers">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/List_of_applications/Internet#Network_managers</a>. - If you need to, set a static IP address (temporarily) using the networking guide and the Arch wiki, or start the dhcpcd service in systemd. - NetworkManager will be setup later, after installing LXDE. - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + Add your user:<br/> + # <b>useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash <i>yourusername</i></b><br/> + Set a password:<br/> + # <b>passwd <i>yourusername</i></b> </p> -<hr/> + <p><a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page</a></p> + + </div> - <h2 id="system_maintain">System Maintenance</h2> - <p> - Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/System_maintenance">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/System_maintenance</a> before continuing. - Also read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Enhance_system_stability">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Enhance_system_stability</a>. - <b>This is important, so make sure to read them!</b> - </p> - <p> - Install smartmontools (it can be used to check smart data. HDDs use non-free firmware inside, but it's transparent to you - but the smart data comes from it. Therefore, don't rely on it too much):<br/> - # <b>pacman -S smartmontools</b><br/> - Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/S.M.A.R.T.">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/S.M.A.R.T.</a> to learn how to use it. - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> - -<hr/> - - <h2 id="desktop">Configuring the desktop</h2> - <p> - Based on steps from - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/General_recommendations#Graphical_user_interface">General Recommendations</a> on the Arch wiki. - The plan is to use LXDE and LXDM/LightDM, along with everything else that you would expect on other distributions that provide LXDE - by default. - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> + <div class="section"> - <h3 id="desktop_xorg">Installing Xorg</h3> - <p> - Based on <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg</a>. - </p> - <p> - Firstly, install it!<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xorg-server</b><br/> - I also recommend installing this (contains lots of useful tools, including <i>xrandr</i>):<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xorg-server-utils</b> - </p> - <p> - Install the driver. For me this was <i>xf86-video-intel</i> on the ThinkPad X60. T60 and macbook11/21 should be the same.<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xf86-video-intel</b><br/> - For other systems you can try:<br/> - # <b>pacman -Ss xf86-video- | less</b><br/> - Combined with looking at your <i>lspci</i> output, you can determine which driver is needed. - By default, Xorg will revert to xf86-video-vesa which is a generic driver and doesn't provide true hardware acceleration. - </p> - <p> - Other drivers (not just video) can be found by looking at the <i>xorg-drivers</i> group:<br/> - # <b>pacman -Sg xorg-drivers</b><br/> - </p> + <h2 id="systemd">systemd</h2> <p> - Mostly you will rely on a display manager, but in case you ever want to start X without one:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xorg-xinit</b> + This is the name of the system used for managing services in Parabola. It is a good idea to become familiar with it. + Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd</a> + and <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd#Basic_systemctl_usage">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd#Basic_systemctl_usage</a> + to gain a full understanding. <b>This is very important! Make sure to read them.</b> </p> <p> - <optional><br/> - Arch wiki recommends installing these, for testing that X works:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xorg-twm xorg-xclock xterm</b><br/> - Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc</a>. - and test X:<br/> - # <b>startx</b><br/> - When you are satisfied, type <b><i>exit</i></b> in xterm, inside the X session.<br/> - Uninstall them (clutter. eww): # <b>pacman -S xorg-xinit xorg-twm xorg-xclock xterm</b><br/> - </optional> + An example of a 'service' could be a webserver (such as lighttpd), or sshd (openssh), dhcp, etc. There are countless others. </p> <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + <a href="https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1149530#p1149530">https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1149530#p1149530</a> explains + the background behind the decision by Arch (Parabola's upstream supplier) to use systemd. </p> - <h3 id="desktop_kblayout">Xorg keyboard layout</h3> - <p> - Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg</a>. - </p> - <p> - Xorg uses a different configuration method for keyboard layouts, so you will notice that the layout you - set in /etc/vconsole.conf earlier might not actually be the same in X. - </p> - <p> - To see what layout you currently use, try this on a terminal emulator in X:<br/> - # <b>setxkbmap -print -verbose 10</b> - </p> - <p> - In my case, I wanted to use the Dvorak (UK) keyboard which is quite different from Xorg's default Qwerty (US) layout. - </p> - <p> - I'll just say it now: <i>XkbModel</i> can be <i>pc105</i> in this case (ThinkPad X60, with a 105-key UK keyboard). - If you use an American keyboard (typically 104 keys) you will want to use <i>pc104</i>. - </p> - <p> - <i>XkbLayout</i> in my case would be <i>gb</i>, and <i>XkbVariant</i> would be <i>dvorak</i>. - </p> - <p> - The Arch wiki recommends two different methods for setting the keyboard layout:<br/> - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_X_configuration_files">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_X_configuration_files</a> and<br/> - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_localectl">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_localectl</a>. - </p> - <p> - In my case, I chose to use the <i>configuration file</i> method:<br/> - Create the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf and put this inside:<br/> - <i> - Section "InputClass"<br/> - Identifier "system-keyboard"<br/> - MatchIsKeyboard "on"<br/> - Option "XkbLayout" "gb"<br/> - Option "XkbModel" "pc105"<br/> - Option "XkbVariant" "dvorak"<br/> - EndSection - </i> - </p> - <p> - For you, the steps above may differ if you have a different layout. If you use a US Qwerty keyboard, then - you don't even need to do anything (though it might help, for the sake of being explicit). - </p> <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + The manpage should also help:<br/> + # <b>man systemd</b><br/> + The section on 'unit types' is especially useful. </p> - <h3 id="desktop_lxde">Install LXDE</h3> - <p> - Desktop choice isn't that important to me, so for simplicity I decided to use LXDE. It's lightweight - and does everything that I need. - If you would like to try something different, refer to - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Desktop_environment">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Desktop_environment</a> - </p> <p> - Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE</a>. + According to the wiki, systemd 'journal' keeps logs of a size up to 10% of the total size your / partition takes up. + on a 60GB root this would mean 6GB. That's not exactly practical, and can have performance implications later when the + log gets too big. Based on instructions from the wiki, I will reduce the total size of the journal to 50MiB (the wiki + recommends 50MiB). </p> <p> - Install it, choosing 'all' when asked for the default package list:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S lxde obconf</b> + Open /etc/systemd/journald.conf and find the line that says:<br/> + <i>#SystemMaxUse=</i><br/> + Change it to say:<br/> + <i>SystemMaxUse=50M</i> </p> <p> - I didn't want the following, so I removed them:<br/> - # <b>pacman -R lxmusic lxtask</b> + The wiki also recommended a method for forwarding journal output to TTY 12 (accessible by pressing ctrl+alt+f12, + and you use ctrl+alt+[F1-F12] to switch between terminals). I decided not to enable it. </p> <p> - I also lazily installed all fonts:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S $(pacman -Ssq ttf-)</b> + Restart journald:<br/> + # <b>systemctl restart systemd-journald</b> </p> + <p> - LXDE comes with a terminal. You probably want a browser to go with that; I choose GNU IceCat, part of the <i><a href="https://gnu.org/">GNU project</a></i>:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S icecat</b><br/> - And a mail client:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S icedove</b> + The wiki recommends that if the journal gets too large, you can also simply delete (rm -rf) everything inside /var/log/journald/* + but recommends backing it up. This shouldn't be necessary, since you already set the size limit above and systemd will automatically + start to delete older records when the journal size reaches it's limit (according to systemd developers). </p> + <p> - In IceCat, go to <i>Preferences :: Advanced</i> and disable <i>GNU IceCat Health Report</i>. + Finally, the wiki mentions 'temporary' files and the utility for managing them.<br/> + # <b>man systemd-tmpfiles</b><br/> + The command for 'clean' is:<br/> + # <b>systemd-tmpfiles --clean</b><br/> + According to the manpage, this <i>"cleans all files and directories with an age parameter"</i>. + According to the Arch wiki, this reads information in /etc/tmpfiles.d/ and /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/ + to know what actions to perform. Therefore, it is a good idea to read what's stored in these locations + to get a better understanding. </p> <p> - I also like to install these:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xsensors stress htop</b> + I looked in /etc/tmpfiles.d/ and found that it was empty on my system. However, /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/ contained some files. + The first one was etc.conf, containing information and a reference to this manpage:<br/> + # <b>man tmpfiles.d</b><br/> + Read that manpage, and then continue studying all the files. </p> <p> - Enable LXDM (the default display manager, providing a graphical login):<br/> - # <b>systemctl enable lxdm.service</b><br/> - It will start when you boot up the machine. To start it now, do:<br/> - # <b>systemctl start lxdm.service</b> + The systemd developers tell me that it isn't usually necessary to touch the systemd-tmpfiles utility manually at all. </p> + + <p><a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page</a></p> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="interesting_repos">Interesting repositories</h2> <p> - Log in with your standard (non-root) user that you created earlier. - It is advisable to also create an xinitrc rule in case you ever want to start lxde without lxdm. - Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc</a>. + Parabola wiki at <a href="https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Repositories#kernels">https://wiki.parabolagnulinux.org/Repositories#kernels</a> + mentions about a repository called [kernels] for custom kernels that aren't in the default base. It might be worth looking into what is available + there, depending on your use case. </p> <p> - Open LXterminal:<br/> - $ <b>cp /etc/skel/.xinitrc ~</b><br/> - Open .xinitrc and add the following plus a line break at the bottom of the file.<br/> + I enabled it on my system, to see what was in it. Edit /etc/pacman.conf and below the 'extra' section add:<br/> <i> - # Probably not needed. The same locale info that we set before<br/> - # Based on advice from the LXDE wiki - export LC_ALL=en_GB.UTF-8<br/> - export LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8<br/> - export LANG=en_GB.UTF-8<br/> - <br/> - # Start lxde desktop<br/> - exec startlxde<br/> + [kernels]<br/> + Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist </i> - Now make sure that it is executable:<br/> - $ <b>chmod +x .xinitrc</b> </p> <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + Now sync with the repository:<br/> + # <b>pacman -Syy</b> </p> - - <h3 id="lxde_clock">LXDE - clock</h3> <p> - In <b>Digital Clock Settings</b> (right click the clock) I set the Clock Format to <i>%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S</i> + List all available packages in this repository:<br/> + # <b>pacman -Sl kernels</b> </p> <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + In the end, I decided not to install anything from it but I kept the repository enabled regardless. </p> + <p><a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a></p> + + </div> - <h3 id="lxde_font">LXDE - font</h3> - <p> - NOTE TO SELF: come back to this later. - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> + <div class="section"> - <h3 id="lxde_screenlock">LXDE - screenlock</h3> - <p> - Arch wiki recommends to use <i>xscreensaver</i>:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xscreensaver</b> - </p> + <h2 id="network">Setup a network connection in Parabola</h2> <p> - Under <i>Preferences :: Screensaver</i> in the LXDE menu, I chose <i>Mode: Blank Screen Only</i>, - setting <i>Blank After</i>, <i>Cycle After</i> and <i>Lock Screen After</i> (checked) to 10 minutes. - </p> - <p> - You can now lock the screen with <i>Logout :: Lock Screen</i> in the LXDE menu. + Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network</a>. </p> <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> + <h3 id="network_hostname">Set the hostname</h3> + <p> + This should be the same as the hostname that you set in /etc/hostname when installing Parabola. You can also do it with systemd (do so now, if you like):<br/> + # <b>hostnamectl set-hostname <i>yourhostname</i></b><br/> + This writes the specified hostname to /etc/hostname. More information can be found in these manpages:<br/> + # <b>man hostname</b><br/> + # <b>info hostname</b><br/> + # <b>man hostnamectl</b> + </p> + <p> + Add the same hostname to /etc/hosts, on each line. Example:<br/> + <i> + 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost <u>myhostname</u><br/> + ::1 localhost.localdomain localhost <u>myhostname</u> + </i> + </p> + <p> + You'll note that I set both lines; the 2nd line is for IPv6. More and more ISPs are providing this now (mine does) + so it's good to be forward-thinking here. + </p> + <p> + The <i>hostname</i> utility is part of the <i>inetutils</i> package and is in core/, installed by default (as part of <i>base</i>). + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + <h3 id="network_status">Network Status</h3> + <p> + According to the Arch wiki, <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Udev">udev</a> should already detect the ethernet chipset + and load the driver for it automatically at boot time. You can check this in the <i>"Ethernet controller"</i> section + when running this command:<br/> + # <b>lspci -v</b> + </p> + <p> + Look at the remaining sections <i>'Kernel driver in use'</i> and <i>'Kernel modules'</i>. In my case it was as follows:<br/> + <i> + Kernel driver in use: e1000e<br/> + Kernel modules: e1000e + </i> + </p> + <p> + Check that the driver was loaded by issuing <i>dmesg | grep module_name</i>. In my case, I did:<br/> + # <b>dmesg | grep e1000e</b> + </p> + <h3 id="network_devicenames">Network device names</h3> + <p> + According to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Device_names">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Device_names</a>, + it is important to note that the old interface names like eth0, wlan0, wwan0 and so on no longer apply. Instead, <i>systemd</i> + creates device names starting with en (for enternet), wl (for wifi) and ww (for wwan) with a fixed identifier that systemd automatically generates. + An example device name for your ethernet chipset would be <i>enp0s25</i>, where it is never supposed to change. + </p> + <p> + If you want to enable the old names (eth0, wlan0, wwan0, etc), the Arch wiki recommends + adding <i>net.ifnames=0</i> to your kernel parameters (in libreboot context, this would be accomplished by following the + instructions in <a href="grub_cbfs.html">grub_cbfs.html</a>). + </p> + <p> + For background information, + read <a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/PredictableNetworkInterfaceNames/">Predictable Network Interface Names</a> + </p> + <p> + Show device names:<br/> + # <b>ls /sys/class/net</b> + </p> + <p> + Changing the device names is possible (I chose not to do it):<br/> + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Change_device_name">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_Network#Change_device_name</a> + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + <h3 id="network_setup">Network setup</h3> + <p> + I actually chose to ignore most of Networking section on the wiki. Instead, I plan to set up LXDE desktop with the graphical + network-manager client. Here is a list of network managers:<br/> + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/List_of_applications/Internet#Network_managers">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/List_of_applications/Internet#Network_managers</a>. + If you need to, set a static IP address (temporarily) using the networking guide and the Arch wiki, or start the dhcpcd service in systemd. + NetworkManager will be setup later, after installing LXDE. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + + </div> - <h3 id="lxde_automount">LXDE - automounting</h3> - <p> - Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/File_manager_functionality">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/File_manager_functionality</a>. - </p> - <p> - I chose to ignore this for now. NOTE TO SELF: come back to this later. - </p> - <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> - </p> - <h3 id="lxde_suspend">LXDE - disable suspend</h3> - <p> - When closing the laptop lid, the machine suspends. This is annoying at least to me. - NOTE TO SELF: disable it, then document the steps here. - </p> + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="system_maintain">System Maintenance</h2> <p> - <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/System_maintenance">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/System_maintenance</a> before continuing. + Also read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Enhance_system_stability">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Enhance_system_stability</a>. + <b>This is important, so make sure to read them!</b> </p> - <h3 id="lxde_battery">LXDE - battery monitor</h3> <p> - Right click lxde panel and <i>Add/Remove Panel Items</i>. Click <i>Add</i> and select <i>Battery Monitor</i>, then click <i>Add</i>. - Close and then right-click the applet and go to <i>Battery Monitor Settings</i>, check the box that says <i>Show Extended Information</i>. - Now click <i>Close</i>. When you hover the cursor over it, it'll show information about the battery. + Install smartmontools (it can be used to check smart data. HDDs use non-free firmware inside, but it's transparent to you + but the smart data comes from it. Therefore, don't rely on it too much):<br/> + # <b>pacman -S smartmontools</b><br/> + Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/S.M.A.R.T.">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/S.M.A.R.T.</a> to learn how to use it. </p> <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> - <h3 id="lxde_network">LXDE - Network Manager</h3> - <p> - Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE#Network_Management">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE#Network_Management</a>. - Then I read: <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager</a>. - </p> - <p> - Install Network Manager:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S networkmanager</b> - </p> - <p> - You will also want the graphical applet:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S network-manager-applet</b><br/> - Arch wiki says that an autostart rule will be written at <i>/etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop</i> - </p> - <p> - I want to be able to use a VPN at some point, so the wiki tells me to do:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S networkmanager-openvpn</b> - </p> - <p> - LXDE uses openbox, so I refer to:<br/> - <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager#Openbox">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager#Openbox</a>. - </p> - <p> - It tells me for the applet I need:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S xfce4-notifyd gnome-icon-theme</b><br/> - Also, for storing authentication details (wifi) I need:<br/> - # <b>pacman -S gnome-keyring</b> - </p> - <p> - I wanted to quickly enable networkmanager:<br/> - # <b>systemctl stop dhcpcd</b><br/> - # <b>systemctl start NetworkManager</b><br/> - Enable NetworkManager at boot time:<br/> - # <b>systemctl enable NetworkManager</b> - </p> - <p> - Restart LXDE (log out, and then log back in). - </p> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> + + <h2 id="desktop">Configuring the desktop</h2> <p> - I added the volume control applet to the panel (right click panel, and add a new applet). - I also later changed the icons to use the gnome icon theme, in <i>lxappearance</i>. + Based on steps from + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/General_recommendations#Graphical_user_interface">General Recommendations</a> on the Arch wiki. + The plan is to use LXDE and LXDM/LightDM, along with everything else that you would expect on other distributions that provide LXDE + by default. </p> <p> <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> </p> -<hr/> + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="desktop_xorg">Installing Xorg</h3> + <p> + Based on <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg</a>. + </p> + <p> + Firstly, install it!<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xorg-server</b><br/> + I also recommend installing this (contains lots of useful tools, including <i>xrandr</i>):<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xorg-server-utils</b> + </p> + <p> + Install the driver. For me this was <i>xf86-video-intel</i> on the ThinkPad X60. T60 and macbook11/21 should be the same.<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xf86-video-intel</b><br/> + For other systems you can try:<br/> + # <b>pacman -Ss xf86-video- | less</b><br/> + Combined with looking at your <i>lspci</i> output, you can determine which driver is needed. + By default, Xorg will revert to xf86-video-vesa which is a generic driver and doesn't provide true hardware acceleration. + </p> + <p> + Other drivers (not just video) can be found by looking at the <i>xorg-drivers</i> group:<br/> + # <b>pacman -Sg xorg-drivers</b><br/> + </p> + <p> + Mostly you will rely on a display manager, but in case you ever want to start X without one:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xorg-xinit</b> + </p> + <p> + <optional><br/> + Arch wiki recommends installing these, for testing that X works:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xorg-twm xorg-xclock xterm</b><br/> + Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc</a>. + and test X:<br/> + # <b>startx</b><br/> + When you are satisfied, type <b><i>exit</i></b> in xterm, inside the X session.<br/> + Uninstall them (clutter. eww): # <b>pacman -S xorg-xinit xorg-twm xorg-xclock xterm</b><br/> + </optional> + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="desktop_kblayout">Xorg keyboard layout</h3> + <p> + Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg</a>. + </p> + <p> + Xorg uses a different configuration method for keyboard layouts, so you will notice that the layout you + set in /etc/vconsole.conf earlier might not actually be the same in X. + </p> + <p> + To see what layout you currently use, try this on a terminal emulator in X:<br/> + # <b>setxkbmap -print -verbose 10</b> + </p> + <p> + In my case, I wanted to use the Dvorak (UK) keyboard which is quite different from Xorg's default Qwerty (US) layout. + </p> + <p> + I'll just say it now: <i>XkbModel</i> can be <i>pc105</i> in this case (ThinkPad X60, with a 105-key UK keyboard). + If you use an American keyboard (typically 104 keys) you will want to use <i>pc104</i>. + </p> + <p> + <i>XkbLayout</i> in my case would be <i>gb</i>, and <i>XkbVariant</i> would be <i>dvorak</i>. + </p> + <p> + The Arch wiki recommends two different methods for setting the keyboard layout:<br/> + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_X_configuration_files">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_X_configuration_files</a> and<br/> + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_localectl">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Keyboard_configuration_in_Xorg#Using_localectl</a>. + </p> + <p> + In my case, I chose to use the <i>configuration file</i> method:<br/> + Create the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf and put this inside:<br/> + <i> + Section "InputClass"<br/> + Identifier "system-keyboard"<br/> + MatchIsKeyboard "on"<br/> + Option "XkbLayout" "gb"<br/> + Option "XkbModel" "pc105"<br/> + Option "XkbVariant" "dvorak"<br/> + EndSection + </i> + </p> + <p> + For you, the steps above may differ if you have a different layout. If you use a US Qwerty keyboard, then + you don't even need to do anything (though it might help, for the sake of being explicit). + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="desktop_lxde">Install LXDE</h3> + <p> + Desktop choice isn't that important to me, so for simplicity I decided to use LXDE. It's lightweight + and does everything that I need. + If you would like to try something different, refer to + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Desktop_environment">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Desktop_environment</a> + </p> + <p> + Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE</a>. + </p> + <p> + Install it, choosing 'all' when asked for the default package list:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S lxde obconf</b> + </p> + <p> + I didn't want the following, so I removed them:<br/> + # <b>pacman -R lxmusic lxtask</b> + </p> + <p> + I also lazily installed all fonts:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S $(pacman -Ssq ttf-)</b> + </p> + <p> + LXDE comes with a terminal. You probably want a browser to go with that; I choose GNU IceCat, part of the <i><a href="https://gnu.org/">GNU project</a></i>:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S icecat</b><br/> + And a mail client:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S icedove</b> + </p> + <p> + In IceCat, go to <i>Preferences :: Advanced</i> and disable <i>GNU IceCat Health Report</i>. + </p> + <p> + I also like to install these:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xsensors stress htop</b> + </p> + <p> + Enable LXDM (the default display manager, providing a graphical login):<br/> + # <b>systemctl enable lxdm.service</b><br/> + It will start when you boot up the machine. To start it now, do:<br/> + # <b>systemctl start lxdm.service</b> + </p> + <p> + Log in with your standard (non-root) user that you created earlier. + It is advisable to also create an xinitrc rule in case you ever want to start lxde without lxdm. + Read <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc</a>. + </p> + <p> + Open LXterminal:<br/> + $ <b>cp /etc/skel/.xinitrc ~</b><br/> + Open .xinitrc and add the following plus a line break at the bottom of the file.<br/> + <i> + # Probably not needed. The same locale info that we set before<br/> + # Based on advice from the LXDE wiki + export LC_ALL=en_GB.UTF-8<br/> + export LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8<br/> + export LANG=en_GB.UTF-8<br/> + <br/> + # Start lxde desktop<br/> + exec startlxde<br/> + </i> + Now make sure that it is executable:<br/> + $ <b>chmod +x .xinitrc</b> + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_clock">LXDE - clock</h3> + <p> + In <b>Digital Clock Settings</b> (right click the clock) I set the Clock Format to <i>%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S</i> + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_font">LXDE - font</h3> + <p> + NOTE TO SELF: come back to this later. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_screenlock">LXDE - screenlock</h3> + <p> + Arch wiki recommends to use <i>xscreensaver</i>:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xscreensaver</b> + </p> + <p> + Under <i>Preferences :: Screensaver</i> in the LXDE menu, I chose <i>Mode: Blank Screen Only</i>, + setting <i>Blank After</i>, <i>Cycle After</i> and <i>Lock Screen After</i> (checked) to 10 minutes. + </p> + <p> + You can now lock the screen with <i>Logout :: Lock Screen</i> in the LXDE menu. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_automount">LXDE - automounting</h3> + <p> + Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/File_manager_functionality">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/File_manager_functionality</a>. + </p> + <p> + I chose to ignore this for now. NOTE TO SELF: come back to this later. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_suspend">LXDE - disable suspend</h3> + <p> + When closing the laptop lid, the machine suspends. This is annoying at least to me. + NOTE TO SELF: disable it, then document the steps here. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_battery">LXDE - battery monitor</h3> + <p> + Right click lxde panel and <i>Add/Remove Panel Items</i>. Click <i>Add</i> and select <i>Battery Monitor</i>, then click <i>Add</i>. + Close and then right-click the applet and go to <i>Battery Monitor Settings</i>, check the box that says <i>Show Extended Information</i>. + Now click <i>Close</i>. When you hover the cursor over it, it'll show information about the battery. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + <div class="subsection"> + <h3 id="lxde_network">LXDE - Network Manager</h3> + <p> + Refer to <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE#Network_Management">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/LXDE#Network_Management</a>. + Then I read: <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager</a>. + </p> + <p> + Install Network Manager:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S networkmanager</b> + </p> + <p> + You will also want the graphical applet:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S network-manager-applet</b><br/> + Arch wiki says that an autostart rule will be written at <i>/etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop</i> + </p> + <p> + I want to be able to use a VPN at some point, so the wiki tells me to do:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S networkmanager-openvpn</b> + </p> + <p> + LXDE uses openbox, so I refer to:<br/> + <a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager#Openbox">https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager#Openbox</a>. + </p> + <p> + It tells me for the applet I need:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S xfce4-notifyd gnome-icon-theme</b><br/> + Also, for storing authentication details (wifi) I need:<br/> + # <b>pacman -S gnome-keyring</b> + </p> + <p> + I wanted to quickly enable networkmanager:<br/> + # <b>systemctl stop dhcpcd</b><br/> + # <b>systemctl start NetworkManager</b><br/> + Enable NetworkManager at boot time:<br/> + # <b>systemctl enable NetworkManager</b> + </p> + <p> + Restart LXDE (log out, and then log back in). + </p> + <p> + I added the volume control applet to the panel (right click panel, and add a new applet). + I also later changed the icons to use the gnome icon theme, in <i>lxappearance</i>. + </p> + <p> + <a href="#pagetop">Back to top of page.</a> + </p> + </div> + + </div> + + <div class="section"> - <p> - Copyright © 2014 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk><br/> - This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions. - A copy of the license can be found at <a href="../license.txt">../license.txt</a>. - </p> + <p> + Copyright © 2014, 2015 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk><br/> + This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions. + A copy of the license can be found at <a href="../license.txt">../license.txt</a>. + </p> - <p> - This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, - but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of - MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See <a href="../license.txt">../license.txt</a> for more information. - </p> + <p> + This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See <a href="../license.txt">../license.txt</a> for more information. + </p> + + </div> </body> </html> |