New Arch + i3wm - config steps

m1hu · 2016-02-10 11:19:10

I am truly sorry if that was already explained or something, apperently i sucks at searching in google/yt but i spent about few hours already trying to understand "how-to". Right now i am just getting headache when i even take into my head word "i3", yet it provides in my eyes better workflow than Gnome3 (what i use already).

My problem starts with:
- installed xorg
- installed i3wm with standard add-ons proposed by pacman
- overwriten ~/.xinitrc

After startx it looks just like... white xterm, black background, borders, etc.
I found in web few tutorials but when tryed to use some of old links, AUR said "file not found". RIP me. I am not experienced in linux, trying to get used to it, i love DIY Arch installation type becouse honestly, it works few times faster than Mint (tested before, got annoyed by how slow sometimes it works).

Even installed it after gnome3 + gdm hoping to get in into gdm wm menu but only thing what i see to choice are gnome types, nothing else.

I would love if someone could just tell me - how, it dont need to be even step by step (i dont mind if you have time, i will love you forever) but - in what order and what packages i need to actualy make it look like for example: http://pix.toile-libre.org/upload/img/1340551588.gif

Thanks a lot for taking my hand and help.
Michael.

Last edited by m1hu (2016-02-10 11:56:05)

yuvadm · 2016-02-10 11:31:01

Tweak your configs one step at a time until you reach your desired configuration -

1. Customize your terminal colors (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/X_ … nal_colors)
2. Set your desktop background (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fe … er_manager)
3. Configure your i3 bar behavior (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/I3#i3bar)

Last edited by yuvadm (2016-02-10 11:31:17)

WorMzy · 2016-02-10 11:52:54

Please change your topic tile to describe your problem and leave out the drama. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … ow_to_post

Note: If you are actually self harming, it is good that you are honest about it, but we are not the people to talk to about it. Please do contact a helpline, or see your GP.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-02-10 11:54:48

m1hu wrote:

- overwriten ~/.xinit

Is that a typo?

See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc

The 3 xterm desktop is the default called up by /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc -- you need to copy that file over and change the "exec" line to include i3, see the link above for more on this.

Refer to the ArchWiki rather than YouTube.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/I3#xinitrc

EDIT: Added detail

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-02-10 11:57:07)

m1hu · 2016-02-10 11:55:54

Is that a typo?

Yes typo, sorry, fixed.

----------

@WorMzy - didn't mean to sound like that, sorry, fixed. No, i am not harming myself, don't worry. It's just tiredness after 12 hours work and tons of fails over something what went into my head and i want this to work properly.

Tweak your configs one step at a time until you reach your desired configuration -
1. Customize your terminal colors (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/X_ … nal_colors)
2. Set your desktop background (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fe … er_manager)
3. Configure your i3 bar behavior (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/I3#i3bar)

Big thanks, will follow this step and try to make something. Appreciate your help.

Last edited by m1hu (2016-02-10 11:58:05)

Raynman · 2016-02-10 11:57:42

So does i3 start correctly, but you want to customize it further? Or do you only see an xterm after startx? What's actually in your ~/.xinitrc?

m1hu · 2016-02-10 12:00:51

Raynman wrote:

So does i3 start correctly, but you want to customize it further? Or do you only see an xterm after startx? What's actually in your ~/.xinitrc?

Yes, i3 starts properly, [Win] + [Enter] gives me standard xterm (black letters on white bg) with all frames, black background etc.
I got stuck at this point since "something new" and yet, i might search in wrong places how to configure this to have transparent bg terminal "like in gnome" with single line borders, normal wallpaper, etc.

@edit: few guides what i found in YT was already made in term on "how to customize i3 what already looks nice" but i have problem to understand "how to make it look nice from scratch" which i didn't found. Maybe that's more clear.

Last edited by m1hu (2016-02-10 12:21:29)

2ManyDogs · 2016-02-10 13:04:33

http://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html

There are other tiling window managers that are (in my opinion) much easier to configure than i3.

Docbroke · 2016-02-10 13:12:36

m1hu wrote:

Yes, i3 starts properly, [Win] + [Enter] gives me standard xterm (black letters on white bg) with all frames, black background etc.
I got stuck at this point since "something new" and yet, i might search in wrong places how to configure this to have transparent bg terminal "like in gnome" with single line borders, normal wallpaper

for transparent background you need to look in xterm config, for easier(gui) terminal configuration look at xfce4-terminal. You can set-up wallpaper with feh (there is arch-wiki page on feh). Boarder-size can be set for all windows from i3-config file, ususally in ~/.config/i3/config, look at i3 manual on official page.

Arch Linux

#1 2016-02-10 11:19:10

New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#2 2016-02-10 11:31:01

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#3 2016-02-10 11:52:54

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#4 2016-02-10 11:54:48

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#5 2016-02-10 11:55:54

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#6 2016-02-10 11:57:42

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#7 2016-02-10 12:00:51

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#8 2016-02-10 13:04:33

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

#9 2016-02-10 13:12:36

Re: New Arch + i3wm - config steps

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