Before switching... questions

COMMUNISTCHINA · 2008-06-16 18:42:16

I've been using Linux for a few years now; I am comfortable at the command line, but I don't know a lot of the inner workings of Linux. I have been reading about Arch for a few months, and I think I'm ready to switch, but I have some questions:

1) When installing, do I have to install a desktop environment, or can I just get a window manager? If I can just get a window manager, there's no programs included, right?

The window manager I'd like to use is awesome with the amazing widgets or status bar, or whatever. (:cool:)
I'm trying to cut bloat and just get the programs I want, which is why I ask about needing to install a DE. With awesome, is there a menu when you right-click on the desktop (like with TWM)? I know a lot of it will just be tinkering around until I figure it out... I'd like to know more about awesome, but most screenshots are just people with 10 terminals open, all with code. (Yeah, yeah, I know some programming languages, too).

If I use any DE, it will be XFCE, but I don't think I can mount the Windows partition through it.

2) Is all updating/adding/removing done through pacman? Is there an Add/Remove Software option with GUI? (the terminal command is "pirut" in Fedora 8). Is it all in a convenient menu, or do I need to go to the AUR everytime I want a new program?

Other than these two questions, I think I might be all set. I won't be installing Arch until August, so I still have time to ask more questions.

Stythys · 2008-06-16 18:45:58

1) Arch doesn't have a default DE or WM, so yes you can get just a window manager.

2) Yep, all updating is done through pacman. There is no official GUI for it, but there are some user contributions in that area. As for the AUR, I use a program called yaourt to handle that, which is basically just pacman with the added ability to install things from the AUR as well.

Doc Angelo · 2008-06-16 18:53:59

You dont need any GUI to mount your Windows partition. You can mount it with ntfs3g.

You maybe should take a look at the wiki, especially at Arch Linux and the Beginners Guide.

Last edited by Doc Angelo (2008-06-16 18:54:19)

COMMUNISTCHINA · 2008-06-16 19:22:55

Stythys wrote:

2) Yep, all updating is done through pacman. There is no official GUI for it, but there are some user contributions in that area. As for the AUR, I use a program called yaourt to handle that, which is basically just pacman with the added ability to install things from the AUR as well.

What is the name of the program for the GUI? I think I would be more comfortable with that.
Pacman and yaourt are (essentially) the same thing, but yaourt has more capabilities as far as installing things?

Misfit138 · 2008-06-16 19:35:54

Shaman is one of the more popular pacman GUI's. There are a few others too.

cautha · 2008-06-16 19:36:21

Yaourt is a wrapper, which means it uses pacman's inbuilt functionality, but it also adds support for other features

Harry

EDIT: Shaman is the GUI I have installed, but honestly, yaourt is a lot simpler to use. I was also interested in Jacman for my grandmother, but it doesn't seem to build properly. It starts up, but basically as an empty shell of a program; because I get some kind of a weird backtrace in the terminal when I run it and nothing works. I've heard that it's about to be updated, though. I just didn't pursue it because, as it turns out, her computer is too dated to run Arch.

Last edited by cautha (2008-06-16 19:40:48)

cautha · 2008-06-22 20:16:08

Looks like I killed the thread

So, what happened? Did you switch?

Harry

Arch Linux

#1 2008-06-16 18:42:16

Before switching... questions

#2 2008-06-16 18:45:58

Re: Before switching... questions

#3 2008-06-16 18:53:59

Re: Before switching... questions

#4 2008-06-16 19:22:55

Re: Before switching... questions

#5 2008-06-16 19:35:54

Re: Before switching... questions

#6 2008-06-16 19:36:21

Re: Before switching... questions

#7 2008-06-22 20:16:08

Re: Before switching... questions

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