Arch Linux

MTsoul

Member

From: Vancouver, BC

Registered: 2008-08-14

Posts: 95

Website

Set up my desktop environment

Hi and hello.

I wanted to try a light-weight environment, so I decided to give Archlinux a try. I really want a keyboard-oriented environment, and have installed Awesome, pretty vanilla right now. What else should I do now? Any apps I should install, any settings (for looks or functionality)? I saw some pretty cool screenshots in the screenshot thread, but I'm totally lost what configs people are exchanging there.

So far, I guess I should install conky (done, but now what?). You know, all that configuration stuff. Is there a guide?

Thanks.

Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,563

Re: Set up my desktop environment

So where are you at? Do you have X set up? Do you have a desktop environment installed (KDE, GNOME, Xfce, etc.)?

Factory

Member

Registered: 2008-02-24

Posts: 108

Re: Set up my desktop environment

Of course there are guides. Your "metaguide", known as google, can help you traverse these guides with ease.

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_awesome

Bookmark this website:
http://dotfiles.org/

Look into lxappearance and thunar. Those are my two biggest hints as far as a minimal desktop setup. The information is out there. Trust me.

---

Adopt an Orphaned Package

MTsoul

Member

From: Vancouver, BC

Registered: 2008-08-14

Posts: 95

Website

Re: Set up my desktop environment

I have Awesome setup. I can use it to launch terminals / apps. I just don't know what else is there. I couldn't find a guide that listed a list of things I should be doing, not just how to do them.

And I just want to say, man, why did Awesome pick such an "awesome" name? Googling for awesome guides is such a pain...

Last edited by MTsoul (2008-08-14 20:43:35)

Garns

Member

Registered: 2008-05-28

Posts: 239

Re: Set up my desktop environment

Do you have a desktop environment installed (KDE, GNOME,

I really wouldn't consider one of these when creating a leight weight, keyboard oriented environment .

At topic

If you want to stick with awesome http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Awesome would be another possible place to start. Apart from that, think about what you want to have - you can use the Screenshots Threads for inspiration - then, when you have a list of specific features (transparency, fancy CPU monitor, pink toasters with wings flying through your background, ...) go through it and try to find out how to get each one, searching the forums, the wiki, google and reading documentation.

I admit the toasters could be difficult.

I know it is possible to set up a keyboard orientet environment in kde/gnome but I don't think they should be the first choice to do so.

Stefan Husmann

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2007-08-07

Posts: 1,391

Re: Set up my desktop environment

If you also want keyboard driven applications, give emacs (editor) and conkeror (webbrowser) a try.

MTsoul

Member

From: Vancouver, BC

Registered: 2008-08-14

Posts: 95

Website

Re: Set up my desktop environment

I already got Vi and Imperator thanks

That sounds like about a week of fooling around with Awesome.. I'm thinking I should just start on Awesome 3 and save the pain later on.

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Re: Set up my desktop environment

Be sure to try Xmonad!

---

The day Microsoft makes a product that doesn't suck, is the day they make a vacuum cleaner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But if they tell you that I've lost my mind, maybe it's not gone just a little hard to find...