[SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

chrispoole · 2008-12-30 14:44:07

I'm used to the shell and other Linux-related stuff, but never got very far with building up my own system as with Arch or Gentoo, etc.

I'm planning on installing Arch to an Asus EEEpc 1000H machine.

Do I need to know the exact hardware, to know what kernel modules to install?

And if I want GNOME, do I have to install dependancies earlier, or will the package manager take care of these things?

I've looked around the help files, but don't quite get a feel of what things I should be doing.

Last edited by chrispoole (2009-01-26 16:43:41)

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-30 14:53:43

I just came from Ubuntu a while ago. Setting Arch up is somewhat hard, but from then on it's easy.

Everything is already in the kernel that you need. I think.

To install a working GNOME, just enter:

pacman -S gnome

After installing Xorg. You might also want to install GDM.

moonfish · 2008-12-30 15:00:18

If you are used to the shell, installing Arch will be a bit challenging but not too hard. The generic kernel that comes with Arch should fit most of the common hardware. But it's good to know what hardware is built in your EEE in case something isn't working though.

soupcan · 2008-12-30 15:03:17

If you have another computer, have the Arch Beginners Guide open. That will tell you everything you need. 'Twas very helpful for me, and I just installed last Thursday or Friday.
I'm pretty sure you won't have trouble with hardware, but make sure you keep a list of your hardware just in case you do.
Pacman is great; it's similar to apt, but waaay better. Dependencies aren't a problem.
Don't worry about feeling lost; I felt the exact same way.
Good luck!

Last edited by soupcan (2008-12-30 15:06:09)

chrispoole · 2008-12-30 15:03:47

Arm-the-Homeless wrote:

Everything is already in the kernel that you need. I think.

But isn't the point of Arch to choose which items you want in the kernel? If I'm going to bother customising the system with Arch rather than use stock Ubuntu, I don't care about having stuff that my laptop can't handle.

I also use a modified kernel with Ubuntu, from array.org. I'd like to know if it's easy to add this stuff myself to the kernel Arch comes with (wifi etc. probably don't work out of the box without it.)

cdwillis · 2008-12-30 15:06:13

I'm not sure about the kernel modules with the latest kernel, but pacman will take care of your gnome dependencies. There's an EEEpc thread floating around here somewhere that should help.

:edit
You guys are quick

Last edited by cdwillis (2008-12-30 15:07:20)

Super Jamie · 2008-12-30 15:22:48

The installer will automatically detect hardware and populate the MODULES line in /etc/rc.conf for you.

There may be stuff you have to do specifically for an EEE, have a look around the wiki and forum threads.

If you've been using Ubuntu for a while, and have ventured into config files and the terminal, then you'll find Arch is very easy to setup and use. I'm only new myself, but I actually prefer the distro-specific tools Arch provides (bsd init, pacman, yaourt, etc) for configuring the system to Ubuntu's somewhat cryptic runlevels and hidden config files.

Print out, or have ready the Beginner's Guide from the wiki, and boot from your Arch USB stick. It's easy

RobertoVanto · 2008-12-30 15:57:34

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … sus_EEE_PC

windtalker · 2008-12-30 16:18:30

I'd read the beginners guide from start to finish a couple of times and the only thing you need to know about your pc is what video card it has.
The auto-detector found all of my hardware and only installed what was necessary.
As for Gnome itself, I dunno, I use kdemod.
If the Gnome set up is like the KDE options there are a few options, minimal to all the bells and whistles.
I had tried a minimal option several months ago and it was about as scant as one could get.
I need and use a lot of the things others consider unnecessary.

tomk · 2008-12-30 17:44:44

chrispoole wrote:

But isn't the point of Arch to choose which items you want in the kernel?

No. The Arch kernel package is created to provide maximum functionality on the vast majority of PCs. Everything that can be modularised is, and the only modules loaded are those required by your system.

chrispoole wrote:

I'd like to know if it's easy to add this stuff myself to the kernel Arch comes with (wifi etc. probably don't work out of the box without it.)

As you haven't said what "this stuff" is, I can only give the general answer that compiling your own kernel for Arch is easy enough IMO - you can do it The Arch Way, or any other way you like. In my experience, "wifi etc" works with the kernel drivers, or with one of a handful of external driver packages e.g. madwifi.

kludge · 2008-12-30 19:43:18

chrispoole wrote:

But isn't the point of Arch to choose which items you want in the kernel?

for me, the point of arch is to run a distribution that allows me total control over what's on my system and how it's configured but doesn't *always* require me to *manually* keep track of *everything* (lfs) or install *everything* from source (gentoo). the kernel is one of those things that i don't really care about optimizing, so i don't have to. but not having hal pollute my system, that's important, so i can put in the work of getting rid of it without feeling like sysiphus.

however, if minimizing the kernel is your bag. there are lots of forum threads and wiki pages on how.

welcome to arch (i hope)!

Last edited by kludge (2008-12-30 19:57:48)

.:B:. · 2008-12-30 19:46:13

First step is to read the installation guide:

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Off … tall_Guide

chrispoole · 2009-01-26 16:43:25

Thank you all.

I've successfully got everything installed as I want. Still some small niggling issues (lack of hibernate, for example), but most stuff works nicely now, and it's been a great learning experience for me along the way.

tankmcp · 2009-01-26 17:42:10

Seriously, follow the above link to the Asus EEEpc install. The wiki page is very helpful. Several people have put in some great work on the EEE pc with a special kernel and all the hardware working, at least for my 701. Enjoy it and welcome to arch.

leeyee · 2009-01-29 05:53:03

Arch helps understand how to build a linux distro. That's my experience, especially after installing Arch for several times.

raul_nds · 2009-01-29 21:19:00

Just a tip:

You don't need to have another computer or print the beginners guide. Just install links (pacman -S links), open it in another tty (ctrl+alt+f<enter_nr_here>) and you can browse to the beginners guide page and read it.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-12-30 14:44:07

[SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#2 2008-12-30 14:53:43

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#3 2008-12-30 15:00:18

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#4 2008-12-30 15:03:17

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#5 2008-12-30 15:03:47

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#6 2008-12-30 15:06:13

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#7 2008-12-30 15:22:48

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#8 2008-12-30 15:57:34

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#9 2008-12-30 16:18:30

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#10 2008-12-30 17:44:44

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#11 2008-12-30 19:43:18

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#12 2008-12-30 19:46:13

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#13 2009-01-26 16:43:25

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#14 2009-01-26 17:42:10

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#15 2009-01-29 05:53:03

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

#16 2009-01-29 21:19:00

Re: [SOLVED] To Arch from Ubuntu, confusion over what needed to know

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