New to Arch Linux

archluser · 2010-01-07 17:47:59

Having used Linux for about 4 years, 1st PCLinux and now Mepis, Arch has recently caught my attention since it allows a base system from scratch.

I'm now attempting 2nd Arch install as the 1st worked well until launching the desktop (KDE 3) where I found that such as the Control Panel would not open.

Using "exec startkde" in .xinitrc did not either for startx so I added kdm3 to the Daemons instead.

I did follow the instruction from Chakra for installing KDEMOD3 as I don't want a bloated system!

I'd install KDE4 but I've tried it on other distros and I can't configure double mouse click in any of them so I'm sticking with KDE3.

Up till now Mepis is my distro, bar the fact that Privoxy stops Google news from loading.

I'll persevere with Arch and see if I like it.

One question – do I have to use root for package installation ?

syre · 2010-01-07 18:09:29

archluser wrote:

One question – do I have to use root for package installation ?

Yes, you have to use sudo for package installation

ralvez · 2010-01-07 18:10:27

One question – do I have to use root for package installation ?

or install sudo (pacman -Sy sudo) AND add yourself to the sudoers then you can do: sudo pacman -Syu or whatever.

R.

drcouzelis · 2010-01-07 18:31:04

Welcome to the forum!

That's a long story for a simple "one question".

I'm confused about why you are on your second installation of Arch. Are you using the "pacman" package manager? Everything that can be done with pacman can be undone with pacman, so there shouldn't (in theory ) ever be a reason to need to reinstall.

As for double clicking in KDE4, I admit, I'm not using it right now, but a simple Google search came up with this answer: http://forums.opensuse.org/archives/sf- … e-4-a.html Are you really staying with KDE3 just because of double mouse clicking?

Last edited by drcouzelis (2010-01-07 18:38:36)

archluser · 2010-01-07 19:19:58

I'm on my 2nd install because, sadly, the 1st one, done as per install instructions, didn't work !

One advantage to this is that my knowledge of non GUI use of Linux is limited so I get more familiar with command navigation.

By the way, am I right in assuming that Shaman front end's Pacman so it functions similar to Synaptic ?

Regarding KDE4 - does it work well with Arch ?

JuseBox · 2010-01-07 19:56:03

archluser wrote:

I'm on my 2nd install because, sadly, the 1st one, done as per install instructions, didn't work !
One advantage to this is that my knowledge of non GUI use of Linux is limited so I get more familiar with command navigation.

By the way, am I right in assuming that Shaman front end's Pacman so it functions similar to Synaptic ?
Regarding KDE4 - does it work well with Arch ?

Come things could be named slightly different using pacman you can use:

pacman -Ss {package}

What ever you put there will display different types of package pertaining to what you want. ei. pacman -Ss engine, will mroe or less give me any package with its name engine in it. like gtk-engines etc.

I never really got around to setting up a sudoers list. I just su into root whenever I need to do something. I am the only use on the computer and sometimes other people use it. So they can't do anything not even on accident as if you used sudo once in your session sometimes its not needed again. IMO sucks. I don't want anyone to be able to restart my computer or do anything without being root. But maybe im crazy! lol. Good luck on your install. Also if you want you can hit me up on aim, gmail, irc, or icq. I if you use one need some assistance. Would be more then happy to help. Take Care.

syre · 2010-01-07 20:57:34

archluser wrote:

By the way, am I right in assuming that Shaman front end's Pacman so it functions similar to Synaptic ?

you're absolutely right, shaman is a gui frontend to pacman as Synaptic is to apt

archluser wrote:

Regarding KDE4 - does it work well with Arch ?

Using KDEMod4 from chakra-project.org i'm very pleased

archluser · 2010-01-07 21:15:07

syre,
Are all the KDE desktops for Arch supplied by Chakra ?

************

I've just thought (should have put this question in at the top with my initial comments), my PC has an x8 AGP Geforce 6200 card installed.
Can some confirm the correct driver package to use please ?

many thanks

syre · 2010-01-07 21:24:18

archluser wrote:

syre,
Are all the KDE desktops for Arch supplied by Chakra ?

No you have the option to just install the default KDE4 aswell, however, the Chakra KDEMod4 is optimized specifically to Arch Linux and would be the better choice i reckon, but in the end it's your choice

Misfit138 · 2010-01-08 02:53:50

syre wrote:

archluser wrote:
syre,
Are all the KDE desktops for Arch supplied by Chakra ?
No you have the option to just install the default KDE4 aswell, however, the Chakra KDEMod4 is optimized specifically to Arch Linux and would be the better choice i reckon, but in the end it's your choice

Actually, afaik the only differences between KDEMod4 and the KDE in /extra are consolidated packages and some branding patches, which the Chakra project adds.
I have never heard of any 'optimizations'.

Allan · 2010-01-08 03:21:07

Here are the actual differences between Arch KDE and KDEmod:
http://chakra-project.org/wiki/index.ph … ifferences

syre · 2010-01-08 07:30:00

Misfit138 wrote:

syre wrote:
archluser wrote:
syre,
Are all the KDE desktops for Arch supplied by Chakra ?
No you have the option to just install the default KDE4 aswell, however, the Chakra KDEMod4 is optimized specifically to Arch Linux and would be the better choice i reckon, but in the end it's your choice
Actually, afaik the only differences between KDEMod4 and the KDE in /extra are consolidated packages and some branding patches, which the Chakra project adds.
I have never heard of any 'optimizations'.

I'm just quoting the website: "KDEmod, a modular and tweaked package set of the K Desktop Environment - optimized for Arch Linux "

http://chakra-project.org/wiki/index.ph … ifferences lists some unofficial bugfixes aswell, so i would say it's optimized, to some degree of course

toad · 2010-01-08 07:53:18

I'm running vanilla KDE4 but am thinking about changing to mod - anyway, fwiw shaman is very unstable on vanilla and there is nothing it can do which pacman/yaourt can't

Mikko777 · 2010-01-08 12:05:08

toad wrote:

shaman is very unstable on vanilla and there is nothing it can do which pacman/yaourt can't

Shaman1 is utter crap and should be beaten with an ugly stick. (according to developers)
Shaman2 is uber excellence ofcourse.

Doubleclicking on kde4 can be activated in systemsettings->mouse (pretty hard to find aint it <- sarcasm, why you'd want to is another matter tho)

Difference between kdemod and kde= patching policy and package splitting.
Use kdemod if you wan't to contribute/ develop kde better. For example if everyone thinks colibri notifications are better than default ones, colibri goes in. If theres a patch to fix something, it goes in instead of waiting for months.
If theres something that you want in repos, just ask for it in forums and so on.

Altho I would still have liked to see "kdemod-stable" as default arch kde and "kdemod-testing" as more tweaked and cutting edge kdemod version for developers

Arch Linux

#1 2010-01-07 17:47:59

New to Arch Linux

#2 2010-01-07 18:09:29

Re: New to Arch Linux

#3 2010-01-07 18:10:27

Re: New to Arch Linux

#4 2010-01-07 18:31:04

Re: New to Arch Linux

#5 2010-01-07 19:19:58

Re: New to Arch Linux

#6 2010-01-07 19:56:03

Re: New to Arch Linux

#7 2010-01-07 20:57:34

Re: New to Arch Linux

#8 2010-01-07 21:15:07

Re: New to Arch Linux

#9 2010-01-07 21:24:18

Re: New to Arch Linux

#10 2010-01-08 02:53:50

Re: New to Arch Linux

#11 2010-01-08 03:21:07

Re: New to Arch Linux

#12 2010-01-08 07:30:00

Re: New to Arch Linux

#13 2010-01-08 07:53:18

Re: New to Arch Linux

#14 2010-01-08 12:05:08

Re: New to Arch Linux

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