Installing barebones Gnome

pnexma · 2022-05-07 00:34:43

I want to install gnome desktop environment and nothing else. no calculator, no system monitor, no calendar, etc. I don’t want my application menu to be full of random apps and things Ill never use. I just want the graphical environment, and setting. How do I go about doing this?

Slithery · 2022-05-07 01:01:26

As the wiki says, just install the gnome-shell package.

pnexma · 2022-05-07 01:29:54

That’s great, except for the fact the that doesn’t seem to install Gnome GUI? trying to start gdm.service fails and tells me the service is not found.

Slithery · 2022-05-07 02:10:56

You wanted just the graphical environment and nothing else so that's what you got.
GDM isn't required to start the session - you can just use startx instead but if you do want to use this optional component then you'll need to install it...
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GDM

Trilby · 2022-05-07 02:12:33

It does install the "Gnome GUI" but it doesn't install a display manager. If you want gdm as a display manager, you'd also have to install gdm.

EDIT: too slow.

Last edited by Trilby (2022-05-07 02:12:49)

pnexma · 2022-05-07 02:21:10

Okay, I guess what I meant was I want everything but the default apps. I don’t want the calendar and such but I do want the setting and backgrounds and such.

jasonwryan · 2022-05-07 02:28:13

Gnome is monolithic; you don't get to pick and choose. That's the whole point of a desktop environment...

pnexma · 2022-05-07 02:29:18

When you put it like that it makes sense but that’s still annoying.

jasonwryan · 2022-05-07 02:46:20

Why? Gnome doesn't have any "special sauce". If you care enough, you could probably replicate most of it starting from Openbox (at least in X).

VoDo · 2022-05-07 05:42:06

you can remove what you do not want as I do.
I use pacman -Rnsc gnome-calendar gnome-software yelp gome-calendar gnome-contacts cheese etc... read what it will remove. Rnsc can wipe out whole gnome so read what it wants to remove. Remove program by program. I use gdm because gnome works with it smoothly.

ooo · 2022-05-11 13:11:30

jasonwryan wrote:

Gnome is monolithic; you don't get to pick and choose. That's the whole point of a desktop environment...

While GNOME is intended to be used as "a whole package", this is not correct. You can only install the parts of the environment you need, and it should run just fine, although you should keep in mind that some functionality may require additional packages (e.g. accessing settings requires gnome-control-center, GNOME's built in weather display requires gnome-weather etc.)

You definitely don't need to install every default GNOME application. However, installing the whole gnome group does install everything. Instead of that, you can only install the desktop environment components and applications you need. Installing gdm, gnome-shell and gnome-control-center should be sufficient for working bare-bones environment IIRC.

Arch Linux

#1 2022-05-07 00:34:43

Installing barebones Gnome

#2 2022-05-07 01:01:26

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#3 2022-05-07 01:29:54

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#4 2022-05-07 02:10:56

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#5 2022-05-07 02:12:33

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#6 2022-05-07 02:21:10

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#7 2022-05-07 02:28:13

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#8 2022-05-07 02:29:18

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#9 2022-05-07 02:46:20

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#10 2022-05-07 05:42:06

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

#11 2022-05-11 13:11:30

Re: Installing barebones Gnome

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