Arch Linux

F2CPP

Member

Registered: 2025-05-03

Posts: 3

[SOLVED] minimum install to draw individual application windows

given archinstall's xorg-profile installation,
what is the absolute minimum needed to run an application (eg terminal emulator, web browser etc) in its own window
(for a terminal-centric, -driven desktop that isn't fixed to full screen)?
thanks

Last edited by F2CPP (2025-05-11 18:27:46)

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,423

Re: [SOLVED] minimum install to draw individual application windows

although I don't know for sure my guess is at least the graphics server, so X or wayland, and a window manager

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,386

Re: [SOLVED] minimum install to draw individual application windows

xorg-xinit and it's optional deps like xwm are probably the simplest "direct" xorg solution

F2CPP

Member

Registered: 2025-05-03

Posts: 3

Re: [SOLVED] minimum install to draw individual application windows

update:
starting xorg with startx opens 3 flat/tiled terminals,
and installing xwm and creating an xinitrc file with an exec xwm entry
doesn't appear to be doing anything,
i.e. starting xterm fails with 'cannot open' error message.

ps even if not absolutely necessary,
display manager seems to make all a lot easier.
i leave it with that, thanks

Last edited by F2CPP (2025-05-10 03:26:48)

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 63,561

Re: [SOLVED] minimum install to draw individual application windows

and installing xwm and creating an xinitrc file with an exec xwm entry doesn't appear to be doing anything,

Please don't paraphrase, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57855
See the last link below.

xwm "doesn't do anything" but handle some shortcuts, https://github.com/mcpcpc/xwm

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc