[Linux] SerjSX:
Arch Linux - Lightweight Custom Environment Setup Instructions​

NOTICE: I am not responsible if something happens with your device, proceed at your own risk. It is always recommended to follow Arch's own installation guide, even though these instructions below are from it already just more simplified.​

This article is an alternative to the R method from my minimal Arch Linux instructions which you can find here, so don't do anything from here unless you have Arch Linux already installed either from my instructions or from the wiki! This instructions consists of the following packages for creating the custom environment:

i3: dynamic tiling window manager

LightDM: login page

tint2: bottom bar

rofi: application launcher

xfce4-terminal: lightweight terminal

nitrogen: wallpaper tool

thunar: lightweight file manager

autotiling: better autotiling for the window manager

PulseAudio and pavucontrol: audio manager

This has been tested in VMs and on my main computer.

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Table of Content:

I. Lightweight Custom Environment Installation

II. Optional Notes

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I. Lightweight Custom Environment Installation​

R. Installing the Custom Environment

First let's enable NetworkManager, type this (do this if you came here after following my own Arch Linux installation instructions and you want to continue step R from here, or else connect to your internet in any way you want):

sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager

Reboot by typing "reboot", then after the reboot type "nmtui" and connect to your internet.

Next, update your system by typing:

sudo pacman -Syu

Now let's install these packages: xorg-server, lightdm, i3-gaps and tint2. Type:

Note: you can replace "lightdm-gtk-greeter" with another greeter of your choice, check here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/LightDM#Greeter

sudo pacman -S xorg-server lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter i3-gaps tint2

After the packages are installed, enable lightdm by typing:

sudo systemctl enable lightdm

Now let's setup LightDM, type this in order to edit the config:

sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

Change the [Seat:*] section, which is this:

...

greeter-session=lightdm-yourgreeter-greeter

...

Instead of "yourgreeter" replace it with the greeter you installed, for example in this case it's "gtk".

Type "reboot" to reboot your system, you should see the login page. Login to i3 (not the one with "(with debug log)", click the arrow and change to "i3") and follow the steps to create config file. After creating the config file, you can continue:

Go to TTY by doing the combination (usually ALT+SHIFT+F2) and run this:

sudo cp /etc/i3/config ~/.config/i3/

Now let's setup tint2 by adding this at the bottom of the i3 config file (run this command to be able to edit the config file: sudo nano $HOME/.config/i3/config):

exec --no-startup-id tint2

Now let's install rofi and xfce4-terminal by running this command:

sudo pacman -S rofi xfce4-terminal

Exit TTY by doing the combination (usually ALT+SHIFT+F1), if you're facing issues just reboot pc.

ALT+Enter (after logging in from the login page) is the combination to open terminal.

Now let's finish setting up rofi, do the combination above to open the terminal and run this command in it:

sudo nano ~/.config/i3/config

Go to the "start dmenu (a program launcher)" section, comment the second line, it should be like this:

# bindsym Mod1+d exec --no-startup-id dmenu_run

the # is commenting the line. And uncomment the third line, which is:

bindsym Mod1+d exec "rofi -modi drun,run -show drun"

the # should be gone

Then save by CTRL+S and close by CTRL+X and reboot your system.

Now we will configure i3 further for tint2, remove the following from the i3 configuration file:

# Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3 status

# finds out, if available)

bar {

status_command i3status

}

This will be at the bottom of the config file ^ it removes i3bar so only i3 would start.

Then reboot your system by typing "reboot" in the terminal.

After rebooting, when doing the combination ALT+D it opens the application menu.

This step is optional, but it is recommended because it will let you install packages from the AUR (user repisotary). We will also install yay by running these separately:

(Let’s install git in order to install yay afterwards with it)

sudo pacman -S git

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git

cd yay

makepkg -si

Install Nitrogen and Thunar to have a wallpaper tool and a file manager by running this command:

sudo pacman -S nitrogen thunar

Check here for more information about Nitrogen and how to use it: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/nitrogen#Usage

And add this at the bottom of the i3 config file:

exec nitrogen --restore &

Now let's install the user folders (Documents, Pictures...) by installing this package:

sudo pacman -S xdg-user-dirs

Then run this in terminal:

xdg-user-dirs-update

Now let's install autotiling https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/autotiling by running this command:

yay -S autotiling

Add "exec_always --no-startup-id autotiling" to the ~/.config/i3/config file.

At last, let's install PulseAudio by running this command:

sudo pacman -S pulseaudio pulseaudio-alsa pavucontrol

Now reboot your PC and enjoy! You should have memorized how to do this already, it's straight forward and simple.

II. Optional Notes​

Type this in the command in the terminal to check the themes available for rofi:

rofi-theme-selector

For controlling the volume, install this package:

yay -S pnmixer

And then add this at the bottom of your i3 config file:

exec_always pnmixer

Restart your PC

In order to fill your wallpaper fullscreen with Nitrogen, you can do it with this command:

nitrogen --set-zoom-fill /path/to/image.png

That's it! Let me know how it goes with you :)