Foundation

This repository contains resources for configuring a desktop computer for daily use. It is intended for personal purposes and never meant to be neutral. These resources can include:

• Instructions
• Code for configuration management
  • Common tasks are automated using Ansible
  • Specific tasks can be done with org-babel

Table of contents

• Installation
• Specific instructions
  • Manjaro
• Notes
  • Which desktop environment to use
• Roadmap
  • Switch to Manjaro + Budgie
  • Get accustomed to Nix
  • Switch to Nix OS

Installation

Once you have logged in as a user, you can configure your machine using the following command line:

curl http://pygy.co/oo | sh

An alternative way to install this configuration is to clone the repository into somewhere and run the following script as the user:

./bootstrap.sh

Specific instructions

Manjaro

I have been a user of Arch Linux for several years, but I feel like switching to a distribution that is easy to install. Manjaro is an Arch-based distribution but still can be easily installed without extensive CUI operations, so I will leave an instruction on its installation. [2018-07-14 Sat]

There are several flavours of Manjaro Linux, but I liked Budgie Desktop when I tried Solus, so I have chosen a community release with Budgie.

Installing the Budgie edition of Manjaro Linux can be done in the following steps:

1. Download an ISO from Community Editions page and burn it to a USB storage.
2. Start a computer with the storage as its booting device. In the initial menu of the live ISO, set your time zone (and optionally a supported driver?) and start Manjaro.
3. After the live desktop of Manjaro is started, configure a network and start an installation wizard.
4. Install Manjaro onto the machine using the wizard. If Manjaro locks your screen during the installation, you can unlock it with manjaro as a password.
5. After the installation is finished, you can restart the computer and start using Manjaro.

The remaining of this instruction describes post-installation tasks.

Add support for the AUR

Manjaro optionally supports the AUR. You can install yaourt without adding a repository:

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm --needed base-devel yaourt

Dropbox

You can install Dropbox from the AUR:

yaourt -S --noconfirm --needed dropbox

Using CapsLock as Ctrl

I tried to add a command line to run setxkbmap to xinitrc to use CapsLock and Ctrl, but it didn’t work. Xmodmap didn’t work either. I could make setxkbmap work by adding it as a startup application of the desktop environment, so I have added it to the Ansible playbook.

Input methods (Japanese and Chinese)

Install fcitx:

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm --needed fcitx fcitx-qt5 fcitx-gtk3 fcitx-gtk2 fcitx-configtool

You also have to set the following environment variables, but this is done by a file generated by the playbook.

To support Japanese, install fcitx-mozc:

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm --needed fcitx-mozc

To support simplified Chinese, install fcitx-sunpinyin:

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm --needed fcitx-sunpinyin

Removable volumes

Udiskie somehow hangs up the machine. I need an alternative way to manage removable devices.

Notes

Which desktop environment to use

• As of 2018, I am primarily using EXWM, which lets you use Emacs as a tiling window manager.
• There are several problems with EXWM. Therefore I am trying to use a stack window manager which is more reliable than EXWM. My current choice is Budgie.
• I also have a few years of experiences with both Cinnamon and XMonad.

Roadmap

Switch to Manjaro + Budgie

Get accustomed to Nix

Switch to Nix OS

Footnotes