Dotfiles

Overview

Description

This repository contains customized configurations for a complete development desktop environment, including Qtile, Neovim, Fish, Zsh, Zellij, and terminal emulators like WezTerm and Alacritty, along with essential utilities for linux system.

DISCLAIMER This is my config with my preferences but you can customize it.

• Dotfiles
  • Overview
  • Description
  • Arch Installation
    • Qtile
    • Customization
    • Starting guide
    • LazyVim, WezTerm, Zsh, Zellij and Development Tools
      • 1. Package Manager 'Homebrew'
      • 2. Terminal Emulator
        • Alacritty
        • WezTerm
        • Kitty
      • 3. Shell 'zsh'
        • zsh + starship
      • 4. Zellij
      • 5. Neovim 'Lazyvim'
    • Install Arch User Repository (AUR)
  • Utilities - Audio - Bluetooth - Brightness - Wallpaper - Monitors - Keybindings - Window Navigation - Apps - Software - Terminal - Neovim & Lazyvim - Fonts, theming and GTK - Testing your window manager

This guide will walk you through the process of building a desktop environment starting from a clean Arch-Linux installation. It assumes you are familiar with Linux-based operating systems and command-line interfaces. Since you're reading this, it's also assumed that you've explored some "tiling window managers" the place where the rabbit hole begins. While you can use any window manager, I will focus on Qtile, as that's what I started with. This is a description of how I set up my desktop environment from scratch.

Arch Installation

The starting point of this guide is right after completing a clean Arch-Linux installation. See the Arch Installation Guide for more details. My suggestions can be found in Installation.

Qtile

1. Install Xorg:

   Xorg is an implementation of the X Window System for Unix-like operating systems, such as Linux. It is a key component for providing a graphical interface on these systems.

sudo pacman -S xorg --noconfirm

2. Login and Window Manager

First, we need to be able to login and open programs like a browser and terminal. We will start by installing Lightdm and Qtile. Note that LightDM requires a greeter to work. We'll also need a terminal and text editor.

3. Install Basic Software To make this configuration work, you need to install some basic software:

sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter lightdm-webkit2-greeter \
qtile wezterm firefox rofi neofetch htop base-devel pulseaudio \
pavucontrol feh bat exa neovim flameshot unzip thunar picom arandr \
brightnessctl --noconfirm

For details about this software, see the Software section.

4. Enable Login Manager

To enable logging in to Qtile, you need to enable LightDM:

sudo systemctl enable lightdm

Customization

In this point, you have a basic desktop environment, but you try configure you own environment searching on internet. Or copy my configuration to your environment.

5. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/angelcruz07/dotfiles.git

6. Install Fonts

Before continuing, let's install the fonts used in my configuration.

I use IosevkaTerm, CascadiaCode, and Ubuntu Mono Nerd.

Download Iosevka font from its official site or from Nerd Fonts GitHub or install it directly with pacman:

sudo pacman -S ttf-ubuntu-mono-nerd ttf-cascadia-code ttf-iosevkaterm-nerd

7. Copy Configurations Copy my configurations in .config:

cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeQtile/qtile/ ~/.config/
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeRofi/rofi/ ~/.config/

NOTE Reboot your PC to check if everything is set up correctly.

You're done! You have basic environment Happy Codding!

Starting guide

keyboard shortcuts. software.

LazyVim, WezTerm, Zsh, Zellij and Development Tools

You need to install software for development you can continue with the following steps:

1. Package Manager 'Homebrew'

In this point, you need to install HomeBrew a package manager for Linux and macOS. I use homebrew for is more comfortable to install and find software but you use pacman.

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh>)"

Add Homebrew to your shell profile:

# Replace 'YourUserName' with your username
(echo; echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"') >> /home/YourUserName/.bashrc
eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

2. Terminal Emulator

Choose and install one of the following terminal emulators:

• Alacritty: Download from GitHub Releases.

• WezTerm: Download and Install.

• Kitty: Download and Install.

  I use Wezterm is a terminal emulator with support for ligatures, and more, It's great.

Alacritty

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm alacritty

# Copy my configuration
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeAlacritty/alacritty/ ~/.config/

WezTerm

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm wezterm

#Copy my configuration
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeDost/.wezterm ~/.config/

Kitty

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm kitty

3. Shell 'zsh'

I use Zsh like main shell, It't great have auto-completion and themes.

zsh + starship

brew install zsh carapace zoxide atuin fzf starship
brew install zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting zsh-autocomplete

# Copy my configuration
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeDots/.zshrc ~/
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeDots/starship.toml ~/.config

4. Zellij

brew install zellij
# also
sudo pacman -S --noconfirm zellij

# Copy my configuration
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeZellij/zellij/ ~/.config/

5. Neovim 'Lazyvim'

brew install nvim node npm git gcc fzf fd ripggrep coreutils bat curl lazygit

#Copy my configuration
cp -r ~/dotfiles/AlexcodeNvim/nvim/ ~/.config/

Install Arch User Repository (AUR)

In arch linux you can install software from AUR

Install git if you don’t have it:

sudo pacman -S git

Clone the yay AUR helper repository:

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

Build and install yay:

cd yay-git
makepkg -si

Remove the yay directory once installed:

rm -r yay-git

Utilities

This basic Utilities for your desktop environment.

Audio

Install PulseAudio and its control tools:

sudo pacman -S pulseaudio pavucontrol

Bluetooth

To enable Bluetooth, start and enable the Bluetooth service:

sudo systemctl start bluetooth.service
sudo systemctl enable bluetooth.service
sudo systemctl status bluetooth.service

Brightness

To manage screen brightness:

sudo pacman -S brightnessctl

Wallpaper

Install feh to set your wallpaper, and configure it in your .xprofile file:

# Install feh
sudo pacman -S feh

# Set wallpaper in your .xprofile
feh --bg-scale /path/to/image.jpg

Monitors

To manage multiple monitors, install arandr:

sudo pacman -S arandr

Check my configuration in xprofile.

Keybindings

• mod: Sets the mod key to the "super" key (usually the Windows key).
• terminal: Sets the default terminal emulator to WezTerm.
• keys: A list of key bindings for various actions in Qtile.

Window Navigation

Key	Action
mod + j	Move focus down
mod + k	Move focus up
mod + shift + h	Decrease master
mod + shift + l	Increase master
mod + shift + j	Move window down
mod + shift + k	Move window up
mod + shift + f	Toggle floating window
mod + tab	Change layout
mod + [1-9]	Switch to workspace N (1-9)
mod + shift + [1-9]	Move window to workspace N (1-9)
mod + period	Focus next monitor
mod + comma	Focus previous monitor
mod + w	Kill window
mod + ctrl + r	Restart window manager
mod + ctrl + q	Quit window manager

Apps

Key	Action
mod + m	Launch rofi
mod + shift + m	Window nav (rofi)
mod + b	Lunch Browser(Firefox)
mod + e	Lunch File explores(thunar)
mod + return	Luch Terminal (Alacritty)
mod + r	Redshift
mod + shift + r	Stop redshift
mod + s	Screenshot (scrot)
mod + c	Launch VsCode

Software

List of software used in the desktop environment.

Software	Utility
arandr	Manage multiple screens
pacman-contrib	Pacman utilities
bat	View files with syntax highlighting
blueman	Bluetooth control
bluez	Bluetooth stack
bluez-utils	Bluetooth utilities
brightnessctl	Laptop screen brightness
cbatticon	Battery icon
exa	List files visually
feh	Wallpaper setter
flameshot	Screenshot
libnotify	Receive notifications
lxappearance	GUI for changing themes
network-manager-applet	NetworkManager systray
networkmanager	Self explanatory
notification-daemon	Notifications
ntfs-3g	Read mounted USB in Windows
picom	Compositor for Xorg
pip	Python package manager
pulseaudio	Audio control
pulseaudio-bluetooth	Bluetooth audio support for PulseAudio
qiv	Image viewer
ranger	Terminal based explorer
rofi	Menu and window switcher
scrot	Screenshots
thunar	Graphical file explorer
udiskie	Automounter
unzip	Unzip files
vlc	Media player
volumeicon	Audio icon
xcb-util-cursor	Change theme cursor

Terminal

Software	Utility	Pacman
Alacritty	Terminal emulator	Alacritty
Kitty	Terminal emulator	Kitty
WezTerm	Terminal emulator	WezTerm

Neovim & Lazyvim

Software	Utility	Pacman
nvim	Editor	sudo pacman -S neovim
xsel	Clipboard	sudo pacman -S xsel
fzf	Finder	sudo pacman -S fzf
ripgrep	Finder	sudo pacman -S ripgrep
fd	Finder	sudo pacman -S fd
prettier	Formater	sudo pacman -S prettier

More info Neovim LazyVim

Fonts, theming and GTK

Software	Utility
UbuntuMono Nerd Fonts	Font
IosevkaTerm Nerd	Font
Cascadia Code	Font
Theme GTK	Icons Theme

Testing your window manager

Xephyr