9. Setting up graphical environment
Table of Contents
When it comes to graphical environment, there are a lot of options to choose from. To cover every available option in the scope of this guide would be impossible. There are no “one size fits all” solution either. To make the best choice, study the wiki, while following the general directions of this stage.
Install display server
sudo pacman -S xorg xorg-xinit
Install video driver*
Nvidia Open Source:
sudo pacman -S mesa xf86-video-nouveau
AMD/ATI Open Source:
sudo pacman -S mesa xf86-video-amdgpu
sudo pacman -S mesa xf86-video-ati
Intel Open Source:
sudo pacman -S mesa xf86-video-intel
Reboot for changes to take an effect.
\* - Depending on your use case, Open Source drivers may perform worse than proprietary. Read the ArchWiki documentation for more information.
Choose the graphical environment
Desktop Environment:
- Interface and workflow is familiar to most users
- Comes with suite of programs and system tools
- Mostly set up for you
ArchWiki | Desktop environment
Window Manager:
- Keyboard-centric workflow
- Doesn’t come with any programs or system tools
- Requires some knowledge of the system and time to configure
New to Linux users should always install the Desktop Environment. Later it can act as a safety net if you wish to experiment with any of the Window Managers.
While choosing the Desktop Environment consider its RAM usage. You also might need to use a different network manager than “connman”. Make sure to disable it, once the appropriate manager is installed.
Install Display Manager and GUI greeter
If your environment does not come with a display manager, install it:
sudo pacman -S lightdm
Install the GUI greeter:
sudo pacman -S lightdm-gtk-greeter
If the default greeter is not to your liking, you can always switch to more eye-pleasing variant.
yay -S lightdm-slick-greeter
To set new greeter as the default one, enter:
sudo vim /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
Edit the line under the “[Seat:*]” section:
greeter-session=lightdm-slick-greeter
Enable the display manager:
systemctl enable lightdm
Set up the trashcan and default folders
sudo pacman -S gvfs
sudo rm -R .local/share/Trash
“xdg-user-dirs” creates folders like Documents, Downloads, Music, etc.
sudo pacman -S xdg-user-dirs
xdg-user-dirs-update
Reboot for changes to take an effect.
Conclusion and general tips on maintainig the system
Congratulations! You’ve finished The Unofficial Arch Linux Installation Guide. Before you leave, here are some recommendations to help you on your way:
- Update your system once a week with “sudo pacman -Syu” and “sudo yay -Syu”
- Create backups of configuration files and personal data
- If something is broken - fix it and only reinstall when it is beyond repair
- Do not install “Out of date” packages from AUR
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