igorpetrov / arch-linux-configuration-guide

My configuration guide for Arch Linux

Arch Linux Configuration Guide

My configuration guide for Arch Linux.

I'd created it just to remember things to do to configure system after fresh install.

Initial conditions assuming this things already set up:

• Arch Linux
• Gnome DE
• user with sudo rights and home folder

Install yaourt

Uncomment following strings in /etc/pacman.conf:

[archlinuxfr]
SigLevel = Never
Server = http://repo.archlinux.fr/$arch

Sync package database:

$ sudo pacman -Syu

Install package:

$ sudo pacman -S yaourt

Install new packages

Official:

$ sudo pacman -S linux-headers chromium firefox thunderbird pidgin skypeforlinux-bin gnome-tweak-tool dropbox nautilus-dropbox gimp sublime-text-dev vlc vim dosfstools

AUR:

$ yaourt -S chrome-gnome-shell-git chromium-pepper-flash chromium-widevine vivaldi vivaldi-ffmpeg-codecs slack-desktop gimp-plugin-saveforweb yandex-browser-beta telegram-desktop-bin jre downgrade

Install Gnome shell extensions

Install Gnome shell extensions from https://extensions.gnome.org. Interactive on-site installation provided by chrome-gnome-shell-git.

Setup default applications

$ yaourt -S gnome-defaults-list

Copy and edit MIME-list:

$ cp /etc/gnome/defaults.list ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

Sources:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/default_applications

Configure GDM login screen

(?) Copy monitors.xml:

$ sudo cp ~/.config/monitors.xml /var/lib/gdm/.config/monitors.xml

Then enter gdm user shell:

$ sudo su gdm -s /bin/bash
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme GTK3_THEME
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme ICON_THEME
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-theme CURSOR_THEME
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri 'file://FILE'

Sources:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=196219

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1184617

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GDM#Enabling_tap-to-click

http://askubuntu.com/questions/52463/how-to-set-gtk-style-and-background-in-gdm3

Swapiness

Edit (or create) /etc/sysctl.d/99-sysctl.conf:

vm.swappiness=10

Sources:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Swap#Swappiness

Automate TRIM operation for SSD

Enable TRIM via timer (will activate weekly):

$ sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer

Sources:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Solid_State_Drives#Apply_periodic_TRIM_via_fstrim

Setup Virtualbox

Install packages:

$ sudo pacman -S virtualbox virtualbox-guest-iso linux-headers
$ yaourt virtualbox-ext-oracle

Generate Virtualbox kernel modules:

$ sudo dkms autoinstall

(?) Enable dkms.service to recompile Virtualbox kernel modules each time dkms has been upgraded:

$ sudo systemctl enable dkms.service

*dkms.service seems not to be available anymore, maybe now it running not via systemd.

Create /etc/modules-load.d/virtualbox.conf:

vboxdrv
vboxnetadp
vboxnetflt
vboxpci

This will load Virtualbox modules on system boot.

Then reboot or load Virtualbox modules in current kernel session:

$ sudo modprobe vboxdrv vboxnetadp vboxnetflt vboxpci

When virtual machine will be running choose "Devices" and then "Insert Guest additions CD image". Inside guest OS (assuming it's Windows) install Guest addidtions when promted.

To be able to use USB ports inside guest OS add current user to vboxusers group:

$ sudo gpasswd -a $USER vboxusers

Sources:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/VirtualBox

Setup printers

Install packages:

$ sudo pacman -S cups ghostscript gsfonts system-config-printer

Start and enable CUPS service:

$ sudo systemctl start org.cups.cupsd.service
$ sudo systemctl enable org.cups.cupsd.service

Then configure printers via Gnome settings.

Sources:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CUPS

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CUPS/Printer-specific_problems

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=200334

Setup Flash in Yandex browser

If google-chrome installed then Flash will work out of the box. If not, additional configuration required.

Install packages:

$ yaourt -S chromium-pepper-flash

Edit /opt/yandex/browser-beta/yandex-browser-beta (insert before $@ in last line):

--ppapi-flash-path=/usr/lib/PepperFlash/libpepflashplayer.so

Sources:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=191773

Setup Intel CPU microcode

Install packages:

$ sudo pacman -S intel-ucode

Then add new entry for systemd-boot (/boot/loader/entries/arch.conf):

initrd  /intel-ucode.img

Sources: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/microcode

Configure systemd log

Retain log for last seven days:

$ sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=7d

Sources:

http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/194058