My Arch Linux Setup

I value simplicity and minimalism. Even as a computer scientist, I use as little software as possible. I want my operating system to be lightweight, performant, and free from telemetry and spyware. Full configurability and complete control over my system are essential to me. Therefore, I exclusively use Arch Linux.

Pre-installation

1. Flash the Arch Linux ISO to a USB drive.

2. Insert the USB drive into the computer and temporarily boot into it via the BIOS boot menu.

3. Enter the Arch Linux live environment.

4. If using a wireless network, connect to it over WiFi. The install script drops into iwctl if it cannot reach the network, or connect beforehand:

   List available devices:

   iwctl device list

   Scan for available networks:

   iwctl station <device> scan

   List available networks:

   iwctl station <device> get-networks

   Connect to the network:

   iwctl --passphrase <password> station <device> connect <network>

   Test the connection:

   ping archlinux.org

Installation

5. Fetch the install script:

   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dan-smith-tech/rig/main/install.sh

6. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x install.sh

7. Run the install and follow the prompts:

   ./install.sh

8. Reboot the device.

Post-installation

9. Login and, if using a wireless network, connect to it over WiFi:

   nmcli device wifi connect <network> --ask

10. Clone this repo:

    git clone https://github.com/dan-smith-tech/rig.git

11. Run the configure script for the relevant device:

    just <device>

12. Reboot the device.

Manual Configuration

Plasma

1. Open System Settings and configure:

   1. Global Theme Colours, Icons, Login Screen
   2. Keyboard -> Virtual Keyboard -> Plasma Keyboard
   3. Wallpaper (plus Layout set to Desktop)
   4. Screen Locking
   5. Power Management
   6. Users
   7. Session

2. Right click on the Panel and select Panel Configuration to setup and bin applets to the bar.

3. Right click on the Panel and select Add or Manage Widgets..., then select and remove the KDE Logo, Task Manager, Pager, and replace the Peek with a Margins Separator.

4. Press Meta + T to configure the window layout settings.

5. Create shortcuts:

   1. Plasma Workspace: Meta

Brave

1. Install Proton Pass extension.

2. Sync settings at brave://settings/braveSync/setup.

3. Open brave://settings and configure:

   1. Get started:
      1. On startup
      2. Customise new tab page
   2. Appearance
   3. Content:
      1. Containers
   4. Shields
      1. Forget me
      2. Content filtering
      3. Social media blocking
   5. Privacy and security
      1. Data collection
   6. Leo
   7. Autofill and passwords
   8. Downloads
   9. System:
      1. Show full-screen reminder to press Esc on exit

4. Enable and disable icons in the toolbar.

GitHub

1. Copy public key:

   cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

2. Go to GitHub Settings → SSH and GPG keys
3. Select New SSH key, paste the content, and save.
4. Change this repository to use SSH over HTTPS:

   git remote set-url origin git@github.com:dan-smith-tech/rig.git

Steam

1. Add the following Gamescope settings to launch settings:

   gamescope -W 3440 -H 1440 -w 3440 -h 1440 -r 144 --hdr-enabled --hdr-debug-force-output --fullscreen --force-grab-cursor -- env DXVK_HDR=1 ENABLE_HDR_WSI=1 %command% --launcher-skip