pler / dotfiles-arch-i3

Some personal Arch Linux configuration files

Arch Linux dotfiles and post-installation notes

This repository contains my configuration files and some personal notes.

git clone https://github.com/pler/dotfiles-arch-i3.git
cd dotfiles-arch-i3
chmod +x create-symlinks.py
./create-symlinks.py

---

Post-installation notes

Package Management

automatically updated & rated mirror list

1. install: reflector
2. create new service: /etc/systemd/system/reflector.service

[Unit]
Description=Pacman mirrorlist update

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/reflector --protocol http --latest 30 --number 20 --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

3. add timer for weekly update: /etc/systemd/system/reflector.timer

[Unit]
Description=Run reflector weekly

[Timer]
OnCalendar=weekly
AccuracySec=12h
Persistent=true

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target

4. enable timer: systemctl enable reflector.timer

yaourt (AUR)

1. download tarballs

• https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pa/package-query/package-query.tar.gz
• https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/ya/yaourt/yaourt.tar.gz

2. unzip and install tar zxvf *.tar.gz & cd * & makepkg -si

Graphics

Xorg

• install: xorg xorg-xinit # xterm xorg-twm
• add to .xinitrc to enable zapping:
  setxkbmap -option terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp
• add to .xinitrc to heighten keyboard rate:
  xset r rate 200 30

graphics drivers

• identify card via lscpi | grep -e VGA -e 3D (pciutils)
• install: xf86-video-nouveau || nvidia
  • black screen at boot: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NVIDIA#Black_screen_on_systems_with_Intel_integrated_GPU
• for optimus/bumblebee:
  1. switch to integrated graphics in BIOS
  2. (remove old drivers nvidia xf86-video-nouveau nouveau-dri)
  3. install: mesa
  4. install: nvidia nvidia-utils
  5. install:bumblebee bbswitch primus
  6. usermod -a -G bumblebee <user>
  7. run systemctl enable bumblebeed
  8. reboot to BIOS, switch to Optimus
  9. test via optirun glxgears -info (package: mesa-demos)
     check cat /proc/acpi/bbswitch

Multihead

• xrandr to see attached monitors
• add to .xinitrc:
  xrandr --output <primary> --auto --primary --output <secondary> --auto --right-of <primary>
• GUI: lxrandr, CLI: disper

CLI

• install: roxterm || rxvt-unicode
• install: zsh grml-zsh-config zsh-completions
  • install: zsh-syntax-highlighting-git zsh-history-substring-search-git
  • add to ~/.zshrc (in that order):
    source /usr/share/zsh/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
source /usr/share/zsh/plugins/zsh-history-substring-search/zsh-history-substring-search.zsh
  • change shell chsh -s /usr/bin/zsh, check /etc/shells and /etc/passwd

i3

1. install: i3-wm i3lock i3status dmenu
2. add to (.bash_profile && (.zlogin || .zprofile)):
   [[ -z $DISPLAY && $XDG_VTNR -eq 1 ]] && exec startx
3. cp /etc/skel/.xinitrc ~/ && echo 'exec i3' >> ~/.xinitrc

fix font rendering

1. add to /etc/pacman.conf:

[infinality-bundle]
Server = http://bohoomil.com/repo/$arch
[infinality-bundle-fonts]
Server = http://bohoomil.com/repo/$arch

2. add & sign key: pacman-key -r 962DDE58 && pacman-key --lsign-key 962DDE58
3. install: pacman -Syy && pacman -S infinality-bundle
4. (additional fonts: ibfonts-meta-base)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Infinality-bundle+fonts

GTK

• GUI config tool: lxappearance
• themes & icons: gnome-themes-standard (Adwaita) || mediterranean-theme (MediterraneanLightDarkest), faenza-icon-theme (Faenza-Darker)

Compton (optional)

• install: compton-git
• add to .xinitrc:
  exec --no-startup-id compton -d --vsync opengl --backend glx --glx-swap-method 1
• in nvidia-settings disable OpenGL Settings -> Allow Flipping

Enhancements

• for a better status bar, install: conky
  • config
• for a notification manager, install: dunst
• clipboard manager: xclip
• j4-dmenu-desktop faster than dmenu

System

time correction

• install: ntp
• add de.pool.ntp.org to /etc/ntp.conf
• sync time via ntpd -gq (check if correct via date)
• set hardware clock hwclock -w
• NOTE: configure WINDOWS to use UTC
  1. Disable "Internet Time Update"
  2. Using regedit, add a DWORD value with hex value 1 to the registry
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation\RealTimeIsUniversal

USB & NTFS

• install: udisks2 gvfs gvfs-afc ntfs-3g ntfs-config
• Disable hibernation & fast restarting in WINDOWS which block permissions
  • powercfg /h off
• run ntfs-config, check /etc/fstab

SSD

• install: hdparm, verify TRIM support via hdparm -I /dev/sda | grep TRIM
• chose one of the following options
  1. online: using discard flag
  • add to it to /etc/fstab
    ex. /dev/sda1 / ext4 defaults,noatime,discard 0 1
  2. offline: regular TRIM via a systemd service
  • install util-linux (provides fstrim.service and fstrim.timer)
  • systemctl enable fstrim.timer (weekly)

sound

• install: alsa-utils playerctl

screen lock

• install: i3lock, i3lock-blur
• install: xautolock
  • autolock: xautolock -time 10 -locker 'i3lock -f'

Additional software

General

• htop tree
• thunar xarchive ristretto evince
• imgur-screenshot
• shellcheck

Python

• python, python-pip # python2 python2-pip
• pip install pep8

Java

• jdk8-openjdk || jdk7-openjdk
• switch between environments via archlinux-java <status|get|set X|unset|fix>
• fix font rendering and make swing use GTK look and feel:
  export _JAVA_OPTIONS='-Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=on -Dswing.aatext=true -Dswing.defaultlaf=com.sun.java.swing.plaf.gtk.GTKLookAndFeel'
  • add this line to /etc/profile.d/jre.sh

Fonts

• adobe-source-code-pro-fonts ttf-dejavu ubuntu-font-family ttf-monaco
• manual font installation: mv *.ttf /usr/share/fonts/TTF, update font cache fc-cache -vf
• xorg-xfontsel to select X11 fonts, gtk2fontsel for xft fonts (GUI)

---

Thinkpad L430s

• for the touchpad, install:x86-input-synaptics
• for the webcam, install: guvcview
• relevant: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Lenovo_ThinkPad_T420

Power management

• install: powertop
  • check and enable tunables (wifi, audio, SATA link, usb power mgmt)
• (additional tools: tlp || laptop-power-mode)
• install: thinkfan
  • config file: /etc/thinkfan.conf, example: /usr/share/doc/thinkfan/examples/thinkfan.conf.simple and adjust values
• TODO: timed suspend, bluetooth

ACPI

• handles some basic controls, install: thinkpad_acpi
• additional ACPI support, install: acpid
  • bindings can be found in /etc/acpi/handler.sh
• brightness controls didn't work out of the box (no scancodes for the keys) until I booted with acpi_backlight=vendor acpi_osi=Linux as kernel parameters

ACPI events

Event	Key	acpid event	comment	handeled via thinkpad_aci	keysym
mute		button/mute MUTE 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioMute
volume -		button/volumedown VOLDN 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioLowerVolume
volume +		button/volumeup VOLUP 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioRaiseVolume
mute microphone		button/f20 F20 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioMicMute
media button		button/prog1 PROG1 00000080 00000000			XF86Launch1
power button		button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000		shutdown
lock	fn+f3	button/screenlock SCRNLCK 00000080 00000000			XF86ScreenSaver
sleep	fn+f4	button/sleep SBTN		x	XF86Sleep
wifi toggle	fn+f5	button/wlan WLAN 00000080 00000000		x	XF86WLAN
webcam	fn+f6				XF86WebCam
display	fn+f7	video/switchmode VMOD 00000080 00000000			XF86Display
brightness -	fn+f8	video/brightnessdown BRTDN 00000087 00000000 ibm/hotkey LEN0068 00000080 00006050		x	XF86WakeUp
brightness +	fn+f9	video/brightnessup BRTUP 00000086 00000000 ibm/hotkey LEN0068 00000080 00006050		x	XF86WakeUp
music prev	fn+f10	cd/prev CDPREV 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioPrev
music play	fn+f11	cd/play CDPLAY 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioPlay
music next	fn+f12	cd/next CDNEXT 00000080 00000000			XF86AudioNext
lid open		button/lid LID open		turns laptop screen off
lid close		button/lid LID close		turns laptop screen on
audio/mic in		jack/headphone HEADPHONE plug		redirects audio to plugged device
audio/mic out		jack/headphone HEADPHONE unplug jack/microphone MICROPHONE plug jack/microphone MICROPHONE unplug		redirects audio to speakers
ac disconnect		ac_adapter ACPI0003:00 00000080 00000000 processor LNXCPU:00 00000081 00000000 processor LNXCPU:01 00000081 00000000 processor LNXCPU:02 00000081 00000000 processor LNXCPU:03 00000081 00000000 battery PNP0C0A:00 00000080 00000001
ac connect		battery PNP0C0A:00 00000080 00000001 ac_adapter ACPI0003:00 00000080 00000001 processor LNXCPU:00 00000081 00000000 processor LNXCPU:01 00000081 00000000 processor LNXCPU:02 00000081 00000000 processor LNXCPU:03 00000081 00000000
battery out		battery PNP0C0A:00 00000081 00000000	after a delay
battery in		battery PNP0C0A:00 00000081 00000001 battery PNP0C0A:00 00000080 00000001	after a delay

recorded via acpi_listen or journalctl -f