ArcoLinux Welcome App
Thanks to the efforts of Brad Heffernan we now have an ArcoLinux Welcome App.
It will give you an immediate overview of all the information that matters for our distribution.
The app will start on a live usb with the message to use gparted to clean your system prior to installing ArcoLinux with Calamares. Many issues and frustrations can be avoided, if you let your Linux system start with a clean slate. There will be a reminder to start Calamares only if you have internet connection.
No internet connection means no extra software installed via Calamares.
After the installation the app will greet you. Then you explore the links provided. Please join us on one of our social media channels like telegram (casual talk) or Discord (only ArcoLinux and technical).
If you do not want to autostart it again next time, then there is a selection box at the bottom right to do so.
DURING LIVE SESSION
ALERT MESSAGE TO USERS IF NO INTERNET CONNECTION
AFTER REBOOT
ArcoLinux
ArcoLinux is still our flagship ISO. It will contain our 3 browsers, gimp, inkscape, … to be able to develop ArcoLinux. If you do not select any additional software you will get the same iso as last month. You can not remove software. If you want less software we have ArcoLinuxD and ArcoLinuxB.
Our flagship becomes a cruiseship
Internet connection is required
With the latest version of Calamares you have the freedom to choose what packages to install on the fly.
You can select if you want a different kernel or decide to install nvidia packages.
You can decide to install the microcode.
You can select any of the additional software from the list.
We have created an ArcoLinux-meta-steam package to install steam the efficient way.
We have created an ArcoLinux-meta-fun package to install all the packages from our fun script.
Choose either Libre Office Fresh or Libre Office Still.
Choose either Virtualbox for linux or linux-lts kernel.
If you change the language in Calamares, you will also change the language of Libre Office.
ArcoLinuxD
ArcoLinuxD is the most minimal iso. If you do not install any packages, it is the most bare version we have and it can give you the Arch Linux look and feel.
There is no
- bluetooth
- printers
- sound
You will still need to install those with our scripts from the ArcoLinuxD githubs. This does not change.
With the latest version of Calamares you have the freedom to choose what packages to install on the fly. Internet connection is required.
You can select if you want a different kernel or decide to install nvidia packages.
You can decide to install the microcode.
As extra option you can also use one of 4 available display managers
- lightdm
- sddm
- gdm
- lxdm
After reboot you end up in a black screen and you enable the one you selected with a command.
sudo systemctl enable lightdm
sudo systemctl enable sddm
sudo systemctl enable gdm
sudo systemctl enable lxdm
skel
Skel is essential for Tiling Window Managers as the code for the desktop is still in /etc/skel.
then you reboot and you will boot into a graphical environment.
sudo reboot
You select any of the additional software from the list.
We have created an ArcoLinux-meta-steam package to install steam the efficient way.
We have created an ArcoLinux-meta-fun package to install all the packages from our fun script.
Choose either Libre Office Fresh or Libre Office Still.
Choose either Virtualbox for linux or linux-lts kernel.
If you change the language in Calamares, you will also change the language of Libre Office
Internet connection is required
ArcoLinuxB
ArcoLinuxB is the iso that you can either build or download.
You can edit the package list, build the iso and make a personal edition of any of our desktops.
You can choose between 15 desktops at the moment.
We do not talk about full isos and minimal isos anymore.
All ArcoLinuxB isos are minimal isos.
However we did not cut down on ‘comfort’ applications like bluetooth, printers, sound and video.
Furthermore we require 3 tools on all isos for development reasons :
- Firefox
- Sublime-Text-Dev
- Meld
Option 1 : download
During installation you can select additional packages to install. Internet connection is required.
You can select if you want a different kernel or decide to install nvidia packages.
You can decide to install the microcode.
You select any of the additional software from the list.
We have created an ArcoLinux-meta-steam package to install steam the efficient way.
We have created an ArcoLinux-meta-fun package to install all the packages from our fun script.
Choose either Libre Office Fresh or Libre Office Still.
Choose either Virtualbox for linux or linux-lts kernel.
If you change the language in Calamares, you will also change the language of Libre Office
Option 2 : build
If you intend to build, then any package can be added or removed from the package list file. Anything is possible. You can combine different desktops on one iso for example.
The bulk of the applications in Calamares is the same on all ArcoLinuxB isos. There are always exceptions. Openbox will contain Geany by default because the menu is using Geany to open your openbox configuration files. So Geany will NOT show up in the list in Calamares. It is already installed.
Anything default installed with the iso is not in the Calamares list.
ArcoLinuxB Plasma undergoes a big change.
ArcoLinuxB Plasma measures only 1.7 GB.
Previous full version of Plasma was 2.7 GB and minimal was 2 GB.
During installation you can add more meta packages to your installation or you build the iso the way you want it.
Changes to all ArcoLinuxB isos
All ArcoLinuxB isos will have the following things in common at start up
- no plank application and no plank configuration from ArcoLinux
- meld installed
- sublime-text-dev installed
- firefox installed
- lshw installed
- tmux installed
- dmenu installed
- hwinfo installed
- zsh installed on all isos including extra packages
- volumeicon is installed on all tiling window managers
- geany only installed on Openbox and Xtended by default
- thunar and its packages installed
- gnome-disk-utility installed – just not on plasma
We start with a minimal ArcoLinuxB iso and we install our extra software with the help of Calamares.