20.2 – FEBRUARY RELEASE
ONLY 18 isos to build or download
encryption
ArcoLinux tweak tool
arcolinux welcome tool
plasma improvements
NEW CHECKS FOR ARCOLINUX
FUN SCRIPT
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
TO DO NEXT MONTH(S)
STAY ROLLING
WHAT IS NEW
GOOD TO KNOW
only 18 isos to build or download
nvidia in Calamares
linux-lts in Calamares
ArcoLinux iso – select more software inside Calamares or install later – developers iso / flagship iso
ArcoLinuxD iso – bare iso – no remnants of Xfce4 delivery system – select more software inside Calamares or install later
ArcoLinuxB iso – no more full iso – we start with minimal iso – select more software inside Calamares or install later
ArcoLinux – Xfce, OPenbox and i3wm
ArcoLinux is still our flagship. 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 (unless you build the iso). 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. 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.
Libreoffice improvement
If you change the language in Calamares, you will also change the language of Libre Office.
If you select your native language in the first screen of Calamares you will have the desktop and libreoffice in your native tongue.
$LOCALE will be replace with your language choice and will install additional
- language packages for libre-office
- spelling correction packages
ArcoLinuxD
“ArcoLinuxD is the most minimal iso.
If you do not install any packages, it is the most bare version we have. It will give you the Arch Linux look and feel.
You can install any of our desktops via the scripts of our ArcoLinuxD githubs or you install them via Calamares.
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.
You decide if you want support for
- bluetooth
- laptop
- network
- printing
- samba
- sound
You can also choose between 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 are supposed to build. You can download it too.
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 select any of the 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 installed by default 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.
Only kdeadmin-meta and kdebase-meta are installed on the iso. These will not be listed on the Calamares installer since they are installed by default.
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.
ENCRYPTION
Encryption is now possible
Calamares gives you several standard choices in a dropdown
- No swap
- Swap (no hibernate)
- Swap (with hibernate)
You can also encrypt these default choices which gives you now 6 choices by default or make a manual partitioning.
We are using kpmcore-git rather than kpmcore.
Calamares 3.2.17.1 is used as installer. More info here.
ArcoLinux Tweak Tool
ArcoLinux Tweak Tool
The ArcoLinux Tweak Tool is created to have easy access to features that now require manual editing.
We will update this article every time we release a new version of the tool.
Because of the ArcoLinux Tweak Tool some of our packages got an update:
- arcolinux-termite-themes – arcolinux-default theme + arcolinux-passion-dark-trans theme
- arcolinux-grub-theme-vimix-git – more wallpapers to choose from + update from github
CTRL + ALT + E
ArcoLinux Welcome App
ArcoLinux Welcome App
The ArcoLinux Welcome App is created to guide ArcoLinux users during the installation procedure. The advice is to first erase any partition and formatting with Gparted and then proceed with the Calamares installer.
After installation the app is still available to link to important webpages for ArcoLinux and also link to the ArcoLinux Tweak Tool.
CTRL + ALT + W
plasma improvements
PLASMA KSERVICES
A new package was created to provide the kservices of Dolphin i.e. arcolinux-plasma-kservices-git.
Certain services (right mouse click or context menu) will be made available to the user that way:
- change png to jpg
- compare with meld
- set as wallpaper on a jpg/png image
PLASMA dolphin
Dolphin got some practical shortcuts on the toolbar;
- up arrow to navigate
- create a folder
- open a terminal in current folder
Plasma sddm display manager
SDDM is installed by default facilitating an easy switch from lightdm to sddm if the user likes to change. Standard we will use lightdm on all our desktops.
sudo systemctl enable -f sddm.service
PLASMA default menu
We have tried to make the Plasma menu as small as possible by default.
new checks for ArcoLinux
NEW FUN SCRIPT
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
Herbstluftwm – assign applications
It is now possible to assign applications to workspaces. We have used the same logic in all our tiling window managers. It is initially not enabled.
workspace 1 – browsers
workspace 2 – editors
…
There is also a new menu you can use at your convenience.
Qtile – assign applications
It is now possible to assign applications to workspaces. We have used the same logic in all our tiling window managers. It is standard not active.
workspace 1 – browsers
workspace 2 – editors
…
Xmonad – recompile xmonad automatically
Xmonad is actually an application that is running. When updates come in, you are sometimes stuck at the lightdm login screen because you forgot to recompile Xmonad before rebooting. Solution to this issue is described here.
With our solution we hope this issue is in the past.
A pacman hook is going to recompile xmonad when an update occurs.
Xmonad – volumeicon
Added volumeicon to startup – easy access to volume level and Pulse Audio Volume Control or pavucontrol.
Both config for polybar and xmobar have been adapted.
arcolinux-root-git – .bashrc-latest is no more
Pkgbuild for this package was upgraded. We do not need .bashrc-latest anymore to overcome building issues.
The alias “cb” has been changed to a shorter version.
When you “update” your system and you did a “skel”, logout to apply the new bashrc with the new “cb”.
arcolinux-local-applications-git
This package is a desktop trick for Xfce only. We add or remove applications from the menu and the xfce settings with it.
These solutions are no longer necessary and have been deleted.
- elinks
- cmake-gui
- electron
Lxqt packages list
We added the following packages to the iso
- lximage-qt
- trojita
- qpdfview
- obconqt
We remove the following packages from the iso
- evolution
ZSH SUPPORTED and OH-MY-ZSH-GIT SUPPORTED
Several packages were added and/or created to support the zsh shell.
All the information is in this article.
Users can easily switch between zsh and bash with two aliases
- tozsh
- tobash
Logout and login and you will have switched shells.
If you build your own isos we recommend you switch to bash.
Budgie Wallpaper
Budgie will start with the standard wallpaper of ArcoLinux.
Budgie Super + X
The keyboard shortcut to shutdown the desktop was missing in Budgie.
Deepin Wallpaper
Deepin will start with the standard wallpaper of ArcoLinux.
VARIETY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO 0.8.2-1
We have changed our configuration to follow the new release.
Variety is started at boot.
Variety will NOT change your wallpaper. Not on start and not after x minutes.
Only /usr/share/backgrounds is there as the source for wallpapers.
Desktoppr is back as source. We leave it up to the user to activate it.
We have added several issues on the github of variety. We have asked for support for these desktops to change the desktop without using our ArcoLinux solutions.
- awesome
- jwm
- herbstluftwm
- qtile
- xmonad
As a result the next variety release will support them out of the box.
General changes to ArcoLinux iso
Variety installed on your system will NOT start automatically. You can quickly change to the next wallpaper with Alt + n and variety will load and change the wallpaper. The user decides whether to set variety to autostart next time or not. That results in setting the wallpaper with nitrogen in Openbox and with feh in i3. Packages have been updated.
Plank and its themes are installed on your system but will not autostart at boot on Xfce. The users decides whether they want to start it up at boot. Plank is started on Openbox. The user decides this in the openbox config. i3 does not require Plank. Dmenu is our default menu.
The arcolinux-config-git is back on the iso. By omitting the package from the iso of 20.2.5 we decided we can live without plank and variety autostarting. The autostart files have been deleted from this package.
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
Packages added to the iso
- archiso
- arcolinux-zsh-git
- oh-my-zsh-git
- breeze (cursor)
- breeze-icons
Packages removed from the iso
- xcursor-breeze
- oxygen neo
to do next month(s)
Continue the carli project
Let us try to get a new article/video/step out every month.
In a few months time we will have made progress.
how to stay rolling
what is new
good to know
staying up-to-date
We have dedicated an article to this particular topic since it is probably FAQ number 1.
Re-use our nemesis script – post installation script
After a clean installation we will install more software like Spotify, Dropbox, Insync, etc…
Up and running under 15 minutes
after clean install
arcogetstarted
After a clean installation we will install more software like Spotify, Dropbox, Insync, etc…
Re-use our get ready script.
The url to this script is ALWAYS pinned on discord in the official channel at the top in discord.
#official-news
Learn the most important aliases
Aliases are created for improved functionality and for convenience.
Full package list
The full package list of the latest isos can always be found on github at this address :
ArcoLinux : https://github.com/arcolinux/arcolinux-iso/blob/master/archiso/packages.x86_64
ArcoLinuxD : https://github.com/arcolinux/arcolinuxd-iso/blob/master/archiso/packages.x86_64
More detailed information can be found in the
beta links in the arcolinux.info menu
and of course in the commits
On github.
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