File management

2025-07-24T08:30:16Z

-mcalpus: Note encrypted device mount, rename automount to gvfs

File management and storage access in Alpine Linux [[Desktop environments and Window managers|Desktop environments]] involves various components. In Alpine Linux, [[#File managers|file managers]] require additional software packages to:

* Automatically mount removable media
* Browse storage across shared networks
* Display and access partitions using different [[Filesystems|filesystems]] with other installed operating systems

== Prerequisites ==

* Enable [[Polkit]]

== File managers ==

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_manager File managers] are computer programs that provides a user interface to file management i.e manage files and folders. A partial list of file managers available in Alpine Linux is given below:

{| class="wikitable" align="center" style="width:100%; border:1px #0771a6 solid; background:#f9f9f9; text-align:left; border-collapse:collapse;"
|-style="background:#333333; color:#ffffff; font-size: 1.2em; text-align:center;"
|width="18%" | Tool
|width="10%"| Graphical/CLI
|Brief Notes
|-
|{{pkg|caja}} ||Graphical||The file manager for the [[MATE|MATE desktop]]
|-
|{{pkg|dolphin}} ||Graphical||File manager for [[KDE]] Plasma desktop
|-
|{{pkg|konqueror}} ||Graphical||[[KDE]] File Manager & Web Browser
|-
|{{pkg|lf}} ||CLI||Terminal filemanager written in Go with vim-style keybindings
|-
|{{pkg|mc}} ||CLI||Filemanager/shell that emulates Norton Commander
|-
|{{pkg|nautilus}}||Graphical||[[Gnome|GNOME]] file manager also known as 'GNOME Files'
|-
|{{Pkg|nemo}} ||Graphical||File manager for Cinnamon desktop environment
|-
|{{pkg|nnn}} ||CLI||The unorthodox terminal file manager
|-
|{{pkg|pcmanfm}} ||Graphical||Extremely fast and lightweight file manager for LXDE
|-
|{{pkg|pcmanfm-qt}} ||Graphical|| Qt port of pcmanfm
|-
|{{pkg|ranger}} ||CLI||VIM-inspired filemanager for the console
|-
|{{pkg|thunar}} ||Graphical||File manager for [[Xfce]]
|}

== Disk management ==

Managing disks including removable drives like USB is much easier with [https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/udisks/ udisks]. Install the {{pkg|udisks2}} package:{{Cmd|# apk add {{pkg|udisks2}}}}

To see the mounted disks:{{Cmd|$ udisksctl status}}
To mount a disk {{Path|/dev/sdb1}}:{{Cmd|$ udisksctl mount -b /dev/sdb1}}
{{Note|To mount encrypted devices ensure to have [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/main/x86/device-mapper device-mapper] and [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/main/x86/lvm2 lvm2] packages installed. }}

To unmount a disk {{Path|/dev/sdb1}}:{{Cmd|$ udisksctl unmount -b /dev/sdb1}}

== GVfs ==

[https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gvfs GVfs] is a userspace virtual filesystem implementation for GIO,a library available in GLib. GVfs comes with a set of backends, including trash support, SFTP,SMB, HTTP, DAV, and many others.

Many GUI file managers rely on [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/community/x86/gvfs-fuse gvfs-fuse] to mount external storage devices
and [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/community/x86/gvfs-mtp gvfs-mtp] to mount android devices.

Depending on what devices you intend to mount, additional packages may be installed from the below list:
{{Cmd|# apk add \
ntfs-3g \ # Stable, full-featured, read-write NTFS (driver)
gvfs-cdda \ # CDDA support for gvfs
gvfs-afp \ # AFP support for gvfs
gvfs-goa \ # GNOME Online Accounts support for gvfs
gvfs-mtp \ # MTP support for gvfs
gvfs-smb \ # Windows fileshare support for gvfs
gvfs-lang \ # Languages for package gvfs
gvfs-afc \ # Apple mobile devices support for gvfs
gvfs-nfs \ # NFS support for gvfs
gvfs-dev \ # Backends for the gio framework in GLib (development files)
gvfs-archive \ # Archiving support for gvfs
gvfs-dav \ # WebDAV support for gvfs
gvfs-fuse \ # FUSE support for gvfs
gvfs-gphoto2 \ # gphoto2 support for gvfs
gvfs-avahi \ # DNS-SD support for gvfs}}

To list descriptions of all gvfs- packages:{{cmd|$ apk info -d gvfs-*}}

== Network browsing ==

For browsing of network shares that works seamlessly with file associations, install the gvfs packages for the required network protocols. For example, to browse in a SMB/cifs windows network:{{Cmd|# apk add gvfs-smb}}

The OpenRC script for fuse is in a separate package.{{Cmd|# apk add fuse-openrc}}

Then the fuse service can be started manually. {{Cmd|# rc-service fuse start}}

If the desktop sessions are already in progress, they need to be restarted for the changes to take effect, i.e. log out and log in again.

Test the network browsing with your favourite file manager and if it works, the fuse service can be added to start up automatically at boot time:{{Cmd|# rc-update add fuse}}

== Troubleshooting ==

=== Error due to missing polkit ===

''Error mounting /dev/sda1: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.UDisks2.Error.NotAuthorized: Not authorized to perform operation (polkit authority not available and caller is not uid 0)''

If [[Polkit]] is not available, the above error will occur. In this case either install and enable [[Polkit]] or using [[Setting up a new user#doas|doas]] is recommended.

[[Category:Storage]]
[[Category:Desktop]]

Xorg

2025-07-22T17:38:41Z

-mcalpus: Add installation and start session sections

Xorg is a x.org implementation of X window system.
It is de-facto standard way to launch graphical applications.
Its most popular alternative is [https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Wayland Wayland]

== Installation ==

Can be installed automatically with [https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-xorg-base setup-xorg-base]

{{Note|ensure you have the necessary video drivers}}

== Start session ==

Xorg can be started via [https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Display_manager display manager]
or manually with command:
{{Cmd|# startx }}

{{Note| startx is intended to run as user.}}

You may also want per-user configuration:
{{Cmd|# cp /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc ~/.xinitrc}}

{{Warning| carefully read the default configuration, it may look for itself to execute,
which causes terminal to hang!
}}

== Video Drivers ==
{{Main|Graphics driver}}

To install X11 based [[Desktop environments and Window managers|desktop]], you may want to install specific Xorg xf86 driver packages for your video card's chipset, as they may support specific features, effects and acceleration modes, and avoid error messages during X initialization. However, the most basic X features should work fine with just using the default kernel video-modesetting drivers.

{{Tip| xf86 driver packages follow standard naming conventions. So information found in [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xorg#Driver_installation ArchWiki], or [https://packages.gentoo.org/categories/x11-drivers Gentoo wiki] are to a large degree, also applicable to configuring the video hardware on Alpine Linux, except for proprietary drivers which are not available.}}

To see available xf86 video driver packages run:
{{cmd|$ apk search xf86-video}}

* For Sis video chipset install {{pkg|xf86-video-sis}}
* For VMware guests use {{pkg|xf86-video-vmware}}
* For VirtualBox guests use {{pkg|xf86-video-vboxvideo}}. Refer [[VirtualBox_guest_additions|VirtualBox guest additions]]
* For Hyper-V guests use {{pkg|xf86-video-fbdev}}. Refer [[Hyper-V_guest_services|Hyper-V guest services]].
* For KVM/QEMU guests refer [[QEMU#Using_Xorg_inside_Qemu|Xorg within QEMU]]

== Input packages ==

If the Numlock settings are not working, or getting 'setleds not found' errors:

{{cmd|# apk add kbd}}

If some input device is not working at all, the available xf86-input drivers can be listed with:
{{cmd|$ apk search xf86-input}}

You probably at least want {{cmd| xf86-input-libinput}} or {{cmd| xf86-input-evdev}}

libinput is for Wayland with wrapper for Xorg. evdev is Xorg only. 

Typical legacy drivers (not packaged. at least as of 2/2022):

{{cmd|# apk add xf86-input-mouse xf86-input-keyboard}}

And for touchpad tapping support on many laptops, also:

{{Cmd|# apk add xf86-input-synaptics}}

== Configure xorg-server (optional) ==

On most systems, xorg should be able to autodetect all devices. However you can still configure xorg-server by hand by launching:
{{Cmd|# Xorg -configure}}
This will create a {{Path|/root/xorg.conf.new}} file. You can modify this file to fit your needs. 
(When finished modifying and testing the above configuration file, move it to {{Path|/etc/X11/xorg.conf}} for normal usage.)

== Keyboard Layout (optional) ==

If you use a keyboard layout different than "us", and you are using a window manager or desktop environment that does not support to configure the keyboard layout itself, then you need to

* [[Repositories#Enabling_the_community_repository|Enable the "community" repository]]

and install setxkbmap:

{{Cmd|# apk add setxkbmap}}

Then try
{{Cmd|# setxkbmap <%a language layout from /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/xorg.lst%>}}

In order to make it persistent add this section to {{Path|/etc/X11/xorg.conf}}:
{{Cmd|Section "InputClass"
Identifier "Keyboard Default"
MatchIsKeyboard "yes"
Option "XkbLayout" "<%a language layout from /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/xorg.lst%>"
EndSection
}}

Another way to change the keymap when logging into X is to use {{Path|~/.xinitrc}}. The following example loads a British keymap, simply add this line to the beginning of the file:
<code>setxkbmap gb &</code>

If you need to create the {{Path|~/.xinitrc}} file, you may also want to add a second line like <code>exec openbox-session</code> to still start the window manager with <code>startx</code> or <code>xinit</code>.

 

[[category:Graphics]]
[[category: Drivers]]
[[category: Desktop]]

Alpine Linux - User contributions [en]

File management

Xorg