Daily driver guide: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:30, 19 January 2025

Alpine Linux is a general purpose Linux distribution designed for power users. It is built to be small and resource efficient. If you feel the defaults are too lightweight for desktop use, it is easy to get most of the regular stuff working and use it as a daily driver.

This guide assumes you have already installed a minimal Alpine Linux system in system disk mode with working internet.

Note: Before installing any desktop,

Ensure you have Internet connectivity. If the test fails, setup your Internet access first, before you proceed further.
Create a non-privileged user account for security reasons, if you skipped this step during Installation.
Enable community repository.
Install graphics driver for your video hardware.

Once the above mandatory steps are completed, install any desktop of your choice either manually or using setup-desktop script.

Basics

Learn the alpine package keeper basics or refer wiki for more details.
Install some fonts to make your desktop look better.
Setup a sound server to manage your audio and configure your Bluetooth, if you have one.
Configure your printer.
Enable documentation, so man pages are available.
Install CPU Microcode updates to mitigate processor design bugs.
Secure your system by installing firewall software like awall or UFW.
To keep your system secure, regularly check and apply updates with the package manager.

Advanced

Use Flatpak to add packages that are not in the repositories.
Install gcompat package to add a glibc compatability layer which lets you run glibc binaries as normal.
Install a sandboxing application like AppArmor or Bubblewrap.
Learn basics of openrc, the alpine Linux init system or refer Open rc wiki.
Upgrade your OS whenever Alpine Linux releases a new stable version.
If you want the rolling release version of Alpine Linux, enable the Edge repository.
You may want to explore the testing repository, as it provides a lot more applications.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Many people think that Alpine is only made for containers and servers, but it is actually a general purpose distro which can definitely be used as a daily driver.
+<!-- COMMENT FOR EDITORS
-Alpine is extremely small, simple and resource-efficient, making it easy to customize.
+This page is linked to Post-Install section of [[Installation|Installation guide]]. So, check before making changes.
+  * Do not create content on this page as this page is meant as link aggregation page like [[Tutorials_and_Howtos]]
+  * Consider that there are already [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Post-Install]], [[Developer_Documentation#Package_management]] and the Handbook, please work towards reducing duplication
+  * Focus on linking to desktop related topics only.
+  * Here, only the most relevant jumping off points are listed, not exact list duplicates!!!
+  * Keep short-list of links here, as overview to more detailed topic specific pages
+  * Don't aggregate topics related to Desktop at yet another place.
+-->
+Alpine Linux is a general purpose Linux distribution designed for power users. It is built to be small and resource efficient. If you feel the defaults are too lightweight for desktop use, it is easy to get most of the [[How to get regular stuff working|regular stuff working]] and use it as a daily driver.
-{{Note|This guide assumes you have already installed a minimal Alpine system by following the [[Installation|Installation guide]]}}
+This guide assumes you have already [[Installation|installed]] a minimal Alpine Linux system in [[Installation#System_Disk_Mode|system disk]] mode with working internet.
-== Basics ==
-* Create a non-privileged [[Setting_up_a_new_user#Creating_a_new_user|user account]] for security reasons.
-* Ensure that <code>community</code> repository is [[Repositories#Managing_repositories|enabled]]
-* [[Setup-desktop|Install]] a [[Desktop environments and Window managers|Desktop Environment]] of your choice.
-* [[fonts#Installation|Install]] some [[fonts]].
-* Enable [[Alpine_Linux:FAQ#Why don't I have man pages or where is the 'man' command?|docs]], so man pages are available.
-== Advanced ==
+{{:Include:Desktop prerequisites}}
-* If you find busybox lacking in features or options, it is easy to [[How to get regular stuff working|get regular stuff working]]
+Once the above mandatory steps are completed, install any [[Desktop environments and Window managers|desktop]] of your choice either manually or using [[Setup-desktop|setup-desktop]] script.
-* Use [[Flatpak]] to add packages that are not in the [[Repositories#repositories|repositories]].
-* Install {{pkg|gcompat|arch=}} package to add a glibc compatability layer which (sometimes) lets you run binaries as normal.
-* Secure your system by installing firewall software like [[How-To_Alpine_Wall|awall]] or [[Uncomplicated Firewall|UFW]].
-* Install a sandboxing application like [[AppArmor]] or [[Bubblewrap]].
-== Experimental ==
+==== Basics ====
-{{Warning|'''Only do below steps, if you're 100% sure what you're doing!''' Possible bugs in ''edge'' and ''testing'' could cause data loss or could break your system.}}
+* Learn the [https://docs.alpinelinux.org/user-handbook/0.1a/Working/apk.html alpine package keeper basics] or refer [[Alpine Package Keeper|wiki]] for more details.
+* [[fonts#Installation|Install]] some [[fonts]] to make your desktop look better.
+* Setup a [[Sound Setup|sound server]] to manage your audio and configure your [[Bluetooth]], if you have one.
+* Configure your [[Printer_Setup|printer]].
+* Enable [[Alpine_Linux:FAQ#Why don't I have man pages or where is the 'man' command?|documentation]], so man pages are available.
+* Install [[CPU Microcode]] updates to mitigate processor design bugs.
+* Secure your system by installing [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Firewall and VPN|firewall]] software like [[How-To_Alpine_Wall|awall]] or [[Uncomplicated Firewall|UFW]].
+* To keep your system secure, regularly [[Alpine_Linux_package_management#Upgrade_a_Running_System|check and apply updates]] with the package manager.
-* If You may want the rolling release version of Alpine Linux, [[Repositories#Managing_repositories|enable]] the [[Repositories#Edge|Edge]] repository.
+==== Advanced ====
-* You may want to [[Repositories#Managing_repositories|enable]] [[Repositories#Testing|testing]] repository, as it provides a lot more applications.
-Read the above warning once again and understand the full implications.
+* Use [[Flatpak]] to add packages that are not in the [[Repositories#repositories|repositories]].
+* Install {{pkg|gcompat|arch=}} package to add a glibc compatability layer which lets you run [[Running glibc programs|glibc binaries]] as normal.
+* Install a sandboxing application like [[AppArmor]] or [[Bubblewrap]].
-== See Also ==
+* Learn [https://docs.alpinelinux.org/user-handbook/0.1a/Working/openrc.html basics of openrc], the alpine Linux init system or refer [[OpenRC|Open rc wiki]].
+* [[Upgrading Alpine|Upgrade your OS]] whenever Alpine Linux [https://www.alpinelinux.org/releases/ releases] a new stable version.
-* [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Desktop|Tutorials related to Desktop]]
+* If you want the rolling release version of Alpine Linux, [[Repositories#Managing_repositories|enable]] the [[Repositories#Edge|Edge]] repository.
-* [[Desktop environments and Window managers]]
+* You may want to explore the [[Repositories#Testing|testing ]] repository, as it provides a lot more applications.
-* [[Installation#Post-Installation|Post Installation]]
-* [[:Category:Display Managers]]
-* [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_environment Desktop environment - Archwiki]
-* [https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Desktop_environment Desktop environment - Gentoo Wiki]
 [[Category:Desktop]]
-[[Category:Newbie]]