GNOME
Prerequisites
- Install AlpineLinux
- Create a user account (optional but recommended)
- Enable the Community repository
- Install Xorg (no longer needed if installing GNOME through "setup-desktop")
Installing packages
Install basic desktop system and gnome packages.
# setup-desktop gnome
It will take care of installing the basic packages and setting up the display manager.
If you want, you can install additional GNOME apps for a more complete GNOME experience with:
# apk add gnome-apps-extra
And even all of GNOME games with:
# apk add gnome-games-collection
Enabling terminal apps
If you want to use the gnome-terminal/other terminal applications you will need to install bash. If you want a typical bash setup also enable bash completion:
# apk add bash
# apk add bash-completion
Enabling GNOME Shell screen recording
For the embedded screen recording in GNOME Shell to work, you will need some additional packages:
# apk add pipewire wireplumber gst-plugin-pipewire
Enabling GNOME Software
For GNOME Software to be able to manage APK packages, it needs the Template:Apk-polkit-server service working. To enable it and start it up:
# rc-update add apk-polkit-server default && rc-service apk-polkit-server start
Troubleshooting
If GDM does not start with no logs generated at /var/log/gdm, try setting up udev:
# setup-devd udev
If you are unable to log in, check /var/log/gdm/greeter.log, there may be info there from X that indicates failed modules, etc.
If logging in from GDM kicks you back to the login screen, try
# apk add bash
(bug report: #10953 sorry cannot link yet)
If GNOME Terminal doesn't start, add the following to /etc/locale.conf: LANG=en_US.UTF-8 and reboot.
If the on-screen keyboard shows up in GDM after installing other UIs such as Phosh, you need to disable it by opening the Accessibility menu (top right) when you are in the GDM login screen. You can disable the on-screen keyboard there. Or set org.gnome.desktop.a11y.applications screen-keyboard-enabled to false for the gdm user with dconf