Desktop-notes

From Alpine Linux

These are my personal xfce4 desktop notes.

Base system setup

  1. Do a minimal Alpine install
  2. Enable community repo in repositories
  3. setup-xorg-base
  4. apk add dbus
  5. rc-update add dbus
  6. apk add sudo
  7. apk add xfce4
  8. apk add chromium
  9. apk add slim
  10. apk add paper-icon-theme paper-gtk-theme
  11. apk add font-noto
  12. apk add xf86-video-intel (for intel video only)
  13. apk add xf86-input-keyboard xf86-input-evdev
  14. add local user and add to sudo list
  15. add user to specific groups
    1. adduser (username) audio
    2. adduser (username) video
    3. adduser (username) dialout
  16. Add /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-intel.conf to have tear free scrolling:
 Section "Device"
   Identifier  "Intel Graphics"
   Driver      "intel"
   Option      "TearFree"    "true"
 EndSection
 

Testing basic xorg system

  1. reboot system
  2. rc-service slim start
  3. verify xorg starts correctly and you can login to slim
  4. rc-update add slim

Changing cosmetics

  1. change xfce4 style/icons to paper: Settings -> Appearance -> Style and Icons
  2. change window manager theme to Paper: Settings -> Window Manager -> Style
  3. Change mouse Theme to Paper: Settings -> Mouse and Trackpad -> Theme
  4. enable all Composer Shadows: Settings -> Window Manager Tweaks -> Composer
  5. change fonts to noto
    1. Settings - > Appearance -> Fonts: Set to Noto Sans UI
      1. Turn on Anti-aliasing (is the default) and enable Sub-Pixel order -> RGB

Setting up Alsa audio

  1. apk add alsa-utils
  2. rc-update add alsa
  3. rc-service alsa start
  4. Set the default sound device
    1. List sound devices: cat /proc/asound/card*/id
    2. Depending on your setup select the proper device
      1. create a /etc/asound.conf with following content where PCH is sound card name.
pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm {
        @func getenv
        vars [ ALSAPCM ]
        default "hw:PCH"
    }
}

additional software

  1. apk add geany
  2. apk add thunar-archive thunar-volman
  3. apk add xarchiver

Tweaks

Enable webgl on chromium when running on hardenend kernel:

Edit: /boot/extlinux.conf

Add: grsec_sysfs_restrict=0 to the end of the of the APPEND line.