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1. Arch linux -
- 1.1. Installing arch
- 1.2. After installing
- 1.3. Nvidia drivers
- 1.4. Tricks
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1. Arch linux

-Arch is just a better distro, but using arch doesnt instantly make you a -better linux user. Saying "I am a arch user btw" is still fun and annoys -people so I keep saying it reguardless.
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-Warning: This is a ever changing page due to the fact I havent been -daily driving arch for long as of writing this and is uncompletish. -

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Installing arch
After installing
Nvidia drivers
Tricks

1.1. Installing arch

-A lot of arch users will get pissed as fuck at me but its ok to use -arch install. I personally prefer manually installing arch and wouldnt -want to do it any other way so I dont use it, btw (:
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-The offical arch -installation guide and other resources on the arch wiki is a great way -to install arch though I also like to use -distro tubes arch -installation guide alongside the resources. Some arch users may be -pissed I dare tell people to go watch a youtube video. I am sure most -arch installation guides on youtube suck but DT's video is killer. Plus -its not a replacement for the wiki, its just to help follow it a bit -easier and act as a good jumping off point.
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-Some things I gotta add is for me DT's video I linked doesnt work 100 -percent. When setting up grub it cant find the efi directory. You gotta -use a switch to show that command that fails the efi directory. I forgor -the switch and I am too lazy to look it up but you can find it if the ---help flag. Also to dual boot with nasty nasty MS Windows(R) you -gotta install ntfs-3g for it to be able to read MS Windows(R) ntfs(R) -Microsoft(R) partitions. You also gotta set -GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false in /etc/default/grub and mount the MS -Windows(R) directory in the efi directory for OS proper to work -sometimes. -

1.2. After installing

Make sure you install a good ass DE or WM. No better DE than good old -trusty xfce. Your also going to want lightdm with that. Thunar is a -quite useable file manager though you can betterize it with gvfs or -another opinional packages for cool fancy shit. Or for even more cool -fancy things get something like -spaceFM. Just fuck around tbh.
If your sound fucking aint working right install sof-firmware.
I use yay because it makes life in -arch easier even though its stupid ass bloat.

1.3. Nvidia drivers

-A lot can change depending on many things and everything I say has only -been tested on my machine so read some fucking resources here: -

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-Guide for my system mostly and maybe yours: -

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Install some packages:
-sudo pacman -Syu sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils nvidia-settings
Rebuild the initramfs:
-sudo mkinitcpio -P
Follow a -guide found here to setup lightdm for nvidia.
Open up the xfce startup app thingy and add -nvidia-settings --load-config-only as a startup app so your nvidia -settings load on login.
After reboot you can check the drivers with: -
- My prefered way:
  -sudo pacman -S mesa-utils glxinfo | grep -E "OpenGL vendor|OpenGL renderer"
- Another way: nvidia-smi
For multi monitor refresh rate issues add these to your -/etc/environment
-CLUTTER_DEFAULT_FPS=<refresh rate of your sync monitor> __GL_SYNC_DISPLAY_DEVICE=<monitor to sync to>
-Then open your nvidia settings, go to OpenGL Settings and turn off -"Allow Flipping".

1.4. Tricks

To clean out shit that builds up in pacman run sudo pacman -Sc and -sudo pacman -Qdtq | sudo pacman -Rs -
--Sc also works in yay.

Emacs 30.1 (Org mode 9.7.11)

1. Fedora xfce

-Fedora been my go to for quite a while though I sometimes switch -desktops lmao. I have tried the gnome version but it doesn't really fit -me so most of the time I have used the kde spin though recently kde just -haven't been feeling the same. It has been feeling buggy and have been -fighting with nvidia drivers. After running xfce on my second computer -for a while I grew to really like it and started using it on my main and -it have been running much better then kde.
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-Fedora xfce can be downloaded -here. -

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Setting up fedora
Nvidia drivers
Useful things in fedora

1.1. Setting up fedora

-Fedora has a little extra setup you wouldn't see in something like linux -mint though it isn't that bad. -

1.1.1. Packages

-You can speed up dnf by adding these to /etc/dnf/dnf.conf
-max_parallel_downloads=20 fastestmirror=True
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-The default repos have lots of stuff but you might want an app that -isn't in it like steam. I know the gnome version has a enable 3rd party -repos button that does everything I listed here but I am on the xfce -version and also had to do this on the kde verison. -

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Setup rpm fusion to get more packages in dnf with the -resources -here
Install flatpak if not already there using "sudo dnf install flatpak" -then add flathub to get some -cool apps!

1.1.2. Multimedia

-By default fedora doesn't have many codecs and you need to install them -yourself. Without them many media files will not work and lots of -youtube videos will not be able to play. The fedora docs use to show how -to install them but they removed it from their page and instead shows a -new version which installs some stuff but not everything. I do both of -them to make sure I get all the codecs I need. -

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Update your system with sudo dnf upgrade
Install the new packages with sudo dnf group install multimedia
Install the old ones with these three commands in a row: -
- sudo dnf install gstreamer1-plugins-{bad-\*,good-\*,base} gstreamer1-plugin-openh264 gstreamer1-libav --exclude=gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free-devel
- sudo dnf install lame\* --exclude=lame-devel
- sudo dnf swap ffmpeg-free ffmpeg --allowerasing

1.2. Nvidia drivers

-Nvidia isn't the best on linux and I like AMD much more though I am -stuck with nvidia for now. For xfce there are some extra settings to -enable it but it works great once that is done. You will need rpm fusion -first before you can install the drivers. -

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Follow the fedora docs on nvidia -here
Also look at the rpmfusion docs on nvidia -here
Follow the archwiki on nvidia in lightdm -here.
For multi monitor refresh rate issues add these to your -/etc/environment
-CLUTTER_DEFAULT_FPS=<refresh rate of your sync monitor> __GL_SYNC_DISPLAY_DEVICE=<monitor to sync to>
-Then open your nvidia settings, go to OpenGL Settings and turn off -"Allow Flipping".

1.3. Useful things in fedora

-Fedora doesn't have "update-grub" so instead you have to use these:
-sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /etc/grub2.cfg sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /etc/grub2-efi.cfg -

1. Xfce DE

-Indeed the best DE out there. -

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-By default xfce is a very plain desktop and looks kind of old and shitty -(like this website), but it can look and feel great with some work! -

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Install nicer icons like papirus, can never go wrong with papirus -icons. then set them as your icon theme
Install a better theme. Some good ones are: -
- flat-remix
- gruvbox
- DoorMaker
- BaZik
Install kvantum and kvantum-qt5 to change qt themes. Add this to -/etc/environment for kvantum to work:
-QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE=kvantum
Whisker menu for those who want a more modern menu: -
- Install whisker menu for a way better menu
- Go into the panel settings to remove the old one and change it to -whisker menu.
Enable clipman as one of the startup apps for a kde like clipboard.
Make some nicer keybinds: -
- Bind xfce4-popup-whiskermenu to something like alt+f1 than use -xcape to bind it to super to get around the xfce super key bug. Add -xcape -e 'Super_L=Alt_L|F1' as a startup application or whatever -dummy keybind you binded to whiskermenu. Sadly xfce cant bind -anything to super key without breaking other shortcuts that use -super so we have to use xcape in a painful hacky way.
- Bind "super+v" to xfce4-clipman-history to make it feel more like -the kde clipboard
Make new windows show up at the mouse by going into the "Window -ManagerTweaks" "Placement" tab, turning the minimum size all the way -up and chaning the place windows position to under the mouse pointer.
Go into "Window Manager" and set a cooler window style and more sane -shortcuts for virtual desktops.
Go into "Window Manager Tweaks" and fuck around with the compositor -settings for cool clear things.

2. Rofi in xfce

-The default xfce appfinder been causing me issues lately so I decided to -switch to rofi.
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-To make rofi work with my workflow I like to add some binds for it: -

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Bind rofi -show drun -icon-theme "Papirus-Dark" -show-icons to -super+d
Bind rofi -show run to super+r
Bind rofi -show window -icon-theme "Papirus-Dark" -show-icons to -super+w

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-There is much more I could use rofi for but this is all I need. -

Table of Contents

1. Arch linux

1.1. Installing arch

1.2. After installing

1.3. Nvidia drivers

1.4. Tricks

Table of Contents

1. Fedora xfce

1.1. Setting up fedora

1.1.1. Packages

1.1.2. Multimedia

1.2. Nvidia drivers

1.3. Useful things in fedora

Table of Contents

1. Xfce DE

2. Rofi in xfce