Artix Linux => Installation / Migration / Configuration => Topic started by: francesco on 29 September 2017, 15:20:58
Title: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: francesco on 29 September 2017, 15:20:58
IMPORTANT! Due to the fact that, as reported from Artoo, the support of the graphical DE (Desktop Environment) is not completed in Artix, because it require a lot of time and a lot of resources, the better way that I find to install almost all the DE, is to start with the LXQT installation and, when completed, to reboot in LXQT and to install the preferred DE. Below you'll find the steps that I managed to install KDE/Plasma.
Not all the problems has been solved, to remove systemd is not a trivial goal, but with few efforts I was able to install BIOS and EFI notebook.
Below you'll find the instructions to install KDE/Plasma with BTRFS and LUKS, starting from a scratch situation and not with a conversion.
A) Boot the live iso: artix-lxqt-20171015-x86_64.iso
A1) Open the terminal and update the repos: sudo pacman -Syy You don't need to upgrade the ISO program so, don't do it.
A2) Verify that you have the right mirrors pointing to the right repos: sudo nano /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist This must be the content of the mirrorlist file:
## ## Artix Linux repository mirrorlist ## Generated on 2017-10-21 ##
# Artix mirrors
Server = http://mirror1.artixlinux.org/repos/$repo/os/$arch Server = http://artix.wheaton.edu/repos/$repo/os/$arch/ Server = http://mirror.strits.dk/artix-linux/repos/$repo/os/$arch Server = https://mirrors.dotsrc.org/artix-linux/repos/$repo/os/$arch Server = https://www.uex.dk/public/artix/$repo/os/$arch
A3) launch calamares from the terminal with the command: sudo calamares -d With this command you'll be able to see, inside the terminal, the calamares messages and, if needed, to cut and paste them for a help. HINT: due to the fact that the terminal buffer is limited to 1.000 lines, growth it to 10.000 so you'll be sure not to loose any message.
A4) go ahead with the installation using the calamares gui. Obviously if you have to install an EFI PC you must define a FAT32 boot partition, you find it between the choice list, and to set the correct flags. HINT: ok, I'm an ancient user, but if the BIOS of the PC permit me to do it, I prefer to remove the EFI support and I to use the old, legacy BIOS approach...
A5) When the installation is completed you can reboot and to login in LXQT
B) Install PLASMA: preparation
B1) Install the libsystemd-dummy library, otherwise the call to the libsystemd.so (NOT used from Artix) generate an error pushing you back to the login screen: sudo pacman -S libsystemd-dummy
B2) Now, before to proceed I added the system-testing and the world-testing repos in pacman.conf: sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf This is my pacman.conf (I activated also the lib32 and the multilib repos)
# The testing repositories are disabled by default. To enable, uncomment the # repo name header and Include lines. You can add preferred servers immediately # after the header, and they will be used before the default mirrors.
[system-testing] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
[system] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
[world-testing] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
# An example of a custom package repository. See the pacman manpage for # tips on creating your own repositories. #[custom] #SigLevel = Optional TrustAll #Server = file:///home/custompkgs
[extra] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist-arch
[community] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist-arch
[multilib] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist-arch
B3) when done upgrade the repos: sudo pacman -Syy
B4) update the keys DB. Sometime appear a key error or corrupted file about the buildbot Artix digital sign. To avoid the problem you can tell at your Artix to accept the key. The commands are:
1) open the terminal 2) sudo pacman-key --edit-key 0A3EB6BB142C56653300420C1247D995F165BBAC 3) appear the command line: gpg> 4) digit the trust command 5) Enter 6) Select the option 5) trust ultimately (digit the 5) 7) confirm your decision 7) exit using the [b]quit[/b] command
* install the graphical login: sudo plasma -S sddm-kcm to configure KDE with SDDM
C2) to complete the installation, install the kde applications that you prefer. You can start with: * sudo pacman -S kdebase * sudo pacman -S kdeadmin or if you want a more complete set of the KDE applications * sudo pacman -S kde-applications
C3) Your KDE/Plasma Environment has been installed. Reboot and enjoy, without systemd ;)
That's all, by now. I'll update this little tutorial step by step, while repeating the installation step by step. If I did some errors, please, tell me. I tried to be more clear as possible, but the perfection is not of this world.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRF and LUKS
Post by: francesco on 01 October 2017, 17:37:17
Just to update.
I completed tonight, after 2 days of test, the restore of all the data from the old HD (Antergos systemd) to the new installation with Artix (more or less 500Gb) and, finally, with openrc (without the stress of Volatile FIles, Flush journal, Rebuild Dynamic Link and all the cumbersome activities invented with systemd, that make Linux so similar to Windows.... Ok: TOO SIMILAR!).
In order I tested:
* Virtualbox, included the virtualbox-ext-oracle (I suggest you to install it, is in AUR) * Wine, almost all fine, despite a problem, that was present since the 2.x version, so I'm using the 1.9.x, but all is fine. Just a note: to install it (the 2.18.x version) I had to activate and to use the system-testing repo otherwise I haven't all the packages that I need. Probably its no longer needed to use it. In the next days I'll do a test and I'll tell you. * Libreoffice, no problem, also if I've the impression that the last fresh version is slower to load than the previous, maybe an impression... * Thunderbird, Firefox, Palemoon: no problem. I must test Inox that, in the previous Manjaro/openrc version, was almost impossible to use, at least for me (locked processes, etc...) * btrfs and luks: no problem * encfs+fuse: all fine * pulseaudio: all fine * octopi (I prefer it to pamac), I compiled the 8.5.x version, from AUR, and all work correctly: notifier, repository manager, cacheleaner and installation process, both in repo and in AUR * yaourt: no problem, also if I use pacaur, but to install pacaur you must install yaourt before :D * linux-zen kernel: no problem and it work, like a charms. I've installed also the linux-lts.
The next days I'll test also the connection with a Windows Workgroup in office, but I don't think to have problems.
Artix, after solved the problem of the installation procedure, seems to be solid and usable. Ok, always a new distribution (I'll maintain for a while the Antergos HD as a backup), but usable and from today I advance it at my daily working system.
NOTE for BTRFS users: during the installation process (Calamares), as specified in the previous post, don't create the /home/UserDir making impossible to login. To solve the problem I create the dir manually and I modified the fstab removing the entry for the @home subvol (I'm using BTRFS). Probably it is sufficient to manually create the dir, to make all to work correctly. I'll test it tomorrow.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRF and LUKS
Post by: nous on 01 October 2017, 19:16:51
Thanks for your reports and troubleshooting.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRF and LUKS
Post by: francesco on 02 October 2017, 09:16:56
I continue the test and the verification.
* Samba: it works correctly, but there wasn't the smb.conf file (the default standard model) in the /etc/samba directory. No problem, I copied it from the previous installation and all work correctly, but should be a problem for a standard user and to give the impression that samba and network don't work.
I must complete the test connecting and Android smartphone, there is something that I've to configure, probably. Later the report.
To connect the Android smartphone I installed the adbfs-rootless-git and add the group adbusers at my profile [sudo gpasswd --add francesco adbusers]. Now all work like a charm. The groups in my profile are: * lp wheel network video optical storage scanner power users adbusers francesco
I want to try to remove the adbfs and to connect via MTP. I suspect that I must add some other right at my profile. If I launch mtp-detect with my standard profile the answer is that I don't have the right to access. Using sudo mtp-detect all is fine. Any hint?
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRF and LUKS
Post by: francesco on 02 October 2017, 11:33:36
ANDROID.
As reported in the previous post, I got the connection working perfectly after installing adbfs-rootless-git and adding the group adbusers at my profile. The problem was with mtp: it doesn't work due to a rights question: if I launch mtp-detect as standard profile, no way to get info, all was fine with sudo mtp-detect.
The problem is solved adding the adm group to the profile [sudo gpasswd --add YourUserName adm] and mtp work perfectly. But ok, adbfs is a charm :D A note: the User Manager program don't visualize, as in the previous version, the dialog to add or remove the groups for the user. SOmething change?
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRF and LUKS
Post by: nous on 14 November 2017, 11:35:14
This guide needs to be posted on the Wiki (https://wiki.artixlinux.org)!
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Cosque on 29 December 2017, 05:36:44
Thanks for everything. This post is written because it is not possible to install plasma just select it in the installer, do you know if there is any plan to get a version of Artix.iso with Plasma?
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: physkets on 29 December 2017, 09:54:43
I don't understand... why is libsystemd-dummy necessary? I use KDE-Plasma without that.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Cosque on 30 December 2017, 04:17:07
Can you make another post where you told us how you did it?
We want to know more about your experience, please.
I too am running KDE Plasma w/o "libsystemd-dummy". I did have it installed initially, but was able to get rid of it...not sure if I can recall the procedure, but I don't think it was difficult. My system is functioning fine as it is, so it doesn't seem "libsystemd-dummy" is a requirement. Mine is a Manjaro-OpenRC KDE Plasma conversion to Artix.
Best regards.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: physkets on 31 December 2017, 05:40:35
Yep, mine's the same as @conky60 's. Nothing that I use has a dependency on systemd, so I don't need it. The same must apply to you. @Cosque@francesco what issue do you run into if you skip manually installing that package?
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: conky60 on 31 December 2017, 16:21:25
I make a concerted effort to run only Qt based apps on my KDE, so perhaps that may explain why I don't require "libsystemd-dummy"? I think Gtk is becoming tied pretty tight to systemd. I do have Gtk2 and Gtk3 installed so I can run Waterfox browser, but have little else that is Gtk based.
Best regards.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: artoo on 31 December 2017, 16:42:20
I don't understand... why is libsystemd-dummy necessary? I use KDE-Plasma without that.
Very easy answer, you gonna need it if you install packages from arch repos, such as desktop environments. All packages from artix repos do not have any dependency on systemd, but arch packages have, so its a compatibility packages. Without it, you simply can't install arch packages that depend on systemd, and some also don't work without the provided systemd libs. Some DEs have systemd depends, tendency is gtk3 based DEs have some systemd depend, qt DEs don't, we provide qt5-base.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Roberto on 26 February 2018, 15:06:41
I would like to ask the question from Cosque again if there is a plan to build a version of Artix.iso with Plasma? I would like to install a fresh Artix only with KDE Plasma 5 as my favorite Desktop and without LXQT is additionally installed.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: mandog on 26 February 2018, 15:38:05
I don't think libsystemd-dummy is a bad thing its what it says it just fools systemd. It is to easy to to go down the wrong road with Artix and restrict user choice that is not what it should be about, Take gnome3 heavily systemd dependent, Runs fine on Void linux thanks to a user that would not accept what the devs were saying and is a accepted DE now.
This is Linux their is always a workaround for any thing whether its to repackage, or to replace anything can be worked around.
Obarun on the other hand , blocks systemd packages great if you agree to be totally restricted on what you can install.
At the moment i'm testing Mate on Artix not my cup of tea but it really works well simple to install I usually test for a few months. Cinnamon worked fine for me and can be recommended, My pimped JWM well that works flawless and aint going anywhere.
Users should learn not just expect every thing done for them Artix does not supply ass wipes with its net installer, the user needs to know how to manage the system,
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: robin0800 on 27 February 2018, 02:02:11
I would like to ask the question from Cosque again if there is a plan to build a version of Artix.iso with Plasma? I would like to install a fresh Artix only with KDE Plasma 5 as my favorite Desktop and without LXQT is additionally installed.
Thanks.
The LXQT iso on sourceforge can install plasma fine just choose "netinstall=yes" at the grub boot screen.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Roberto on 27 February 2018, 11:46:19
The LXQT iso on sourceforge can install plasma fine just choose "netinstall=yes" at the grub boot screen.
Thanks a lot for this hint :)
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: fungalnet on 27 February 2018, 12:28:18
I don't understand what you guys see in that thing, it is like windows just worse. Too many things on desktop, too many options and configurations for nothing, things being fuzzy, half an hour in it and I started panicking and hitting ctrl-alt-del!
Noplace like openbox with a crafty conky and my favorite terminal
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: mandog on 27 February 2018, 15:00:13
I don't understand what you guys see in that thing, it is like windows just worse. Too many things on desktop, too many options and configurations for nothing, things being fuzzy, half an hour in it and I started panicking and hitting ctrl-alt-del!
Noplace like openbox with a crafty conky and my favorite terminal
that's the way keep it simple and enjoy ;D
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Roberto on 27 February 2018, 15:31:42
I don't understand what you guys see in that thing, it is like windows just worse. Too many things on desktop, too many options and configurations for nothing, things being fuzzy, half an hour in it and I started panicking and hitting ctrl-alt-del!
Noplace like openbox with a crafty conky and my favorite terminal
I am an old windows damaged user, who works with Linux for only 2 years. Give me time guys. 8)
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: mandog on 27 February 2018, 23:31:49
You will learn hopefully All bells and whistles like KDE/Gnome/Cinnamon are fine but they are just built for the developer, WMs openbox/JWM/Awesome/i3/etc are built by the user and tailored to their needs, work-flow tiling WMs look intimidating at 1st, but once you master them you see why they are so popular with the pros.
Don't get me wrong In our house we have Gnome3 on void one one machine that runs 18 hrs a day, again it looks alien till you forget the windows way then its just logical to use like I can run upto 35 projects on 35 clean workspaces at one time the way I set it up as a stacking manager and nothing spills as a stacking manager over so no pollution, + I can use it as a tiling manager.
On my personal machine using Artix, I use JWM now as my main work horse I find it more flexible than Any DE or even OB, lighting fast stable. never had a crash or freeze very similar to OB but all settings are on 1 file I split the file into 5 for easy setting the whole interface is setup from those files want a dock just tell it to draw a dock. don't like the headers,buttons,style, want a start menu, just tell it what you want it to draw done, sounds advanced but its not really and very light meaning ram is used for your advantage not the DE, means things are faster.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Roberto on 28 February 2018, 08:45:10
You will learn hopefully All bells and whistles like KDE/Gnome/Cinnamon are fine but they are just built for the developer, WMs openbox/JWM/Awesome/i3/etc are built by the user and tailored to their needs, work-flow tiling WMs look intimidating at 1st, but once you master them you see why they are so popular with the pros.
Don't get me wrong In our house we have Gnome3 on void one one machine that runs 18 hrs a day, again it looks alien till you forget the windows way then its just logical to use like I can run upto 35 projects on 35 clean workspaces at one time the way I set it up as a stacking manager and nothing spills as a stacking manager over so no pollution, + I can use it as a tiling manager.
On my personal machine using Artix, I use JWM now as my main work horse I find it more flexible than Any DE or even OB, lighting fast stable. never had a crash or freeze very similar to OB but all settings are on 1 file I split the file into 5 for easy setting the whole interface is setup from those files want a dock just tell it to draw a dock. don't like the headers,buttons,style, want a start menu, just tell it what you want it to draw done, sounds advanced but its not really and very light meaning ram is used for your advantage not the DE, means things are faster.
Your comments are very revealing and it confirms my decision to turn my back on Windows and to look into Linux in my old age. Not only that Linux is much more stable and leaner, it can be cut to the smallest on your own needs, if you know how :D . It also confirms that it's not just surfing the web, but that it's a philosophy that will provide many exciting chapters for the user, if you get involved 8) . In this sense, I will certainly test other DE on virtual machines and let myself be surprised by the functionality. However, I will not get around using KDE for my wife's computer 8) .
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: conky60 on 28 February 2018, 13:51:08
Your comments are very revealing and it confirms my decision to turn my back on Windows and to look into Linux in my old age. Not only that Linux is much more stable and leaner, it can be cut to the smallest on your own needs, if you know how :D . It also confirms that it's not just surfing the web, but that it's a philosophy that will provide many exciting chapters for the user, if you get involved 8) . In this sense, I will certainly test other DE on virtual machines and let myself be surprised by the functionality. However, I will not get around using KDE for my wife's computer 8) .
No need to apologize for your use of KDE. I am a longtime Linux user and I can say that Plasma is my DE of choice. It can seem overwhelmingly complex at first with it's multitude of configuration options, but once you find your way around it a bit, you can easily set it up to look or be what you want it to be. I have used many different DE's, but always find them lacking in some way or another compared to Plasma for my use. :) It may not end up being your choice, and there are lots of alternatives in the Linux world. That's one of the great things about Linux after all. Have fun.
Best regards.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: fungalnet on 28 February 2018, 23:48:40
However, I will not get around using KDE for my wife's computer 8) .
When a friends win7 took a dive (licensing problems, black screen, lost key, ..?) I took most of her /home related stuff and used an LXQT desktop and made it appear the same and run similar software (chrome). Same background, etc. After a while when I checked on her to see how she adjusted she asked "what do you mean, isn't this windows that I am on now?" .... I was tempted to respond that it was a newer version of windows ... but I told the truth. She said whatever it is it is running much faster, it never sticks/freezes, and everything she does just flows better.
For a full DE I only like LXDE, but I can see what it is that people like in plasma. It just feels like an over-furnished apartment to me.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: Koeshi on 01 March 2018, 17:11:44
After a while when I checked on her to see how she adjusted she asked "what do you mean, isn't this windows that I am on now?" .... I was tempted to respond that it was a newer version of windows ... but I told the truth. She said whatever it is it is running much faster, it never sticks/freezes, and everything she does just flows better.
The truth is that most users don't need Windows for what they do. My dad has an old laptop from my sister that was running Vista and of course was horrifically slow and out of date. Replaced it with Xubuntu, made sure Chrome and LibreOffice was installed. Does everything that he needs. Same works for most people that don't do modern gaming or require specialised software.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: rockybulwinkle on 15 November 2018, 17:24:12
As long as this post is pinned, I thought I should throw in my 2 cents for when I installed KDE plasma. I ran into trouble about dbus not being able to sync the environment.
To solve that I just did "dbus-uuidgen > /var/lib/dbus/machine-id". That's the only trouble I ran into while installing KDE, otherwise everything was business as usual.
More details in this post: https://forum.artixlinux.org/index.php/topic,710.0.html
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: dkuchay on 31 March 2019, 16:00:32
If installing off the 2-2019 Gremlins ISO there are things that differ from the original post. At time of writing this post 3/31/2019 I installed plasma two days ago for the sake of fresh notes.
Once in LXQT desktop (and on cabled internet) open terminal
kde-applications and network manager are options however plasma wont install with xcursor-breeze and artix-lxqt-presets installed as they conflict with breeze.
Now the plasma tray dialog for printers should allow you to choose one instead of showing red x. It may require one to log out and back in or to reboot. Adding printer dialog allows one to choose by model. Hover over each one to see all models that the driver covers. If no luck on your model of printer move on to next step and try the same there
KDE will ask for your password (if you installed kde-applications) when you save the file.
In the top few lines we need to change
Quote
current theme = lxqt
to read
Quote
current theme = breeze
If using nano: ctl+o to save. ctl+x to exit.
Mandatory menu icon change:
right click on "start" menu icon. Choose "configure application menu" Click on icon box or square -> choose -> click circle for "other icons" -> browse -> Root file system on left /usr/share/icons/artix/logo.svg
Open settings tab on octopi and go to AUR and check box for yaourt and it seems yaourtix gets tied in to graphical octopi. Now you have tray notification on updates.
This one little app is wonderful for those of us who need to stay connected and constitutes my reasoning for using kde. AKA I have a GF with high anxieties. Not sure for ios but android users go to play store and install kde connect. On opening screen click on all the bottom items as they are permission setting. If you want the full bore allow all and you will enjoy some neat integration between cell phone and Artix. Remote mouse, file share, clip board inserting, rely to texts and emails and more. In KDE from application menu go to Settings -> System Settings scroll left pane down and select KDE Connect. Click on instance in middle pane, probably "google" if not renamed. Now you will see all the options for computer side. If a masochist once can elect to send computer notifications to the phone. This area is useful for sending a ping to the phone or ringing it if you happen to have lost track of its location.
Other than what is listed above I did nothing more to bring plasma in and configure it for daily use. No involvement with keys or systemd-dummy packages. These may be decent delta instructions since the original poster used an older ISO.
I understand that many do not like KDE and I have mixed feeling as well. That being said its useful to have docs updated and current for anyone seeking answers.
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: devarch on 05 July 2025, 21:03:27
Quote
IMPORTANT! Due to the fact that, as reported from Artoo, the support of the graphical DE (Desktop Environment) is not completed in Artix, because it require a lot of time and a lot of resources, the better way that I find to install almost all the DE, is to start with the LXQT installation and, when completed, to reboot in LXQT and to install the preferred DE. Below you'll find the steps that I managed to install KDE/Plasma.
Why not to install from artix-plasma-xxxxx-iso? I've installed it ecrypted. Plasma seems to work. Will I have problem with it?
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: nous on 07 July 2025, 14:54:34
Btrfs breaks our calamares...
Title: Re: Install Artix PLASMA/KDE from the scratch plus BTRFS and LUKS
Post by: rayburn on 07 July 2025, 19:25:54