nwg-shell on ArchLabs Linux since 2022.08.21 iso

[nwg-piotr]

Starting from 2022.08.21 iso, nwg-shell is no longer offered as the ArchLabs Linux sway session. Reasons aside, this has a good side: the packages will be up to date now.

Installation

Alongside another WM

To install sway w/ nwg-shell alongside another window manager (I only tested it with DK), you need:

• the base-devel package
• web browser, text editor, file manager (by default: chromium, mousepad and thunar)

Steps

1. baph -inN nwg-shell
2. nwg-shell-installer -a

As the only window manager

This will require almost all the steps enumerated in the How to set up nwg-shell on minimal Arch Linux install in several simple steps Wiki. You need to clone and install baph, install and update xdg-user-dirs and also set up pulseaudio or pipewire. You don't need to modify /etc/profile to add ~/.local/bin/ to the path (this has already been done for you), but you need to create the folder itself, as it does not exist.

The above is valid for the 2022.08.21 ArchLabs iso. Having it done, just execute steps 1 and 2 described in the previous chapter.

Migrating pre-2022.08.21 sway session

This is possible, but quite difficult, and not really supported. Will be easier with a little help from the pacseek [AUR] package.

You need to uninstall the archlabs-nwg-shell package, and then replace all the AUR stuff previously packaged for the ArchLabs repository (they are "local" now) with AUR counterparts:

archlabs-autotiling -> autotiling
archlabs-azote -> azote
archlabs-gopsuinfo -> gopsuinfo
archlabs-nwg-bar -> nwg-bar-bin
archlabs-nwg-dock -> nwg-dock-bin
archlabs-nwg-drawer -> nwg-drawer-bin
archlabs-nwg-menu -> nwg-menu-bin
archlabs-nwg-look -> nwg-look-bin
archlabs-nwg-panel -> nwg-panel
archlabs-nwg-shell-config -> nwg-shell-config
archlabs-nwg-wrapper -> nwg-wrapper
archlabs-nwg-displays -> nwg-displays
archlabs-swaync -> swaync
archlabs-nwg-shell -> nwg-shell

In some cases you may need to uninstall the archlabs- package first. For sure it affects the archlabs-gtklock package.

In case you get into trouble, fell free to request help here.

[Peppe61]

Hi Piotr, great you continue here anyway. I will keep on following you, for the software but mainly bcs you're a nice guy. Want to thank you for all your great contributions, I guess this is how it goes sometimes. For me personally it is the end of a great AL journey, the added value has become minimal now. Take care, stay in touch, Mark (aka Peppe)

[nwg-piotr]

Thank you, Mark!

I've been the AL forum member since 2018, before I even tried sway. There's a bunch of great folks there, and I'm not going to leave this place as long as it remains friendly.

Adding nwg-shell to AL was a tempting idea, but it was a mistake. Firstly, due to AL's minimalist philosophy, and secondly because of the need to package AUR software into the AL repo. The frequency of package updates was a PITA for both natemaia and myself. Having no response to my requests for 3 weeks, I lost my patience a bit. It will be better for AL and for further shell development. Until now, I had to do a lot of things twice. Now it will be easier.

[Peppe61]

Yes, agree, great people there. Although I miss drummer. Anyway, for that I will still hang around, for my distros I will move on. Cheers mate!