Recommendations for Using Arch Without a Desktop Environment

shavy · 03-19-2021, 05:18 PM

I have already posted this on reddit, link here: https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/c...out_a_desktop/

As a new user of Arch and Linux in general, I want to know how I can maximize my experience using Arch without a desktop environment, because of how light it is. Even though I don't want a desktop environment, I would like to at least browse the web and make the UI look just a tad bit better, because Arch by itself looks pretty bare-bones. Is there anything that I could do just to improve the overall user-friendliness of Arch? Any help is appreciated.

Emerson · 03-19-2021, 05:25 PM

Without DE but with graphical user interface? If so, then install some WM like OpenBox, (Fluxbox, whatnot) and start adding goodies. My GUI is built this way. I have no GUI tools whatsoever, all configuration and management is done via CLI. Screenshot.

frankbell · 03-19-2021, 08:16 PM

I'm a big fan of Fluxbox. And you can dress it up very nicely. (That's Fluxbox on Ubuntu MATE.)

However, depending on the applications you want to run, you may need to install some GUI libraries. One alternative is to install a desktop environment, such as KDE or Gnome, then use a window manager such as Fluxbox. The applications from the DE will run under Fluxbox as long as the required libraries are present on your system.

If you don't want a GUI environment, you can use a text browser for the WWW (my favorite is w3m) and there are tried and true media players for the command line.

hazel · 03-20-2021, 05:48 AM

Graphical links is a nice lightweight browser, but it doesn't do javascript. It will also run non-graphically in a terminal.

teckk · 03-20-2021, 06:52 AM

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...f_Applications
https://aur.archlinux.org/

syg00 · 03-20-2021, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shavy

Is there anything that I could do just to improve the overall user-friendliness of Arch?

I wonder how often that has been asked. And drawn a derisory response.

Not here of course ...

jemadux · 05-22-2021, 03:56 AM

i will tell you use the larbs ( from luke smith )
it working fantastic