User:Andy Crowd/sandbox/Desktop users/Basic Linux set up

Basic Linux set up

Language

Console

Temporary:

$ loadkeys sv-latin1

To set it permanently:

/etc/vconsole.conf

KEYMAP="sv-latin1.map.gz"

The KEYMAP="sv-latin1.map.gz" is the same as KEYMAP="sv-latin1" All of them will load the keymap «/usr/share/kbd/keymaps/i386/qwerty/sv-latin1.map.gz» file for the Swedish language.

console-setup

/etc/default/console-setup

Xorg for the window managers

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "system-keyboard"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        Option "XkbLayout" "se"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
EndSection

Command to change languages in X

$ setxkbmap se

Boot config

Auto configure grub: $ grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
Generate fstab

Status

PC

Installed Arch Linux.
I did a full partition backup with dd then added to a Squash FS to save some free space. The files were recovered with the photorec utility.
Motherboard GA-Z97.
Enviroment: OpenBox & XFCE plugings.

Installed KDE for other users because of a good language support:

 ~/.bashrc

export LANG=km_KH.UTF-8

export LC_PAPER=$LANG
export LC_ADDRESS=$LANG
export LC_MONETARY=$LANG
export LC_NUMERIC=$LANG
export LC_TELEPHONE=$LANG
export LC_MESSAGES=$LANG
export LC_IDENTIFICATION=$LANG
export LC_COLLATE=$LANG
export LC_MEASUREMENT=$LANG
export LC_CTYPE=$LANG
export LC_TIME=$LANG
export LC_NAME=$LANG
export LANGUAGE=$LANG

[[ -z $DISPLAY && $XDG_VTNR -eq 1 ]] && exec startx /usr/bin/startkde

$ sudo echo a4 > /etc/papersize

Printer default paper size.

Laptop

Installed: «Linux wmaker 3.13.0-32-generic #57-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jul 15 03:51:08 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux», used Ubuntu mini.iso.
Problems that were found and fixed:

AlsaMixer were not working, added user to «audio» group. Work around without adding user to an audio group: tty/startx/xinit.
Start X at Login
Made auto login without gui:

/etc/init/tty1.conf

exec /bin/login -f MyUserName < /dev/tty1 > /dev/tty1 2>&1

Shutdown as a normal user: $ chmod u+s /sbin/shutdown, add to /etc/sudoers %yourusergroup ALL=NOPASSWD: /sbin/shutdown, same steps are for reboot/poweroff. To save a write protected file like sudoers with vim editor need use the :w! command.
Configured wlan0

/etc/network/interfaces

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-ssid SSID
wpa-psk PASSWORD

Note: No need to use /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf or wicd. Password for wpa-psk can be in raw without using of wpa_passphrase utility that is a part of WPA_supplicant.

Disabled network configuration at boot (Ubuntu)

In /etc/init/rc-sysinit.conf replaced start on (filesystem and static-network-up) or failsafe-boot with start on (filesystem) or failsafe-boot

Language configuration (Ubuntu)

/var/lib/locales/supported.d/sv

sv_SE.UTF-8 UTF-8

Environment: windowmaker
Most wanted dockapps for WindowMaker are sound mixer that uses alsa (wmmixer-alsa, alsamixer.app) and a volume mount storage device manager (wmvolman).
WindowMaker is good for a wide screen laptops, from my point of view.
Installed dockapps with used switches:

wmclock^AUR
wmcpuload^AUR
wmsystemtray^AUR
wmmemload^AUR -c
wmbattery^AUR -w 10
wmtemp(couldn't compile yet in arch)
alsamixer.app^AUR
wmtimer^AUR
wmvolman^AUR

And two buttons, one for browser and one for terminal.

Eee PC

Installed nothing and not decided which Linux to use. Tested with gentoo, but it took long time and eeepc became so hot due all compilings and I stoped.. will look for another distro for eeepc.
Planning to use for a voice and video Skype phone only but still unsure.
Wanted enviroment: Window Maker

Tested Linux for Home users

Here will be described which additional settings need to be done and review of them.

New project that might help to set up and configure desktop for a native user: README

Debian 8.2 (Jessie)

Easy to install
Easy to configure
Good repositories

Scripts to install missing programs and adding repositories.

The main purpose of the scripts is that you need only a harddisk from a computer to install Linux on it by connecting to a virtual environments such as QEMU. When done then just put harddisk back into computer.

Tested on XFCE4 installed Debian but should work even on other GTK based desktops.

debian-jessie-Repositories-sources.list => save to /etc/apt/sources.list
debian-jessie-apt-keys-repositories => register new repositories
debian-jessie-app-list == run script to install updates:

apt-get install $(debian-jessie-app-list | cut -d" " -f1 | grep -v -e \-dev -e \-dbg -e \-doc | uniq)

It helps to install almost all available fonts in repositories, drivers for printers and graphic cards(except non-free nvidia), more web browsers + pepperflash, more media players and office programs. The flashplugin-nonfree must be removed manually.

Warning: The scripts are only for testing purposes! Use on your own risk! Tested only in VirtualBox with XFCE4 as default!

PCLinuxOS

PCLinuxOS at Distro Watch

Negative parts

Easy to install but partitions must be created manually with it's GUI installer.
Missing firmware for broadcome wireless card but can be installed manually.
Pepper flash and freshplayer need to be downloaded and installed.
Almost everything must be configured only with the PCLinuxOS configuration tools

To install pepperflash and freshplayerplugin uncomment or add an EU related mirror in the /etc/apt/sources.list or do it with synaptic. See also Wikipedia:synaptic.

# apt-get install fresh-player-plugin
# apt-get install chromium-pepper-flash

and remove: apt-get remove flash-player-plugin

Warning:

Do not use apt-get upgrade! Use dist-upgrade instead of upgrade option.
Only one repository must be uncommented and all other must be commented out!

To add locales use PCLinuxOS configuration tool Configure Your Computer /usr/sbin/drakconf or System Regional Settings /usr/bin/drakconf --start-with=Localization

full monty

Positive parts

Has a lot of applications out of the box.
Has own GUI tool to configure locale and language.
Has good support for many languages even for own tools.
Really big repository and using RPM packages.

Very good for beginners to use but need someone who know how to install.

LXDE

To install libreoffice use the LibreOffice Manager lomanager because it downloads from another location and not available in the official repositories and additional languages can be installed only with PCLinuxOS localization manager.

Solus

Solus at Distro Watch

Negative parts

Very low repository.
No pepper falsh/opera/chrome in official repositories.

Positive parts

Very easy to install and use.
Easy to configure locales.

PC-BSD

Everything is perfect but no ported pepperflash/google-chrome

Pinguy OS

Pinguy OS at Distro Watch

Negative parts

Needs very good computer performance or even installer may crash if low RAM.

Positive parts

Easy to install and configure

Sabayon

Sabayon at Distro Watch

Set up locales manually: forum.

/etc/env.d/02locale

LANG=sv_SE.UTF-8
LANGUAGE=sv_SE.UTF-8
LC_ALL=sv_SE.UTF-8

~/.config/user-dirs.locale

sv_SE

Negative parts

Manual configuration of language
Libreoffice must be installed
Good repository
Not so many programs on installation ISO

Positive parts

Very easy to install
No own configuration tools except update manager
Includes google-chrome as default browser.

Mageia

Mageia at Distro Watch

Negative parts

Not so many programs follows from begin as it does with PCLinuxOS full monty

Positive

Good repository
Easy to install
Easy to configure language

Hanthana Linux

Hanthana Linux at Distro Watch

Solutions

How to add repository docs

register google repositories

Enable google repositories

Negative parts

Need manually add repository that contains google-chrome and some more programs
Not so many programs follows on ISO
No pepperflash and freshplayer

Positive parts

Easy to install
Easy to configure languages

KaOS

KaOS at Distro Watch

Negative parts

No pepper flash and freshplayer in official repositories
Not so man programs on installation ISO

Positive parts

Easy to install
Easy to configure
It has google chrome in official repositories