Creation of ArcoLinuxB Xtended – Youtube series

Thanks to the work we have done in adding more packages for every desktop and dividing them up into

• desktop essential elements (arcolinux-bspwm, …)
• non-desktop essential elements (arcolinux-config-bspwm,…)

we have now more flexibility with our packages.

We can now combine with more ease different desktops together.

Time to test that out in the project ArcoLinuxB Xtended.

To extend

• to stretch out to the fullest
• to exert (oneself) to full capacity
• to make available

We would like you to extend your knowledge of Tiling Window Managers.

Tiling Window Managers are a special breed but once you passed a hurdle you will love them.

All tutorials can be found on arcolinuxd.com.

We have created a playlist of 19 video’s. They will explain step by step how easy it is

to create your own iso

with the apps you like

and with the desktops you like.

Enjoy the learning.

You can always follow what we are developing on the betapages. Here is an example :

https://arcolinux.info/arcolinux-beta-overview/

Openbox is there as a fall-back desktop. If twm is too difficult, you can always go back to openbox.

We start with bspwm minimal and see what else we can leave out of the iso.

Then we see in the packages file what we can eliminate from the iso like geany (which we will need later on),…

We add also i3 and openbox to the iso.

First we create a new github on arcolinuxb called arco-xtended.

We show you how I manage my githubs with two scripts.

If you want to reuse it, change the name in the setup script.

If we want it to build an iso named xtended … we need to change the build script. Using meld to see the difference quickly.

We compare the following two githubs

• arco-xtended
• arco-i3

We need to create new pacakges in order to have a new iso.

We recompare/recheck two githubs with each other

• xtended
• i3wm

I wanted to control the work.

i3blocks is out – we will use i3status

i3-gaps-next is not used – we will use i3-gaps

We compare two githubs with each other

• xtended
• openbox

We compare two githubs with each other

• xtended
• awesome

We look out for the packages that contribute to the desktop Awesome.

Where are these lego blocks?

We compare two githubs with each other

• Xtended
• herbstluftwm

We compare two githubs with each other

• xtended
• qtile

What packages do we need to have qtile?

We compare two githubs with each other

• xtended
• xmonad

What packages do you need for Xmonad?

Super + Shift + r – reboots/reloads/recompiles your system

Creation of arcolinux-calamares-xtended

We move to the building computer (sound coming from webcam).

We get the code from arcolinuxb-xtended from github with git clone.

Calamares works with a package that delivers the application

and

an other package that provide the configuration.

We need to make a new configuration for ArcoLinuxB Xtended.

We base it on bspwm again so we will know in the future what we used.

Then we make a new PKGBUILD for Xtended and build with makepkg and later with our script.

We check our work again on the repo_iso – is the new file online – what was its name.

Then we change it also in our packages file.

During building I explain bashrc, cb and ~/.local/bin – new bashrc is in.

Building and first view of ArcoLinuxB Xtended

We learned in this video that arcolinuxb-common is needed for the pipemenu’s of openbox.

We check all our desktops.

 Extra tip : we change the i3status bar config so we do not see the error anymore due to the cpu_temperature.

Analyzing Openbox and its missing packages

• obconf (configuration on openbox)
• gtk2-perl (icons in the menu)
• arcolinux-local-xfce-git (popup to ask for terminal)
• arcolinux-common-git (broken pipemenus)

Wallpaper = Nitrogen = Change wallpaper

In the meantime I have change the menu to show the proper application Nitrogen!

We also see all the menu’s we would like to remove and what stays in.

Creation of two more packages – github

1. arcolinux-config-xtended
2. arcolinux-openbox-xtended (new package for polybar)

That means you have to make a new github. We skip this now as you have seen it in the other video how that goes.

We git clone the empty github and copy/paste everything.

Reusing my setup script for github is advised BUT do change the name in there.

We analyse the content of .config and .config(copy) and see what is different.

We copy/paste things over we want on our clean installation.

mimeapps.list is where Linux is going to see what applications it should launch when you click a file.

It is like clicking docx and opening word.

Back to the isobuilder computer – hence the sound.

Creation of two more packages – pkgbuild

1. arcolinux-config-xtended
2. arcolinux-openbox-xtended

We show you how copy/pasting and using meld development time is minimal.

We install the two new packages.

1. arcolinux-config-xtended
2. arcolinux-openbox-xtended

Rememer to do a skel if it is written inside /etc/skel.

Pacman does not allow a file to be installed by two packages. They would overwrite each other.
So we need to clean out our arcolinux-config-xtended github and make a new package.

We discover a link to a wallpaper that does not exist anymore when we investigate nitrogen settings.

creating a github for arcolinux-obmenu-generator-xtended

Some of the applications need to go like tint2, rofi, etc

We need to change the menu to get an even more minimal menu.

We need to add geany in because of scripts inside the pipemenus package.

Back on the isobuilder computer hence the sound.

We need to create a package for arcolinux-obmenu-generator-xtended.

We reuse code.

We put the package online.

We switch the obmenu package with the one we created and test it out if all is as we want it.

Building the iso a second time but first we check the packages.

There can not be doubles.

Are all the new packages now added to the package list.

I am showing how to change the commit afterwards. I will not do that again.
But there must be a better way. It creates a branch and I do not want that.

Then I revert back one commit.

In the live environment I show you a trick.

I activate the iso repository. That is how I can test out the new ArcoLinux calamares installer.