/dotfiles

Primary LanguageShell

@CNG/dotfiles (Arch Linux)

This Bash and Ansible project installs Arch Linux from scratch and configures it for use on my desktop and laptop. There are a few bits in the setup that need tweaking, thus it's not fully automated.

The contents of ansible is based on @pigmonkey/spark with roles and components added or removed; consider reviewing that project for useful bits or updates. Much of my previously script based configuration for Mac is now simplified for Linux in files.

Installation

  1. Choose an [Arch Linux Downloads][dl] mirror under "HTTP Direct Downloads" such as Rackspace and copy the .iso file link.

  2. Insert USB stick and confirm path, such as /dev/sda. Run command: sudo make_media /dev/sda URL

  3. Boot from the media and run lsblk. MicroSD card might be mmcblk0. Some of this code block will replace the next steps, still working on this:

    # Run loadkeys dvorak on Dvorak keyboard
nraet.fo ekrpat
# Stop some of the crazy interrupting messages
# https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=257740
auditctl -e0
mkdir -p /tmp/setup
mount /dev/sda2 /tmp/setup | true
vim /tmp/setup/dotfiles/base
/tmp/setup/dotfiles/base
...
mkdir dotfiles/private/ansible/host_vars
touch dotfiles/private/ansible/host_vars/archlinux

  4. Open base in a text editor.

  5. Set rootdevice to the /dev/ path of the system drive. This might be the output of lsblk -d -p -n -l -o NAME -e 7,11 | head -1, such as /dev/nvme0n1.

  6. Execute base; remove USB media when it reboots at the end.

mkdir /home/cgorichanaz /mnt/usb mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/usb cp -a /mnt/usb/dotfiles /home/cgorichanaz cp -a /mnt/usb/.dotfiles /home/cgorichanaz cd /home/cgorichanaz/dotfiles nmcli device wifi connect SSID password PASS

1. Execute [`provision`](provision).

[dl]: https://www.archlinux.org/download/
[dl-ex]: https://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/iso/2019.05.02
[media]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/USB_flash_installation_media

# Troubleshooting

Steps to boot from live USB key.

Run loadkeys dvorak on Dvorak keyboard

nraet.fo ekrpat cryptsetup open --type luks /dev/nvme0n1p4 luks mount /dev/mapper/luks /mnt mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/root/boot iwctl --passphrase PASS station device connect SSID arch-chroot /mnt mkinitcpio -p linux


# About the system

## TODO: X

[`ansible/roles/x/tasks/main.yml`](ansible/roles/x/tasks/main.yml)

Xorg config, autorandr, mouse setup, graphics drivers

## TODO: Login: LightDM

[`ansible/roles/lightdm/tasks/main.yml`](ansible/roles/lightdm/tasks/main.yml): lightdm-webkit2-greeter + lightdm-webkit2-theme-material2

[`/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-lightdm.conf`][50-lightdm.conf]: attempts to
set key repeat and delay with `xserver-command=X -ardelay 444 -arinterval 44`.
This does not always stick, so I previously also added it to my [i3
config](files/config/i3/config#L248) (`exec_always --no-startup-id xset r rate
250 50 # for X`). I then tried moving some of those settings to `~/.xsession`,
which I started executing after various events such as device changes. That was
also not sticking somehow, so I need to do more testing. For now I've changed
both to 444/44 because I realized 150 delay was too short and passwords were
sometimes getting difficult to enter

OK I realized this is also set in a systemd service called `kbdrate` that I set
up in [`ansible/roles/i3/tasks/main.yml`](ansible/roles/i3/tasks/main.yml) under
"Create kbdrate service" based on the file
[`ansible/roles/i3/files/kbdrate.service`](ansible/roles/i3/files/kbdrate.service).
I need to look up what this effects; it might just be the console before logging
in. 

[50-lightdm.conf]: https://github.com/CNG/dotfiles/blob/master/ansible/roles/lightdm/files/50-lightdm.conf

## TODO: i3 Window Manager

* i3-gaps
* i3blocks
* rofi
* playerctl
* picom
* [`~/.config/i3/config`](files/config/i3/config)
* [`~/.config/i3blocks/config`](files/config/i3blocks/config)
* [`~/.config/i3scripts`](files/config/i3scripts)

## Terminal: Alacritty, Zsh and Tmux

### Alacritty

I use [Alacritty](https://github.com/jwilm/alacritty), a simple, performant terminal emulator that uses GPU rendering. It provides little beyond the basics, but can be configured by file (unlike [st](https://st.suckless.org/), which requires recompiling to make changes). I initially used a version of Alacritty (now a part of core) that provided a scrollback feature, which I had gotten used to in iTerm2 on Mac. I switched back to the normal Alacritty once I figured out a suitable way to do this [from within Tmux](https://github.com/jwilm/alacritty/issues/923#issuecomment-408224216).

**[`~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.yml`](./files/config/alacritty/alacritty.yml) highlights**

I'm using the font [Input](http://input.fontbureau.com/) Mono and tried to make the colors roughly like [Molokai](https://github.com/zhou13/molokai-terminal), though I need some work on my colors in terminal and Tmux. I set `background_opacity: 0.6` because I like the look, but it admittedly makes it harder to read text. I usually keep the terminal over less distracting areas of my desktop background. :)

I liked having a consistent command for copy and paste on Mac, and initally I tried to avoid the default terminal behavior of needing to hold Shift. Additionally, since I use Dvorak, the standard C, V and X keys are not near each other. I thought it might make sense to use the Y and P keys for copy and paste like in Vim, but realized later this conflicted with ^P for print in many apps. I'm still deciding what to do. For now I have this in my Alacritty config, but I think I am handling it in other higher level configs, so I need to reevaluate:

    key_bindings:
      # copy and paste kind of like Vim
      - { key: P,        mods: Control, action: Paste                        }
      - { key: Y,        mods: Control, action: Copy                         } 

### Zsh

I use [Z shell](http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Intro/intro_1.html#SEC1), or "zsh". I'm still working on my configuration, which has been evolving since I carried most of it over from my [Mac dotfiles](https://github.com/CNG/dotfiles_mac). I am using the [oh-my-zsh](https://github.com/robbyrussell/oh-my-zsh) plugin manager by [@robbyrussell](https://github.com/robbyrussell).

The "top level" configuration [`~/.zshenv`](./files/zshenv) is always loaded, even when Zsh is launched from a scheduled task, which I do to use some of my custom Zsh functions. Then everything I need only when using a terminal interactively is defined in [`~/.zshrc`](./files/zshrc).

My favorite plugin is [history-search-multi-word](https://github.com/zdharma/history-search-multi-word), which I have [installed with Ansible](https://github.com/CNG/dotfiles/blob/84a41f5b2515916c5d6796fa4fec43d33b829ef1/ansible/roles/base/tasks/shell.yml#L36) and [loaded via oh-my-zsh](https://github.com/CNG/dotfiles/blob/84a41f5b2515916c5d6796fa4fec43d33b829ef1/files/zsh/oh-my-zsh.zsh#L36).

I'm not currently using [Vi mode in Zsh](https://dougblack.io/words/zsh-vi-mode.html)
due to needing to reconcile conflicts:

* [oh-my-zsh plugin vi-mode](https://github.com/robbyrussell/oh-my-zsh/tree/master/plugins/vi-mode)
  wants to use `^h` but that's used by my Tmux/Vim plugin for navigation.
* Need to specify `bindkey -v` before Oh-my-Zsh loads so history completion
  plugin `^r` mapping is not overwritten.
* Some more, needs to be investigated.

### Tmux

Tmux [automatically starts with systemd](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/tmux#Autostart_with_systemd).
The user service file [`tmux.service`](files/config/systemd/user/tmux.service) is enabled via Ansible in [`roles/base/tasks/shell.yml`](https://github.com/CNG/dotfiles/commit/029480f10e8f5079afbe998c0d97cdea9c4c0455#diff-12436e6f240dedee578f3c83b113c3a9).
Then Zsh connects to Tmux automatically when I open a shell.
The tmux oh-my-zsh plugin loads from [`~/.zsh/config/tmux/plugins.zsh`](./files/zsh/config/tmux/plugins.zsh).

My Tmux config file [`~/tmux.conf`](./files/tmux.conf) sets up my main keyboard shortcuts and these plugins:

* [nhdaly/tmux-better-mouse-mode](https://github.com/nhdaly/tmux-better-mouse-mode)
* [tmux-plugins/tmux-logging](https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-logging)
* [tmux-plugins/tmux-yank](https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-yank)
* [christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator](https://github.com/christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator)

#### Tmux cheatsheet

Navigating between panes can be done by `^b`+arrow keys, or thanks to [vim-tmux-navigator](https://github.com/christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator), by `^h`, `^j`, `^k` and `^l`, and `^\` for previous split.

All of these require `^b` first, then:

* **sessions**: `:new`
* **windows**: `c` create, `l` list, `n` next, `p` previous, `&` kill, `f` find, `,` name
* **panes**: `/` split horizontally, `-` split vertically, `o` swap, `q` show numbers, `x` kill, `+` break to window, `-` restore from window, ` ` toggle layouts
* **other**: `t` big clock, `d` detach, `?` list shortcuts, `L` toggle logging, `I` install plugins, `P` save complete history (also happens on `^d`) 

### Vim

My Vim configuration [`~/.vimrc`](files/vimrc) loads the [Pathogen package manager](https://github.com/tpope/vim-pathogen), which loads the plugins installed via Ansible in [`ansible/roles/editors/tasks/main.yml`](ansible/roles/editors/tasks/main.yml). I am still getting the hang of Vim, which I have used for a long time but only at a "basic" level till around 2017, which I started making an effort.

## Misc

### Cron

Arch [does not have cron by default][Cron] but uses [systemd/Timers][timers]
instead. I tried implementing a few things this way, such as my Folding@home
[idle check setup][fahidlecheck], but it's way more painful than adding a line
to a crontab. I'm not really sure why I was trying so hard to give the systemd
timers a chance, so now I'm switching to using cronie, a crontab implementation.
I actually had it installed since the beginning without realizing it; so much
for the simplicity I tried to have by using only systemd!

Cronie's daemon is `cronie.service` and active jobs are linked in `/etc/cron.*`.

[Cron]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Cron
[timers]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Systemd/Timers
[fahidlecheck]: https://github.com/CNG/dotfiles/tree/c57326de205415eb28501a9b50df628c51415956/ansible/roles/fah/files

### DPI

xrandr --dpi 256  # not sure what this affects, not used by i3 anymore
/etc/X11/xinitrc reads ~/.Xresources
can also change with `echo "Xft.dpi: 196" | xrdb -merge` and reload i3 etc.

[Multiple monitors with different DPIs](https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/5x2syg/multiple_monitors_with_different_dpis/
[Switch from HiDPI monitor without restart the session](https://www.reddit.com/r/i3wm/comments/6ens2p/switch_from_hidpi_monitor_without_restart_the/)

### TODO

* Disable folding@home on main GPU upon input on i3lock screen (maybe piggy back
  on media keys passthrough?), or at least upon unlocking (maybe pigging back on
  display change script)
* Document and automate solution for HDMI audio aggressive takeover
  https://askubuntu.com/a/1127760/354276
* Find place to document "Open In" for work:
  * Download latest linux.zip from https://github.com/andy-portmen/native-client/releases
  * Run install.sh
  * Install FF extension https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/open-in-chrome-browser/
* Encode desktop file limits after testing per https://serverfault.com/a/48820
  and https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Limits.conf
* Migrate FAH config to /etc/foldingathome/config.xml