Arch Linux Installation Guide

Complete guide for installing Gentleman.Dots on Arch Linux

Overview

This guide covers the installation of Gentleman.Dots on Arch Linux systems. Arch Linux uses the pacman package manager and provides bleeding-edge packages, making it an excellent platform for development environments.

This guide is specifically for Arch Linux and Arch-based distributions (Manjaro, EndeavourOS, etc.). For Ubuntu/Debian systems, see the Linux guide.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation, ensure you have:

• Arch Linux or Arch-based distribution (Manjaro, EndeavourOS, etc.)
• Base development tools (will be installed during setup)
• Administrator privileges (sudo access)
• Internet connection for downloading packages
• At least 2GB of free disk space

Installation Methods

Automatic Installation

Recommended: Use the automated script for quick setup

Manual Installation

Step-by-step manual configuration for advanced users

Automatic Installation

The automated installation script detects Arch Linux and uses the appropriate package manager.

You must install the Iosevka Term Nerd Font before running the script. The font is required for proper terminal display.

1. Download the Installation Script

   Download the automated installation script from the repository:

   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Gentleman-Programming/Gentleman.Dots/refs/heads/main/install-linux-mac.sh
   
2. Make the Script Executable

   Grant execution permissions to the script:

   sudo chmod +x install-linux-mac.sh
   
3. Run the Installation

   Execute the script and follow the interactive prompts:

   bash ./install-linux-mac.sh
   

   The script will automatically:

   • Detect Arch Linux and use pacman
   • Install base-devel and required dependencies
   • Install Rust and Homebrew
   • Configure your chosen terminal emulator
   • Set up your selected shell (Fish, Zsh, or Nushell)
   • Install your preferred window manager (Tmux or Zellij)
   • Configure Neovim with AI integrations
4. Restart Your Terminal

   After installation completes, restart your terminal:

   exec $SHELL
   

Manual Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   First, clone the Gentleman.Dots repository:

   git clone [e-mail]:Gentleman-Programming/Gentleman.Dots.git
   cd Gentleman.Dots
   
2. Update System and Install Base Dependencies

   Update your system and install the base development tools:

   sudo pacman -Syu --noconfirm
   sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm base-devel curl file git wget unzip fontconfig
   

   The base-devel package group includes essential build tools like gcc, make, and more.

3. Install Rust

   Install Rust programming language (required for some tools):

   curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
   . $HOME/.cargo/env
   
4. Install Homebrew

   Install Homebrew package manager:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   
   # Add Homebrew to your PATH
   echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.bashrc
   echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc
   eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
   

   While Arch has the AUR, Homebrew provides consistent package versions across platforms and is used in the Gentleman.Dots configuration.

5. Install Iosevka Term Nerd Font

   Install the required Nerd Font for proper icon display:

   mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts
   wget -O ~/.local/share/fonts/Iosevka.zip https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/download/v3.3.0/IosevkaTerm.zip
   unzip ~/.local/share/fonts/Iosevka.zip -d ~/.local/share/fonts/
   fc-cache -fv
   

   Alternatively, you can install from the AUR:

   yay -S ttf-iosevka-nerd
   
6. Choose and Install a Terminal Emulator

   Select one of the following terminal emulators:

   Alacritty

   # Install Alacritty
   sudo pacman -S --noconfirm alacritty
   
   # Copy configuration
   mkdir -p ~/.config/alacritty
   cp alacritty.toml ~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml
   

   WezTerm

   # Install WezTerm
   sudo pacman -S --noconfirm wezterm
   
   # Copy configuration
   mkdir -p ~/.config/wezterm
   cp .wezterm.lua ~/.config/wezterm/wezterm.lua
   

   Ghostty

   # Install Ghostty
   sudo pacman -S --noconfirm ghostty
   
   # Copy configuration
   mkdir -p ~/.config/ghostty
   cp -r GentlemanGhostty/* ~/.config/ghostty
   

   Ghostty may also be available in the AUR if not in the official repos.

7. Choose and Install a Shell

   Select and configure your preferred shell:

   Nushell

   # Install Nushell and dependencies
   brew install nushell carapace zoxide atuin jq bash starship fzf
   
   # Create directories
   mkdir -p ~/.cache/starship
   mkdir -p ~/.cache/carapace
   mkdir -p ~/.local/share/atuin
   
   # Copy configuration files
   cp -rf bash-env-json ~/.config/
   cp -rf bash-env.nu ~/.config/
   cp -rf starship.toml ~/.config/
   
   # Copy Nushell config
   mkdir -p ~/.config/nushell
   cp -rf GentlemanNushell/* ~/.config/nushell/
   

   Fish

   # Install Fish and dependencies
   brew install fish carapace zoxide atuin starship fzf
   
   # Create directories
   mkdir -p ~/.cache/starship
   mkdir -p ~/.cache/carapace
   mkdir -p ~/.local/share/atuin
   
   # Copy configuration
   cp -rf starship.toml ~/.config/
   cp -rf GentlemanFish/fish ~/.config
   

   Zsh

   # Install Zsh and dependencies
   brew install zsh carapace zoxide atuin fzf
   brew install zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting zsh-autocomplete
   
   # Create directories
   mkdir -p ~/.cache/carapace
   mkdir -p ~/.local/share/atuin
   
   # Copy configuration
   cp -rf GentlemanZsh/.zshrc ~/
   cp -rf GentlemanZsh/.p10k.zsh ~/
   cp -rf GentlemanZsh/.oh-my-zsh ~/
   
   # Install PowerLevel10k
   brew install powerlevel10k
   
8. Choose and Install a Window Manager

   Select either Tmux or Zellij:

   Tmux

   # Install Tmux
   brew install tmux
   
   # Install Tmux Plugin Manager
   git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm
   
   # Copy configuration
   mkdir -p ~/.tmux
   cp -r GentlemanTmux/.tmux/* ~/.tmux/
   cp GentlemanTmux/.tmux.conf ~/
   
   # Install plugins
   tmux new-session -d -s plugin-installation 'source ~/.tmux.conf; tmux run-shell ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/bin/install_plugins'
   tmux kill-session -t plugin-installation
   

   Zellij

   # Install Zellij (available in repos)
   sudo pacman -S --noconfirm zellij
   # Or via cargo
   cargo install zellij
   
   # Copy configuration
   mkdir -p ~/.config/zellij
   cp -r GentlemanZellij/zellij/* ~/.config/zellij/
   

   If using Zellij, update your shell configuration to use it instead of Tmux.

9. Install Neovim

   Install Neovim and all required dependencies:

   # Install core dependencies
   brew install nvim node npm git gcc fzf fd ripgrep coreutils bat curl lazygit tree-sitter
   
   # Install AI CLI tools
   curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash
   curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
   brew install gemini-cli
   
   # Copy Neovim configuration
   mkdir -p ~/.config/nvim
   cp -r GentlemanNvim/nvim/* ~/.config/nvim/
   
   # Configure OpenCode
   mkdir -p ~/.config/opencode/themes
   cp GentlemanOpenCode/opencode.json ~/.config/opencode/
   cp GentlemanOpenCode/themes/gentleman.json ~/.config/opencode/themes/
   
   # Configure Obsidian path (optional)
   mkdir -p ~/.config/obsidian/templates
   nvim ~/.config/nvim/lua/plugins/obsidian.lua
   # Update the path field to your Obsidian vault location
   
10. Set Default Shell

    Set your chosen shell as the default:

    Fish

    shell_path=$(which fish)
    sudo sh -c "grep -Fxq \"$shell_path\" /etc/shells || echo \"$shell_path\" >> /etc/shells"
    sudo chsh -s "$shell_path" "$USER"
    
11. Restart Your System

    Restart your terminal or computer for all changes to take effect:

    # Either restart your terminal or run:
    exec $SHELL
    

Arch Linux-Specific Considerations

Package Management

Arch Linux uses pacman as the package manager and has access to the AUR (Arch User Repository). The installation script automatically detects Arch and uses pacman for system packages.

Using AUR Helpers

While Homebrew is used in the configuration, you can also use AUR helpers for Arch-specific packages:

# Install yay (AUR helper)
sudo pacman -S --needed git base-devel
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si

# Install packages from AUR
yay -S <package-name>

Bleeding Edge Packages

Arch provides the latest versions of most packages:

• Neovim: Usually on the latest stable or nightly version
• Rust: Latest stable release
• Node.js: Latest LTS and current versions available

Display Server Options

Wayland Support: Most terminal emulators have excellent Wayland support on Arch. If you’re using Wayland, ensure your compositor is properly configured.

• X11: Fully supported by all terminal emulators
• Wayland: Alacritty, WezTerm, and Ghostty have native Wayland support

Graphics Drivers

For optimal terminal performance, ensure proper graphics drivers:

# NVIDIA (proprietary)
sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils

# AMD (open source)
sudo pacman -S mesa vulkan-radeon

# Intel (open source)
sudo pacman -S mesa vulkan-intel

Troubleshooting

Pacman package conflicts

If you encounter package conflicts during installation:

# Update package database
sudo pacman -Syu

# Remove conflicting packages
sudo pacman -R <conflicting-package>

# Clear package cache if needed
sudo pacman -Scc

Homebrew installation issues

If Homebrew installation fails on Arch:

1. Ensure base-devel is installed:

   sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel
   

2. Check for conflicting packages:

   pacman -Qo /usr/bin/brew
   

3. Reinstall if necessary:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/uninstall.sh)"
   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   

Font rendering issues

If fonts don’t render correctly:

1. Rebuild font cache:

   fc-cache -fv
   

2. Check font configuration:

   fc-list | grep Iosevka
   

3. Install fontconfig if not present:

   sudo pacman -S fontconfig
   

Shell doesn't change after chsh

If the default shell doesn’t change:

1. Verify the shell is in /etc/shells:

   cat /etc/shells
   

2. Manually add if missing:

   which fish | sudo tee -a /etc/shells
   

3. Log out and log back in (not just restart terminal)

Neovim plugins fail to install

If Neovim plugins don’t install:

1. Check Node.js installation:

   node --version  # Should be 18+
   npm --version
   

2. Update Neovim:

   sudo pacman -S neovim
   

3. Manually sync plugins in Neovim:

   :Lazy sync
   :checkhealth
   

AUR package build failures

If AUR packages fail to build:

1. Ensure base-devel is installed:

   sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel
   

2. Clear build cache:

   yay -Sc
   

3. Update keyring:

   sudo pacman -S archlinux-keyring
   

Arch Linux Advantages

Rolling Release

Always get the latest versions of development tools without waiting for distribution releases

AUR Access

Massive repository of user-contributed packages for any tool you need

Minimalist Base

Clean installation with only what you need, perfect for customization

Arch Wiki

Best Linux documentation available for troubleshooting and configuration

Next Steps

Customize Your Setup

Learn how to customize terminal colors, key bindings, and more

Neovim Configuration

Explore Neovim features and AI integrations

Arch Wiki

Explore the comprehensive Arch Linux documentation

Join the Community

Get help and share your setup with the community

Arch Linux Pro Tip: The Arch Wiki is an incredible resource for configuring any aspect of your system. If you encounter issues, check the wiki first - it often has detailed solutions and explanations.