Arch Linux i3 Window Manager Setup Script

Overview

A comprehensive setup script for Arch Linux that installs and configures a complete i3 window manager environment with modern tools, audio system, security features, and theming for a productive standalone desktop experience.

Features

• Complete i3 window manager configuration with Windows key mod
• Modern audio system (PipeWire) with media players
• Security tools (firewall, policy kit)
• Terminal setup (Alacritty with Tokyo Night theme)
• File management (Thunar with plugins)
• System monitoring and maintenance tools
• Modern CLI tools (exa, bat, fastfetch)
• Bluetooth support and device management
• Display manager (ly) with auto-start
• Desktop integration and user directories
• Comprehensive theming (Tokyo Night GTK theme, custom fonts)

Package Groups

The script installs these main package groups:

Core & System

• Window Manager: i3-wm, i3blocks, i3status-rust
• Terminal: alacritty with Tokyo Night theme
• System Tools: htop, exa, bat, fastfetch, brightnessctl
• Desktop Integration: xdg-user-dirs, polkit, gparted
• Development: github-cli, visual-studio-code-bin, npm
• Utilities: copyq, wget, xclip, jq, bash-completion
• Display: ly (display manager), xss-lock
• Bluetooth: bluez, bluez-utils, blueman
• Network: network-manager-applet, xdg-desktop-portal-gtk

Audio & Media

• Audio System: pipewire, pipewire-pulse, pipewire-alsa, pavucontrol
• Codecs: ffmpeg
• Media Players: vlc, mpv

Security

• Firewall: firewalld

File Management

• File Manager: thunar with plugins (volman, archive-plugin)
• Archive Support: unrar, zip, unzip, xarchiver, p7zip
• Device Support: gvfs, gvfs-mtp

UI & Theming

• Application Launcher: rofi with emoji support
• Notifications: dunst
• Screenshots: flameshot
• Wallpaper: feh with random wallpaper script
• Lock Screen: i3lock-color
• Fonts: otf-font-awesome, ttf-jetbrains-mono-nerd, noto-fonts-emoji
• Theme: tokyonight-gtk-theme-git
• Icons: tumbler (thumbnail generation)

Browser

• Web Browser: firefox

Prerequisites

• Fresh Arch Linux installation with Xorg
• Internet connection
• Non-root user with sudo privileges

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/awtawsif/arch-i3-setup.git
   cd arch-i3-setup

2. Run the setup script:

   ./setup.sh

3. During installation, you'll be prompted to:

   • Configure Git (optional)
   • Enter sudo password when required

What the Script Does

1. System Checks: Validates user permissions, internet connection, and required files
2. Git Configuration: Optional setup of Git user details
3. AUR Setup: Installs yay AUR helper and configures Chaotic-AUR repository
4. Package Installation: Installs all required packages from official repos and AUR
5. Service Configuration: Enables bluetooth and ly display manager services
6. Directory Structure: Creates standard user directories (Documents, Downloads, etc.)
7. Configuration Files: Copies all dotfiles and config files to home directory
8. Input Devices: Configures touchpad and input device settings
9. System Integration: Sets up desktop integration components

Post-Installation

After installation completes:

1. Reboot your system to apply all changes
2. Log in through ly display manager
3. i3 will start automatically with your configured environment

Key Bindings

• $mod+Return: Open terminal (Alacritty)
• $mod+d: Application launcher (Rofi)
• $mod+Shift+f: File manager (Thunar)
• $mod+Shift+b: Browser (Firefox)
• $mod+Shift+t: Text editor (Mousepad)
• $mod+Print: Screenshot (Flameshot)
• $mod+Shift+r: Restart i3
• $mod+Shift+c: Reload i3 configuration

Configuration Details

• Mod Key: Windows/Super key (Mod4)
• Theme: Tokyo Night GTK theme with matching colors
• Terminal: Alacritty with Tokyo Night theme and JetBrains Mono Nerd Font
• Audio: PipeWire with pavucontrol for volume management
• Display: ly display manager with auto-start
• Wallpaper: Random wallpaper script that changes on i3 reload

Configuration Files Included

i3 Window Manager

• Main Config: .config/i3/config - Complete i3 configuration
• Keybindings: .config/i3/config.d/keybindings.conf - All window management keybindings
• Workspaces: .config/i3/config.d/workspaces.conf - Workspace configuration
• Startup: .config/i3/config.d/startup.conf - Autostart applications
• Wallpaper: .config/i3/set_random_wallpaper.sh - Random wallpaper script

Terminal & Shell

• Alacritty: .config/alacritty/alacritty.toml - Terminal configuration
• Theme: .config/alacritty/themes/tokyo_night.toml - Tokyo Night theme
• Bash: .bashrc - Shell configuration and aliases
• Profile: .profile - Environment variables and PATH setup

UI Components

• Rofi: .config/rofi/config.rasi - Application launcher styling
• Theme: .config/rofi/themes/tokyonight.rasi - Tokyo Night Rofi theme
• i3status: .config/i3rs-config.toml - Status bar configuration

System Tools

• Nano: .config/nano/nanorc - Enhanced nano editor configuration
• Htop: .config/htop/htoprc - Process monitor configuration
• Thunar: .config/Thunar/uca.xml - Custom actions for file manager

System Integration

• Input: 40-libinput.conf - Touchpad and input device configuration

Troubleshooting

• Missing Files: Ensure all required files are present before running the script
• Internet Connection: Verify stable internet connection for package downloads
• Permissions: Run script as non-root user with sudo privileges
• Directory: Make sure script is run from the correct directory
• Audio: If audio doesn't work, check PipeWire service status
• Display: If ly doesn't start, check Xorg installation and graphics drivers

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and pull requests for:

• Bug fixes and improvements
• New package suggestions
• Documentation updates
• Configuration enhancements
• Theme customizations

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.