💻 Plasma-Install Script 💻
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Note
Distro is Back : If you want to skip all this, you can just Donate and grab the XeroLinux pre-built ISO from 👉 Re-Release Post
What this script is¶
The intention of the PlasmaInstall script is not to replace ArchInstall but to fix its KDE Plasma profile while extending it further nothing more. The Toolkit can be used on any DE or WM it's agnostic.
The script is subject to change over time, so please treat the video above as a general reference rather than an exact guide. As updates and improvements are made, some steps or options may differ from what is shown. Keep that in mind while following along, and always refer to the most recent version of this guide for the best results.
.// The Wiki \\.
In this super detailed guide I will be showing off how we can easily replicate the XeroLinux setup using ArchInstall.
The Guide¶
System Preparation¶
Let's start off by knowing what we need to get started. First off, we will need the latest version of the >> ArchLinux ISO, a USB stick to burn ISO onto, we can either use >> Balena Etcher or the highly recommended >> Ventoy.
Those are the essentials. As to my Plasma Install script will get to that a bit later down the line. Once we got everything, we shall begin...
Installing ArchLinux¶
Ok, so now that we have burned the ISO to the USB using either tools, boot the system we want to install it on using it. Am not gonna go through showing you how, you should know that by now lol.
Note :
Warning
This guide expects you to be connected to the internet via ethernet. If you aren't and need to connect over WiFi, you can follow guide on the ArchWiki
- Remote Install via SSH
Now, unlike other guides out there, I will be showing how we can use SSH to do the installation remotely, which will make things much easier. All we need is a secondary PC running Linux. If none is available, this part can be skipped.
Ok, first things first, we need to set a password to the root user. We do it by typing the following command in the TTY, like this :
Now we type our temporary password & confirm it. Once that's done, we need to get the machine's IP Address, we do that by running this command :
Once we have it, all we need to do to connect to the machine is the following command :
We confirm by typing yes. That's it, now we are connected to the machine remotely, so we can now easily copy paste comands for a much simpler install...
- ArchInstall Script
Once connected, first thing we will have to do is, make sure we have latest version of ArchInstall. We do that by running the following command :
Now some of you might be asking me, "why the --advanced flag ?", to which I answer, simply because devs still hide the parallel downloads behind it for whatever reason. It's fine at least now you know.
Ok, now that we have the installer running, am not going to go through each and every option one by one, just the important ones. Those are explained in the video. Am also not gonna bother with manual partitioning since the guide is intended for single OS easy install.
That's why we will be using the Best Guess option, carefully selecting the correct drive we want install ArchLinux onto.
Warning
User Data : I will not be held responsible for any data loss resulting from selection of the wrong drive. BE VERY CAREFUL HERE.
Anyway, let's make sure we skip the parts I mentioned in the video, since everything will now be done Post-Install via my Toolkit. Don't forget to set parallel downloads to as many as you like for faster downloads. Also as mentioned, we do not need to enable any extra repos like multilib since my script will do that for us later on.
Now once everything is configured and set, hit install, sit back, grab a cup of Tea/Coffee and watch it do its thing. Might take a while it all depends on Internet connection...
Installing KDE Plasma¶
Once that's all done, we will be prompted if we want to chroot into our new install, we answer with yes of course since we still have no DE yet.
Tip
Inspection. We do not recommend to blindly execute scripts without inspecting them first. Check out the code >> Here
Once you trust it, you can move on. Now, depending on the method that was used, ssh or not, we either copy paste the command below or type it manually :
This script will perform several checks and then prompt you to confirm the addition of the XeroLinux and Chaotic-AUR repositories, along with my recommended configurations. If you agree, simply follow the prompts. The script will exit if you choose not to proceed.
I highly recommend the third option: Xero's Curated Set of Plasma Packages to avoid potential future headaches. I've meticulously reviewed all package groups to ensure the best experience. However, you're free to choose any of the other options, it's entirely up to you in the end.
You will notice that, the multilib repo was enabled as well. I made sure of that since most newcomers forget to do it. It's an essential repo required for the likes of Steam, and various drivers.
Installation might take a while, it all depends on the speed of your Internet connection. I have included quite a few quality-of-life packages which should make your experience as Seamless as possible. I have also taken care of a few dependencies that might be required down the line.
Finally, for now at least, once script is done, we will be prompted to exit and reboot the system. We do that by typing exit then reboot, and that's it for this part anyway...
Setting up the system¶
If all went smoothly, we should now be greeted with SDDM, KDE's login page. Once logged in, there are a few things we need to take care of first. Open Terminal, as shown in video, and update the system
Then we launch the XeroLinux Post Installation Toolkit from the AppMenu, under System. That's what we will be using from here on in.
It's up to you to discover all the options, that's why I did not mention them all in video, nor will I here. The whole point of this guide is how to get XeroLinux back not to set up the system from A to Z. For more info, check out the Toolkit Wiki
- 1 : System Setup
There's nothing to do here except select Install 3rd-Party GUI Package Manager(s) or Add & Enable the ChaoticAUR Repository, since my Plasma Script took care of the rest for us. Neat eh ?
- 2 : System Drivers
This is the part where you select drivers you need for our hardware. Toolkit does not and will not support Hybrid (iGPU+dGPU) setups as I do not own any, just Single GPU ones. Just know that selecting the wrong ones will break the system, so that's where you need to understand what works for you.
I did my best to cover most Single GPU scenarios, I cannot cover all. Also the whole point of the distro, is for me not to do everything for you. In my humble opinion if I did, you wouldn't be learning anything.
- 4 : System Customization
Now we jump to Customization section. Just select option XeroLinux's Layan Plasma 6 Rice, enter your sudo password, and watch it do its thing.. Once it's done, we will be prompted to reboot. Use the AppMenu to do that..
Issues¶
If you encounter any issues or have questions directly related to this script, feel free to reach out to me on Fosstodon or Discord. All relevant links are provided in the footer, and I'll do my best to assist you.
However, if your questions are related to your specific hardware, I may not have the answers you're looking for, as my knowledge is limited to what works on my own systems. For hardware-specific queries, your best resources are the ArchWiki, or our custom ChatGPT A.I. available on Discord.
Final words¶
That’s it, boys and girls, we’ve officially brought XeroLinux back from the ashes! 🎉 The rest is in your capable hands now. Dive into the toolkit, poke around, and see if there’s anything that catches your fancy. Who knows—you might even stumble upon something that’ll make your setup sing! Just don’t blame me if you get lost in the endless sea of tweaks and options—consider it part of the adventure.
😄 Happy tinkering! 😄