uses https://github.com/rexim/dotfiles for configuration

part 1 arch install:

archlinux-2026.03.01-x86_64.iso

updated before running archinstall

    sudo pacman -Sy archinstall

in archinstall; disk: ext4 bootloader: grub network: network manager user: create with sudo profile: minimal audio: pipewire

post archinstall;

sudo pacman -S xorg-server xorg-xinit emacs dmenu git zsh rxvt-unicode tmux
# zsh,rvxt,tmux from tsoding dotfiles https://github.com/rexim/dotfiles

clone dotfiles;

git clone https://github.com/rexim/dotfiles ~/dotfiles
cd ~/dotfiles
bash deploy.sh MANIFEST.linux

launch;

startx

should launch the gui version of exwm/emacs.

part 2 emacs/exwm setup

C-x C-f (ctrl-x ctrl-f) find-file >~/.xinitrc

exec emacs

the official exwm wiki says for arch users to NOT use dbus. i consulted the all knowing orb and it said if apps (web browsers..etc) complain about dbus to use a modern replacement: dbus-run-session. this is untested (will hopefully remove once tested)

C-x C-f again to ~/.emacs

(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t) 
(package-initialize)

(unless (package-installed-p 'exwm)
  (package-refresh-contents)
  (package-install 'exwm))

(require 'exwm)

(menu-bar-mode -1)
(tool-bar-mode -1)
(scroll-bar-mode -1)

(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "M-<return>") #'exwm-reset
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "M-w") #'exwm-workspace-switch

(dotimes (i 10)
  (exwm-input-set-key (kbd (format "M-%d" i))
                      `(lambda () (interactive (exwm-workspace-switch-create ,i))))

(exwm-wm-mode)

exwm-enable is outdated, when used user is instructed to change it to exwm-wm-mode

post-setup installing;

sudo pacman -S firefox ttf-dejavu noto-fonts xclip scrot xf86-video-qxl

sudo pacman -S pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber 

systemctl --user enable pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber
systemctl --user start pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

launching applications (example);

startx and launch firefox from EXWM with M-Return to open urxvt, then type firefox &

Or bind a key in ~/.emacs:

(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "M-f")
  (lambda () (interactive) (start-process "" nil "firefox")))