3.8 KiB
uses https://github.com/rexim/dotfiles for configuration and in a proxmox vm; my settings: 2 sockets 5 cores 100GB disk size 12GB mem default everything else (seabios, i440fx)
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
setup launch;
emacs
M-x package-install exwm
real 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>")
(lambda () (interactive) (start-process "" nil "urxvt")))
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "M-w") #'exwm-workspace-switch)
(exwm-input-set-key (kbd "M-r") #'exwm-reset)
(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exwm-enable is outdated, when used user is instructed to change it to exwm-wm-mode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")))
workspaces are numbered 0-9. M-0 through M-9 switches to or creates that workspace. M-w opens an interactive switcher. To move a window to another workspace:
M-x exwm-workspace-move-window
navigation
M-0 through M-9 # switch/create workspace
M-w # interactive workspace switcher
M-r # reset/refresh window (use if a window gets stuck)
C-x o # cycle between open Emacs buffers/windows
C-x b # switch buffer by name
C-x k # kill (close) current buffer
launching things
M-Return # open urxvt terminal
M-e # open eshell
M-f # open firefox (if you add the bind)
M-x # run any Emacs command by name
files
C-x C-f # open/find file
C-x C-s # save file
C-x C-w # save file as
C-x C-c # quit Emacs (closes everything)
windows/splits
C-x 2 # split horizontally
C-x 3 # split vertically
C-x 1 # close all splits, keep current
C-x 0 # close current split
inside urxvt/eshell
M-x exwm-workspace-move-window # move current X window to another workspace
in urxvt: Ctrl+Shift+C/V # copy/paste
EXWM window modes EXWM windows have two modes:
line mode (default): Emacs keybinds work, good for reading char mode: all input goes to the X app (e.g. typing in browser). Toggle with M-r or i to enter char mode, M-r to exit back to line mode