this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2023
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Unixporn
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Don't overthink it, it's a natural long term process, you don't need to create a complete rice in one go.
Personally I'd recommend Arch since it's a good way to "disillusion" yourself from what your system comprises of, because you have to consciously choose many components at installation, especially if you choose a simple WM instead of a full DE.
It's easy to be overwhelmed but you shouldn't, it's very enjoyable to just tweak things now and then and keep improving everything over time.
I dont understand exactly how WM's work with things like browsers. Does it all work fine?
It does, and depending on your workflow it might be easier. For example, I often need to be able to look at 2 tabs simultaneously, so I can just "pull" one of them out to make it a separate window and they automatically arrange themselves to each take up half the screen. That's a very specific example, but it's convenient for me. Other than that, yes, they work fine. My suggestion is to install the one you want to try out in parallel to your existing DE, so you can continue using your computer when you actually need to be productive, and work on ricing the TWM in your free time when you feel like tinkering. Eventually, you should reach a point where it is usable and actually preferableto use the TWM. Good luck :)
Thank you for the advice! Before I start (because I only have this one computer) what commands will I need to know? Will an install of arch linux also come with drivers for things such as wifi, or will I need to get those separately?
It depends on what chipset your wifi uses. If you have access to ethernet I would do that for the install, then test to see if wifi works. If it doesn't , having the ethernet will make finding drivers not included in the base install much easier.
As for other device drivers, it really depends on what you have. Mostly though other than wifi you should be fine.
A great resource is the arch wiki, and their installation guide is what I use every time.
I get the feeling you're a bit new, so maybe a good idea is to first try it out in a virtual machine, see how it goes, get comfortable with the process, play around with it without the fear of borking your system, etc...
Also, you're encouraged to ask question. Here is an example of a good sublem where you could ask Arch specific questions if that is the route you end up going: https://lemmy.ml/c/archlinux
I'm just using an HP Probook from like 7 years ago, I dont really know what wifi chipset it would have. Unfortunately I dont have access to my router (shared internet, I'm in a boarding school).
With virtual machines, what program am I best off using? I've used virtualbox for windows XP and whatnot in the past.
Also thank you for the link (what do they call the lemmy equivalents of subreddits? Communities?)!
It is just best of you plan to learn as you go. There is no single set of commands that will assuredly help you beyond basic Linux 101 commands. Try DDG for indicators (or your search engine of choice)
https://www.google.com/search?q=linux%20ricing%20guides
(N.B.: Stay away from Reddit these days... too much is in turmoil there, so say I).