Setting up Void Linux

Keep in mind that this is a personal note, that is why there is a mention about “personal keys”, but if someone else is following through you can change that gitlab repo to use https and it’d work because it is a public repository.

Introduction

Guide on how to setup Void Linux after a fresh install. The system will be configured to have:

• xfce: for a nice desktop environment experience
• bspwm: for windown management
• sxhkd: for keyboard shortcuts management

I’m also setting up my keys (gpg, ssh), emacs, etc.

For a Void Linux installation guide check the Official Documentation.

Initial Setup

Install Packages

On Void we use xbps for managing packages.

sudo xbps-install -Su

Normally you need to restart after first big update.

Now we install the packages we are going to need:

sudo xbps-install -Su \
     git \
     bspwm \
     sxhkd \
     emacs \
     vim \
     xset \
     dmenu \
     picom \
     nitrogen \
     cmake \
     pandoc \
     make \
     gcc \
     libtool \
     libvterm

Some of the packages listed here are also dependencies of my emacs configuration.

Dotfiles

With the personal keys in place, clone the dotfiles repo:

git clone git@gitlab.com:al-perso/dotfiles.git ~/.dots

Create the links to the config files:

ln -s $HOME/.dots/emacs.d $HOME/.emacs.d &&
ln -s $HOME/.dots/config/bspwm $HOME/.config/bspwm &&
ln -s $HOME/.dots/config/sxhkd $HOME/.config/sxhkd

Keyboard Configuration

I use my CapsLock key as additional Ctrl:

setxkbmap -option "ctrl:nocaps"

I also like to set custom speed and repeat rate (so that I can make typos faster):

xset r rate 333 25

These commands are also present on the $HOME/.dots/config/bspwm/autostart.sh file.

Install Fonts

I keep the fonts I use in my dotfiles. To install them:

sudo mkdir -p /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ && \
sudo cp ~/.dots/resources/fonts/*.ttf /usr/share/fonts/truetype/. && \
sudo fc-cache -f

XFCE Configuration

StartUp Applications

In the Session and Startup menu, first go to the Current Session tab and then on the entry for xfwm4 set the restart style to “Never”. Do the same for the xfce4-panel entry.

After this, you will have to click on the “Save Session” button.

Now go to the Application Autostart tab and add an entry for bspwm as shown in the image:

Keyboard Shortcuts

You will also need to remove the default keyboard shortcuts so the sxhkd wont have any conflict.

Bonus

Install docker

Install the needed packages

sudo xbps-install -Su docker docker-compose

Now create the service symlink

sudo ln -s /etc/sv/docker /var/service

Start the service

sudo sv up docker

Check that is running:

sudo sv status docker

Add your current user to the docker group:

sudo usermode -aG docker $USER \
    && newgrp docker