[SOLVED] Installing Gentoo with awesomewm

[Bobbbay]

Hello Gentoo dudes ,

I'm installing Gentoo following Sakaki's guide (https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Sakak ... tall_Guide), and have come across a question. I know this guide is for setting up GNOME, but I would like to use awesomewm instead. Therefore, here is what I wonder:

- How can I do it?
- Which steps would be different for me?
- Which install should I do (when eslect'ing)?

Thank you in advance! Cheers!

[Banana]

I do not know which steps to skip or change but keep in mind that awesomewm is a window manager not a complete desktop enviroment like gnome.
So, just not doing the gnome stuff in this guide and install awesomewm (https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Awesome) will result in a installation without "any" applications you can use. like a file browser or hardware settings management or even network management tools.

[Bobbbay]

I do not know which steps to skip or change but keep in mind that awesomewm is a window manager not a complete desktop enviroment like gnome.
So, just not doing the gnome stuff in this guide and install awesomewm (https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Awesome) will result in a installation without "any" applications you can use. like a file browser or hardware settings management or even network management tools.

I'm definitely ok with that, I can install my own file managers, etc. Thanks for the heads up!

[Makersmarx]

To each their own, but for a WM only install I would follow the Gentoo handbook and select the desktop profile. I am a bspwm user so not certain of what Awesome requires, but I think your going to grab a lot of unneeded stuff by using a gnome profile since its geared towards Gnome. All other points minus the scripts that appear to help with kernel config in the guide you listed should be covered in the Gentoo handbook as well.I would use caution when jumping around to different guides during your install and stick to one guide to learn. Once install is complete then add or remove things or redo etc...Good luck

[Bobbbay]

To each their own, but for a WM only install I would follow the Gentoo handbook and select the desktop profile. I am a bspwm user so not certain of what Awesome requires, but I think your going to grab a lot of unneeded stuff by using a gnome profile since its geared towards Gnome. All other points minus the scripts that appear to help with kernel config in the guide you listed should be covered in the Gentoo handbook as well.I would use caution when jumping around to different guides during your install and stick to one guide to learn. Once install is complete then add or remove things or redo etc...Good luck

The only problem I have with the Gentoo handbook is that I have to use LVM due to dual booting with Windows, which is apparently beyond the scope of the handbook (correct me if I'm wrong )... I only want windows to retain the $100+ license, and since I have no idea how windows keeps their licenses, I'm resorting to dual booting. If anyone knows, please let me know

I'm pretty sure I don't want to choose the Gnome profile exactly for that reason. If I use the desktop profile, how exactly would I install awesome (once I've booted in)? I know the installation process, as well as the deps (all listed on their GitHub, https://github.com/awesomeWM/awesome#build-dependencies). Does the part that says "exec awesome" work? I have bad experiences with awesome's installation on other distros

TL;DR I'm completely willing to switch to the Gentoo handbook and restart if I can get rid of Windows and keep the license.
TL;DR2 Installing awesome is a pain anywhere, I dunno if it will work here.

[Makersmarx]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but windows records your bios data in the cloud for validations nowadays. For my wife's pc after I upgraded her storage etc I just did a clean install and selected install without a key. Once it booted it synced and activated with the data they had saved for her win 10. Thats all the info I have as I am not a windows user so take that with a grain of salt.

In regards to the install after you select and emerge the desktop profile you would continue thru the handbook and set up grub (or alternatives). Once you reboot into your newly installed system install X Server, term, and just emerge Awesome and update your xinitrc or install a display manager. Maybe an awesome user can confirm, but I dont see any reasons it should be an issue. Sometimes its easy to throw i3 on also so you can easily boot into WM thats so easily used out of the box while you work on your other parts.


Edit: I looked real quick for my own curiosity and it appears Awesome will have a problem unless you build with Clang it appears.

Bug: https://bugs.gentoo.org/707262

[Bobbbay]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but windows records your bios data in the cloud for validations nowadays. For my wife's pc after I upgraded her storage etc I just did a clean install and selected install without a key. Once it booted it synced and activated with the data they had saved for her win 10. Thats all the info I have as I am not a windows user so take that with a grain of salt.

In regards to the install after you select and emerge the desktop profile you would continue thru the handbook and set up grub (or alternatives). Once you reboot into your newly installed system install X Server, term, and just emerge Awesome and update your xinitrc or install a display manager. Maybe an awesome user can confirm, but I dont see any reasons it should be an issue. Sometimes its easy to throw i3 on also so you can easily boot into WM thats so easily used out of the box while you work on your other parts.


Edit: I looked real quick for my own curiosity and it appears Awesome will have a problem unless you build with Clang it appears.

Bug: https://bugs.gentoo.org/707262

1. Thanks, after some research it looks like Windows binds itself to my BIOS even if I uninstall it, so it can be reinstalled and it will detect the license (it appears).
2. Thank you, I will definitely do that
3. And thanks for that, I would have been screwed if you didn't mention it !

I will restart the installation process, following the handbook, without dual booting, and then install with what @Makersmarx has mentioned. Thank you all!

[charles17]

... is that I have to use LVM due to dual booting with Windows,

Dual (multi) booting definitely does not need LVM.

[Bobbbay]

... is that I have to use LVM due to dual booting with Windows,

Dual (multi) booting definitely does not need LVM.

Oh, interesting. There's a section in the handbook that says GPT isn't dual bootable with Windows, and the guide uses LVM, so I just assumed that