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Install WMDE on Arch Linux

Ready-made packages, nothing to compile. A Minimal Arch install and about ten minutes are enough.

Quick path

The install script performs steps 2 to 4 below, except the task manager, and adds the Ukrainian locale. Run it as root on the machine you are installing; running it again changes nothing and only reports the state.

curl -O https://YOUR-SITE/repo/install-wmde.sh
chmod +x install-wmde.sh
sudo ./install-wmde.sh --repo https://YOUR-SITE/repo -n    # dry run: show the plan
sudo ./install-wmde.sh --repo https://YOUR-SITE/repo       # install

Add --no-dm to skip the login manager, --no-locale to skip the locale.

Requirements

Arch Linux with systemd. Other distributions are not covered by the packages.
An x86-64-v3 processor: Intel Haswell (2013) or AMD Excavator (2015) and newer. On an older CPU the apps crash with SIGILL rather than run slowly.
No graphics card required. Without one, everything is drawn on the CPU.

Check the processor before you start. The output line should say (supported, searched):

/lib/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 --help | grep x86-64-v3

1. Prepare Arch

When installing with archinstall, pick these. No compilers or build tools are needed.

archinstall item	Choice	Why
Profile	Minimal	No other desktop to conflict with
Audio	`pipewire`	Sound and the volume indicator
Network	`NetworkManager`	Feeds the network applet
Bootloader	any	-

sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager

2. Add the repository

Append to the end of /etc/pacman.conf, after core and extra, so a package of the same name from Arch wins:

[wmde]
SigLevel = Optional TrustAll
Server = https://YOUR-SITE/repo

The packages are not signed yet, so Optional TrustAll is required. Only add a repository address you trust.

3. Install packages

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S wmde-desktop wmde-greeter-dm

wmde-desktop brings the session, shell, apps, theme, icons and fonts. wmde-greeter-dm is the login manager; skip it if you sign in another way. The screen lock comes with the session either way.

Session and compositor

wmde-session, wmde-comp, wmde-settings-daemon

Shell

wmde-panel, wmde-applets, wmde-start-menu, wmde-bg, wmde-osd, wmde-notifications

Apps

wmde-files, wmde-term, wmde-settings, wmde-screenshot, wmde-viewer

Look

wmde-themes, wmde-icons-base, wmde-icons

Task manager

Installed separately. Without it Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens nothing. Enable the memory module scanner to see which RAM modules are installed:

sudo pacman -S wmde-taskmgr
sudo systemctl enable --now wmde-memory-devices.service

Enable the login screen and reboot:

sudo systemctl enable wmde-greeter.service
sudo reboot

Without a login manager, start the session from a text console with start-wmde.