In the very beginning, Linux operating systems were only limited to command line interface due to which they had limitations in performing regular tasks. However, with the passage of time different types of desktop environments were introduced which attracted a lot of users. The supreme benefit of having a GUI version for Linux is that it makes task execution easy, and a lot of newbies can learn Linux in a very short time.
GNOME is one of the most used desktop environments on Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, and Arch Linux. Usually, the desktop environment option is prompted during the installation of Arch Linux, but it can also be installed at a later stage.
Outline:
How To Install GNOME on Arch Linux
GNOME holds a significant place when it comes to the Linux operating system and that is because it is user-friendly, compatible with most distributions, and comes with a wide range of features. To install GNOME on Arch Linux, there are some things that you need to install first.
On Arch and every other Linux distribution there is a protocol used for windowing systems, the Xorg and Wayland are the two systems. Here I have installed Xorg for GNOME but you can install Wayland as well depending on your choice:
Here while installing Xorg there will be several prompts, for the first prompt hit enter which will be about installing packages related to Xorg. The second prompt is about installing man utility which can be either installed with man-db or mandoc. If you want man utility to be feature-rich then go for man-db or if you need a simpler and faster man command then go with mandoc:
If you are installing Arch Linux then you can set the time zone which can be adjusted even after the installation. To set the timezone first, find out the timezone by listing all the timezones:
Now use the set command with timedatectl utility along with the selected time zone:
Now sync the timezone you selected:
Now install the mesa package which is responsible for the implementation of OpenGL and Vulkan graphics APIs. This installation of this package is necessary as it is needed to run APIs such as games, emulators, and desktop environments:
Now install GNOME using the Arch Linux default package installer along with some extra packages for GNOME which include tweaks, IRC client, email client, and some development tools. This will allow users to have a full GNOME experience:
Now here you will encounter several prompts the first one will be about the installation of 56 members in group GNOME, proceed with the installation by hitting enter, and the same for the second prompt:
The third prompt is about the installation of emoji fonts and there are two options, one is by using the noto-fonts and the other is by using the ttf-joypixels. The noto-fonts-emoji is a multicolor font based on the Google format which supports emoji fonts in Unicode 13. Whereas, the ttf-joypixels come with the support of the latest Unicode and are compatible with most applications and browsers. Here, I have selected the option because this font version is available for free:
To make any desktop environment function, properly on Linux it is necessary to install a display manager for GNOME usually gdm is used if the windowing system protocol is X11 or Xorg. So all you need to do is enable the GNOME display manager:
If you are using Wayland then you need to switch to any other display manager because on gdm you may experience screen flickering or blackout in the case of Arch Linux. Here I have used the sddm display manager to install it execute:
To enable the sddm you need to first disable the previous display manager which is gdm in my case and this is because two display managers cannot run simultaneously:
Now enable the sddm display manager using systemctl utility:
Now once the sddm is enabled start it and as a result of that a login window will appear and from there reboot the system to apply the changes:
Now from the session menu, select GNOME having Wayland and then log in through to the user account:
In the case of gdm you have to start it after enabling it and the following will be the login screen. Here by clicking on the gear icon select the option GNOME on Xorg for the X11 window system:
Next, verify the installation of GNOME tweaks which is the additional package for GNOME that is used for having some more appearance settings:
If by any chance it is not installed, then you can install it by executing:
Further, to verify the installation of the windowing system and the desktop environment, navigate to the system Details of Arch Linux:
To make some adjustments in the system display and appearance, launch the Tweaks application for the show application menu in Arch Linux. Here you can play with fonts, appearance, sound, mouse, touchpad, keyboard, windows, and startup application settings:
How To Remove GNOME From Arch Linux
If you want to remove GNOME from Arch Linux then make sure you already have any other desktop environment installed because upon reboot you will return to Arch command line interface:
Conclusion
GNOME is a popular desktop environment for Arch Linux, as it is packed with features that make it efficient and productive. To Install GNOME on Arch Linux, you need to install the preferred windowing system first then install the display package if you were previously using CLI. Next installing the display manager for GNOME on X11 gdm will work fine but for Wayland, you need to install LDM, sddm, or any other display manager.
I’m Aaliyan javaid, an electrical engineer and a passionate tech enthusiast. I have been working with embedded systems, programming, and Linux operating systems for over 2 years. I love to explore new technologies and share my knowledge and experience with others.
