Abdulahkim

🌐 Internet Setup

Arch uses systemd . Below is the command I used:services to manage networking. By default, NetworkManager may be active, but for a lighter setup I prefer iwd (iwctl).

Stop NetworkManager and start iwd:

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          sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager
sudo systemctl start iwd
iwctl
station wlan0 connect-hidden SSID

iwctl is the command-line client for iwd.
station wlan0 connect-hidden SSID1 connects to a hidden WiFi.

📶 Bluetooth

Bluetooth is disabled by default. Here’s how to enable and pair devices:

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          sudo systemctl enable --now bluetooth
systemctl status bluetooth
power on
agent on
default-agent
scan on 
pair D9:41:EC:B0:91:92

enable --now makes it start immediately and on boot.
scan on lists nearby devices.
pair "MAC" pairs with the device.

🔊 Audio

Arch is switching to PipeWire, which replaces PulseAudio and JACK. I install the full set for compatibility.

Stop NetworkManager and start iwd:

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          pavucontrol
sudo pacman -S pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-audio pipewire-pulse alsa-utils

pavucontrol gives you a nice GUI to control audio.
PipeWire ensures better audio management and fewer bugs.

🔋 Battery Monitoring

To check battery health:

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          upower -i $(upower -e | grep BAT)
upower -i $(upower -e | grep BAT) | grep -E "percentage|capacity"

Shows current battery level and overall health/capacity.

💻 Software Installation

The first apps I install after a fresh Arch setup:

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          # Browsers & tools 
sudo pacman -S firefox gthumb nautilus kitty
yay -S spotify-launcher google-chrome brave-browser fish

kitty→ terminal
fish → better shell with autocomplete
nautilus → file manager
gthumb → image viewer

Switching to Fish shell

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          which fish
echo /usr/bin/fish | sudo tee -a /etc/shells
chsh -s /usr/bin/fish

This makes Fish your default shell.

🖥 Ax-Shell for Hyprland

Ax-Shell gives Hyprland additional shell features.

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          sudo pacman -S git base-devel
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Axenide/Ax-Shell/main/install.sh | bash

🖼 Fixing Resolution Issues

Some apps scale weirdly on HiDPI screens. Fix it by adding to Hyprland config:

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          xwayland {
  force_zero_scaling = true
}

💾 Mounting Other Drives

Temporary (manual each time)

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          lsblk
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nvme1n1p{3,4,5}
sudo mount /dev/nvme1n1p3 /mnt/nvme1n1p3
sudo mount /dev/nvme1n1p4 /mnt/nvme1n1p4
sudo mount /dev/nvme1n1p5 /mnt/nvme1n1p5

Permanent (auto-mount on boot)

Edit /etc/fstab and add your partitions using their UUIDs. Example:

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          UUID=--------   /mnt/sda1  ntfs-3g defaults,noatime   0 0
UUID=---------  /mnt/nvme1n1p2 ext4 defaults,noatime   0 2

✨ Transparency for Windows

Hyprland allows setting window opacity. Add to config:

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          windowrulev2 = opacity 0.80 0.80,class:^(Spotify)$
windowrulev2 = opacity 0.80 0.80,class:^(Code)$
windowrulev2 = opacity 0.80 0.80,class:^(org.gnome.Nautilus)$

🐙 GitHub Setup

First, check everything is installed:

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          node -v
npm -v
git --version
gh --version
sudo pacman -S github-cli

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          gh auth login
gh repo create projectname --private --source=. --push

SSH SetupSSH Setup

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          ssh-keygen -t ed***** -C "**********@gmail.com"
cat ~/.ssh/id_*******.pub

Paste the key into GitHub → Settings → SSH Keys.
Then test connection:

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          ssh -T git@github.com

📂 File Manager Preview

Add a quick preview feature:

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          sudo pacman -S sushi

Add a quick preview feature:

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          windowrulev2 = float, class:^(org.gnome.NautilusPreviewer)$

🔊 Volume Boost

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          wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 2

Doubles your volume limit.

⌨️ Key Mapping

Example: remap CapsLock → Ctrl

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          input {
    kb_options = ctrl:nocaps
    kb_layout = us,ara
    kb_options = grp:alt_shift_toggle
}

🌑 Nautilus Dark Theme

Install portals and config tools:

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          sudo pacman -S xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gtk xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland dconf gsettings-desktop-schemas

🔍 FZF (File Search)

Install:

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          sudo pacman -S fzf bat

Fish config (~/.config/fish/config.fish):

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          fzf --fish | source
set -Ux FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND "find /mnt -type f -not -path '/proc/*' -not -path '/sys/*' -not -path '/dev/*' 2>/dev/null"
set -Ux FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS "--preview 'bat --style=numbers --color=always {}' --preview-window=right:40%"

Now you can fuzzy search files with preview!

🖥 Task Manager

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          sudo pacman -S btop
btop

🖼 System Info

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          sudo pacman -S fastfetch
fastfetch

🧹 Clear Memory Cache

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          free -h