From 108d87589f6c9c1022beedfeeb4fabf7e730b16a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bill Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2021 17:48:42 -0500 Subject: Manjaro Blog Entry --- www/blog/2020-12-17/index.html | 164 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 164 insertions(+) create mode 100644 www/blog/2020-12-17/index.html (limited to 'www/blog/2020-12-17/index.html') diff --git a/www/blog/2020-12-17/index.html b/www/blog/2020-12-17/index.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..da48b5c --- /dev/null +++ b/www/blog/2020-12-17/index.html @@ -0,0 +1,164 @@ + + + + + + senders.io - Blog + + + + + +
+
+

Manjaro Experiment

+

After years on Debian, running i3, I decided to try out a more + traditional Linux setup, and take a stab at gaming on Linux. I chose + Manjaro for a few reasons:

+
    +
  • It's not Debian based (it's arch btw /s)
  • +
  • It's still on Systemd so I won't lose that familiarity
  • +
  • For gaming it comes with pretty up to date drivers and setup for + running Steam games
  • +
  • It has a KDE installation which is what I wanted to run
  • +
+

Why "not Debian"

+

Debian is home for me. I have used it for years on both work machines, + servers, personal desktop. But it comes with its own quirks. Starters - I + am running base Debian, not a Debian based system, which generally means + some packages are out of date. To get around this I run Sid/Unstable. + This hasn't been a particular issue, but sometimes there are version + conflicts and other just nuisances and no real easy way to get + every package in the proper version configuration. This was a particular + pain-point with getting Steam (nonfree too which adds another layer of + configurations) Wine and a few other packages all set up. Plus + 32-bit!

+

i3

+

I have been using i3 as my window manager and without really any other + desktop environment programs. My login is the typical tty debian login. + But running i3 and then having windows appear, especially game windows + which can be tempermental, getting tiled to have to break it out again is + just a hassle. While I could've gone with another Debian base running + a proper desktop environment + window manager I figured that'd be + boring and I'd just be trying out the programs and not the Linux, + which is half the fun.

+

That being said. i3 is Linux for me. Being able to just move + between windows with a macro and every bit of it just being intutive + (after you've learned!) is a productivity booster. Which is why I + still use it on my work machine, and can't see myself ever switching + off.

+

KDE

+

I've used Gnome and XFCE as desktop environments before, and + they're fine, but I've always like the customability, + flexibility, and polished look of KDE.

+

Setting up KDE for an i3 addict

+

By default KDE isn't really too hard to "get used to" + since it feels like any other OS, especially a windows setup. But the + main thing I needed to change is the meta+<key> commands.

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  • Remapping the Virtual Desktop changes
  • +
  • Remapping the KWin window focuses
  • +
  • Remapping the KWin move to desktop
  • +
  • Installing DMenu
  • +
  • Shrinking the "start bar" panel
  • +
  • Removing Pager
  • +
  • Changing Task Manger to Window List
  • +
  • Configuring Desktop Layout to "Desktop" (this removes the + icons)
  • +
Doing this helped make me feel at home so far, and not have to + retrain my brain. +

Some of the key remappings

+

Setting up the KWin window keymapping was really what made me feel at + home. For the first few hours with it, I felt as limited in my + productivity as with Windows. KDE and Windows share by default a lot of + the same keymappings around window manipulation and virtual desktop + changes. Switch to desktop N setting this as meta+<N> where N is the dekstop 1-10 (0). Switch + to Window to the Left/Right/Up/Down This was one I was nervous + wouldn't exist as a keybind. But What was meta+alt+<dir> was mapped to without the alt. This + allowed for the very annoying lack of ability to just jump between + browser and terminal, or especially two separate terminals. Quit + Window with meta+shift+Q, Tile + Window command to use the Shift key rather, especially as + meta+<dir> was overwritten by the focus + switching.

+

Manjaro

+

So I went with KDE Manjaro. Manjaro aims for the gaming desktop + experience. Arch is new for me, so I feel that would be something to + adjust to and learn.

+

Gaming

+

It has only been a day with it as I am writing. But I was able to get + a fair amount of the fighting games I wanted to play work.

+

Proton + Steam

+

So far my main focus has been running the fighting games I noodle + around on in Steam. To do this I launched Steam and installed the proton + and setup to run all games, regardless of compatibility. None of the + games I hoped to run had worked this way. I then opt'd into the beta + for Proton running the experimental builds, which should generally have + the more up-to-date tunings for games. With this setup I was able to get + Soulcalibur VI to work. Battle for the Grid and Dragon Ball FighterZ both + had launching issues. So I looked around and found Proton Ge + Custom which is a custom fork of Proton that contains custom settings + and tweeks for various games. One of which is Battle For the Grid which + is how I found it. Using this I was able to play every game except Dragon + Ball FighterZ! A callout for Dead or Alive 6 which is performing + questionably. It can run and isn't actually too bad, but in windowed + or borderless it stutters and drops frames.

+

Other issues

+

Even on Windows there are issues with some games and your standard + configurations. Disabling Steam Overlay and adjusting the Steam Input + Setting on some games helped get some games working.

+

Conclusion

+

Gaming on Linux is still not great. Its MILES ahead of where it was + even a few years ago when I setup this PC. And I think it will take some + adjustment getting a feel for an i3less workflow.

+

Update!

+

NTFS mounting

+

Update! I got DOA and a few other games to run a bit smoother by + remounting my NTFS drives properly. I ended up using the following for my + /etc/fstab configuraiton for my NTFS drives: UUID=<drive-id> + /mount/path ntfs + uid=1000,gid=1000,rw,user,exec,async,locale=en_US.utf8,umask=000 0 + 0 I had noticed that both steam and mount.ntfs was running at + 20-40% CPU while not really doing anything. And then upwards of 80% + during gameplay.

+

i3 Compatibility

+

As I spend more time using the OS I made a few more adjustments:

+
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  • Removed everything except the Clock and System Tray.
  • +
  • I added KRunner to meta+space to ease + running KDE specific programs that I can't be bothered to memorize + the name of
  • +
  • Back and forth on forcing "No border" on all windows. + Part of the reason I moved away from i3 was so that I had better + floating window management. And doing this would basically put me in an + equally hard to manage system for floating game windows. So until I + find a plugin that makes small taskbar/borders for the windows I'll + be sticking with the default.
  • +
  • On Manjaro at least: UNINSTALL mesa-demos! sudo pacman -R lib32mesa-demos mesa-demos This package + had the annoying "fire" demo which made dmenu opening firefox + a pain in the ass.
  • +
The biggest difference was removing the Application Launcher from + the main panel. Having it there really felt like a crutch for running + programs. It is equal I would say to running apps as dmenu via + meta+d vs just meta to launch the Application Launcher. However, the + bulky UI of it, even using just Window List, took away from the look/feel + I was going for. +
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