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Post configuration for minimal debian installation

As I transitioned to Debian with a minimal installation paired with the XFCE desktop environment, I realized the importance of enhancing my system for a more comprehensive user experience. While the initial minimal setup laid the foundation, I found it necessary to install additional packages to fine-tune and optimize my Debian environment. This collection of notes not only serves as a guide to replicate my current configuration but also acts as a reference for future improvements. The integration of XFCE, along with carefully chosen packages, strikes a balance between efficiency and functionality, ensuring a smooth and personalized Debian experience. I created some notes that gets into essential packages and configurations, making it a handy resource for anyone seeking to configure Debian with XFCE at an intermediate to advanced level of proficiency.

Disclaimer: The following packages are customized to my taste. Feel free, and encouraged, to adjust them to your preferences.

1. Installing XFCE Desktop Environment

Once you complete the Debian installation from your USB/CD without selecting any desktop environment, you will need to configure it yourself. Start by installing the essential components for a minimal XFCE desktop environment. Open a terminal and execute:

sudo apt install xfce4-power-manager xinit nm-applet network-manager-gnome thunar xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfconf xfdesktop4 xfwm4 rxvt-unicode git make rofi

These packages collectively form the core components necessary for a functional and lightweight XFCE desktop environment on a Debian system. They handle various aspects of the desktop user experience, ranging from file management to window handling and configuration settings.

2. Granting Sudo Access

I discovered that my created profile is not part of the sudoers group, preventing me from using any other commands relevant to the root user for further configurations.

su -
usermod -aG sudo <username>

3. Configuring existing SSH keys

I typically store my private keys in a secure location, ensuring continued access when switching systems by creating backups. Place your private keys in the ~/.ssh directory. If you haven't used the default names (id_rsa), remember to add them manually after each reboot, or include them in your .bashrc for automatic loading.

ssh-add ~/.ssh/<key>

Usually when ou create the file by yourself, the chmod permissions are set to 644, this is too wide from private key. Change it to 600.

chmod 600 id_rsa

4. GUI WiFi Manager

If you configured your WiFi during installation, you likely have internet access. However, changing connection settings currently requires using command-line commands, which may not be convenient if done infrequently. XFCE includes nm-applet, a tool that simplifies network configuration. Unfortunately, I encountered issues enabling it, necessitating manual editing of the Network Manager configuration.

Begin by removing your previously configured network from /etc/network/interfaces. You wil find something similar:

# The primary network interface
allow-hotplug wlp0s20f3
iface wlp0s20f3 inet dhcp
    wpa-ssid wifi-name
    wpa-psk  wifi-password

Subsequently, modify the /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf file to set it as 'managed':

[main]
plugins=ifupdown,keyfile

[ifupdown]
managed=true

Reboot the system.

5. Audio Manager

To commence listening to audio, it is essential to install the basic packages enabling configuration of sound input and output. I recommend using pulseaudio as it usually suffices for this purpose and xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin for displaying the tray icon.

sudo apt install pulseaudio xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin

6. Bluetooth Manager

I typically use my AirPods with the Linux system. The Bluetooth manager is not included by default in the minimal installation. To set it up, you need to download blueman or any other GUI manager. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can stick to the command line (CLI). 😊

sudo apt install bluetooth pulseaudio-module-bluetooth blueman

7. Touchpad click

Since I use a laptop for my daily activities, I am accustomed to using touchpad taps to click on items. To enable this functionality, you need to add a few configurations.

based on this thread. In the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf add

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "touchpad catchall"
        Driver "synaptics"
        MatchIsTouchpad "on"
        Option "TapButton1" "1"
        Option "TapButton2" "3"

Reboot the system.

8. The keyring

When attempting to log in to my GitHub account to sync settings on VSCode, I encountered an error related to the keyring application. It appears that XFCE lacks a dedicated tool to store secrets on the device. A possible solution is to reuse one from GNOME.

sudo apt install gnome-keyring

Keyring prompt

If you set up a password for the keyring, you will be prompted to enter it every time you restart the machine. There's a suggestion here to set them blank. While it may not sound ideal, it is a workaround for the issue.

9. Snap store

I enjoy installing a few apps from the Snap Store, which are not available by default. To install them:

sudo apt install snapd
sudo snap install core
sudo snap install snap-store

Making snap applications visible for the system

To achieve this, simply add symbolic links to the applications.

ln -s /var/lib/snapd/desktop/ ~/.local/share/applications/

10. Emojis

When I started browsing the internet, I noticed that some emojis were not displaying correctly; instead, I saw black blocks. This issue can be resolved by downloading the noto-color-emoji fonts.

sudo apt install fonts-noto-color-emoji
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