All Linux Things

It took way to many tries but I was finally able to get a minimal install of Arch on the Pinebook Pro. Bootloader and /boot are on the emmc and /root is on the nvme. Arch installs Tow-Boot as a bootloader. It was created by the folks at Nix OS. The wifi network is up and running pacman is configured so I am at a point of creating something I might find useful.

I could go on and just finish an arch install to a DE, but Endeavor OS has a script for the Pinebook Pro I gather will do this easier. I think @tlmiller has installed Endeavor OS and likes it, so I have been thinking this might be the easiest way to move forward.

Yeah, it's my #2 OS after Debian. And if there was a way to calm down the breakage of individual packages in Arch (although NOWHERE near as bad as it was back when I was a MAJOR ARch user in the 04-06/07 timeframe), it may have a chance to achieve #1.

The base Arch Linux installer needs to be created on a different system than the Pinebook Pro. I used the Pi 400 that has the Trinity DE on a base Raspberry Pi OS. This will boot the Pinebook Pro, then you need to setup /boot on the emmc and /root on the nvme. Then you can get the Endeavour installer script. The first thing theEndeavour script does is a system update and much to my surprise and consternation there were updates for a system created just a few hours ago.

The Endeavour script reminds me of tasksel(?) on Debian. It is very focused and easy to use. After it has ran you have a very nice complete vanilla upstream DE of your choice ready to use. So in the end it is much like what you have with Debian, except of course you have the latest incarnation of the software.

Endeavour gets rave reviews on Distrowatch and is presently the fourth most popular distro.

On the Pinebook Pro Endeavour requires you do an mimimal install of Arch, which is the complex part. Then you download on run an Endeavour script which is not really different from running "tasksel" on Debian minimal install. It installs a pretty standard upstream desktop of your choice. If you do like the results of a Debian install you will probably like the results of installing Endeavour.

I think on X86 hardware Endeavour has an iso that will ease the Arch install part as well as the desktop setup.

wove wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:26 pm I think on X86 hardware Endeavour has an iso that will ease the Arch install part as well as the desktop setup.

You are correct, it's actually the only reason I use Endeavour. I actually LIKE the minimalistic installs of Arch, and dislike how much Endeavour adds to a base install automatically, however, I HATE, DESPISE, LOATH, and utterly REVILE the "Arch Way" of installing. So I use Endeavour and deal with removing some of the curft they install. Although I do like that they have Yay installed and configured by default to be able to use the AUR.

At this point I have a bootable system. It uses Tow-Boot created by Nix OS, the Manjaro kernel, Linux firmware created by an independent Arch user, and a minimal Arch base with the Gnome DE installed from a bash shell script created by Endeavour OS.

When I go to the About section of settings, I see that I am running Endeavour OS. This does bring into question what does constitute a distinct "distro". Does an well done bash shell script that installs a DE from Arch repositories count as creating on OS?

Of course its about hardware for many users, but Id much rather use Debian over Arch in any form. Tlmiller knows how much I hate Arch and their forums in particular.

Endeavour forums are not really any better. I asked if there was something like Synaptics for Arch. I got a couple suggestions, but overnight the post generated 50+/- responses.They critized the responses I got, critized gui software managers in general, and critized each other.

I'd disagree on that. While Endeavour forums aren't perfect, they're NOWHERE near as horrible as Arch. On Arch they would have locked your thread because you hadn't read the ARchWiki and quoted it verbatim, posted a few RTFM responses, then banned you for not complying to the forum rules.