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+date = 2022-12-23
+title = "Alpine Linux as a Desktop OS"
+description = "Documenting my steps to a useable Alpine Linux desktop experience."
++++
+
+## Isn't Alpine Linux for Servers?
+
+This is a question I see a lot when people are presented with an example of 
+Alpine Linux running as a desktop OS.
+
+While Alpine is small, fast, and minimal, that doesn't stop it from functioning 
+at a productive level for desktop users.
+
+This post is documentation of how I installed and modified Alpine Linux to 
+become my daily desktop OS.
+
+## Installation
+
+Note that I cover the installation of Alpine Linux in my other post, so I 
+won't repeat it here: [Alpine Linux: My New Server OS](/blog/alpine-linux/).
+
+Basically, get a bootable USB or whatever you prefer with Alpine on it, boot the 
+ISO, and run the setup script.
+
+```sh
+setup-alpine
+```
+
+Once you have gone through all the options and installer finishes without 
+errors, reboot.
+
+```sh
+reboot
+```
+
+## Initial Setup
+
+Once Alpine is installed and the machine has rebooted, login is as root 
+initially or `su` to root once you log in as your user.
+From here, you should start by updating and upgrading the system in case the 
+ISO was not fully up-to-date.
+
+```sh
+# Update and upgrade system
+apk -U update && apk -U upgrade
+
+# Add an editor so we can enable the community repository
+apk add nano
+```
+
+You need to uncomment the `community` repository for your version of Alpine 
+Linux.
+
+For v3.17, the `repositories` file should look like this:
+
+```sh
+nano /etc/apk/repositories
+```
+
+```conf
+#/media/sda/apks
+http://mirrors.gigenet.com/alpinelinux/v3.17/main
+http://mirrors.gigenet.com/alpinelinux/v3.17/community
+#http://mirrors.gigenet.com/alpinelinux/edge/main
+#http://mirrors.gigenet.com/alpinelinux/edge/community
+#http://mirrors.gigenet.com/alpinelinux/edge/testing
+```
+
+```sh
+# Add the rest of your packages
+apk add linux-firmware iwd doas git curl wget
+
+# Add yourself to the wheel group so you can use the doas command
+adduser $USER wheel
+```
+
+## Window Manager (Desktop)
+
+The [Sway installation guide](https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Sway) has 
+everything you need to get Sway working on Alpine.
+
+However, I'll include a brief list of the commands I ran and their purpose for 
+posterity here.
+
+```sh
+# Add eudev and set it up
+apk add eudev
+setup-devd udev
+
+# Since I have Radeon graphics, I need the following packages
+apk add mesa-dri-gallium mesa-va-gallium
+
+# Add user to applicable groups
+adduser $USER input
+adduser $USER video
+
+# Add a font package
+apk add ttf-dejavu
+
+# Add the seatd daemon
+apk add seatd
+rc-update add seatd
+rc-service seatd start
+
+# Add user to seat group
+adduser $USER seat
+
+# Add elogind
+apk add elogind polkit-elogind
+rc-update add elogind
+rc-service elogind start
+
+# Finally, add sway and dependencies
+apk add sway sway-doc
+apk add                \ # Install optional dependencies:
+    xwayland             \ # recommended for compatibility reasons
+    foot                 \ # default terminal emulator
+    bemenu               \ # wayland menu
+    swaylock swaylockd   \ # lockscreen tool
+    swaybg               \ # wallpaper daemon
+    swayidle               # idle management (DPMS) daemon
+```
+
+Once you have the packages installed and set-up, you need to export the 
+`XDG_RUNTIME_DIR` upon login. To do this, edit your `.profile` file.
+
+If you use another shell, such as `zsh`, you need to edit that shell's profile 
+(e.g., `~/.zprofile`)!
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.profile
+```
+
+Within the file, paste this:
+
+```sh
+if test -z "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"; then
+  export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp/$(id -u)-runtime-dir
+  if ! test -d "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"; then
+    mkdir "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"
+    chmod 0700 "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"
+  fi
+fi
+```
+
+Once that's complete, you can launch Sway manually.
+
+```sh
+dbus-run-session -- sway
+```
+
+## Personal Touches
+
+I also added the following packages, per my personal preferences and situation.
+
+```sh
+doas apk add brightnessctl   \ # Brightness controller
+             zsh             \ # Shell
+             firefox         \ # Browser
+             syncthing       \ # File sync service
+             wireguard-tools \ # Wireguard VPN
+             gomuks          \ # CLI Matrix client
+             neomutt         \ # CLI email client
+             thunderbird     \ # GUI email client
+             gnupg             # GPG key manager
+```
+
+From here, I use my Syncthing storage to pull all the configuration files I 
+stored from prior desktops, such as [my 
+dotfiles](https://git.sr.ht/~cmc/dotfiles).
+
+## Resolving Issues
+
+### WiFi Issues
+
+I initially tried to set up my Wi-Fi the standard way with `iwd`, but it didn't 
+work.
+
+Here is what I initially tried (I did all of this as `root`):
+
+```sh
+apk add iwd
+rc-service iwd start
+iwctl station wlan0 connect <SSID> # This will prompt for the password
+rc-update add iwd boot && rc-update add dbus boot
+```
+
+Then, I added the Wi-Fi entry to the bottom of the networking interface file:
+
+```sh
+nano /etc/network/interfaces
+```
+
+```conf
+auto wlan0
+iface wlan0 inet dhcp
+```
+
+Finally, restart the networking service:
+
+```sh
+rc-service networking restart
+```
+
+My Wi-Fi interface would receive an IP address from the router, but it could 
+not ping anything in the network.
+To solve the Wi-Fi issues, I originally upgraded to Alpine's `edge` 
+repositories, which was unnecessary.
+
+Really, the solution was to enable the `NameResolvingService=resolvconf` in 
+`/etc/iwd/main.conf`.
+
+```sh
+doas nano /etc/iwd/main.conf
+```
+
+```conf
+[Network]
+
+NameResolvingService=resolvconf
+```
+
+Once I finished this process, my Wi-Fi is working flawlessly.
+
+### Sound Issues
+
+Same as with the Wi-Fi, I had no sound and could not control the mute/unmute or 
+volume buttons on my laptop.
+
+To resolve this, I installed 
+[pipewire](https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/PipeWire).
+
+```sh
+# Add your user to the following groups
+addgroup $USER audio
+addgroup $USER video
+
+# Install pipewire and other useful packages
+apk add pipewire wireplumber pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack pipewire-alsa
+```
+
+Finally, I needed to add `/usr/libexec/pipewire-launcher` to my 
+`.config/sway/config` file so that Pipewire would run every time I launched 
+sway.
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.config/sway/config
+```
+
+```conf
+# Run pipewire audio server
+exec /usr/libexec/pipewire-launcher
+
+# Example audio button controls
+bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ +5%
+bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -5%
+bindsym XF86AudioMute exec --no-startup-id pactl set-sink-mute @DEFAULT_SINK@ toggle
+bindsym XF86AudioMicMute exec --no-startup-id pactl set-source-mute @DEFAULT_SOURCE@ toggle
+```
+
+Note that I do not use bluetooth or screen sharing, so I won't cover those 
+options in this post.
+
+Other than these issues, I have a working Alpine desktop. No other complaints 
+thus far!