Arch Linux and Manjaro on TUXEDO computers - Arch Linux and Manjaro on TUXEDO computers - TUXEDO Computers

One of the most important distinguishing criteria between Linux distributions is the update strategy. Most distributors release one version of their distribution and then only deliver security updates and important bug fixes via the package sources. The only exceptions to this rule are usually central applications such as the browser (Firefox or Chromium), which would otherwise have important security vulnerabilities and where users expect updates to be mandatory.

For other central components such as the kernel, only security patches are backported to the delivered version; the version number of the corresponding package does not change as a result. Only when a distribution is upgraded from one version to the next is the entire software inventory brought up to date. Most major distributions such as Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu work according to this principle.

Rolling Release Distributions

The situation is completely different with rolling release distributions. Once installed, the entire operating system always remains up-to-date - from the application programs to the desktop environment, right down to the operating system kernel and drivers. These distributions include Arch Linux, the Arch-derived Manjaro, as well as Siduction or the Tumbleweed branch of openSUSE. There is also an – albeit unofficial – rolling release branch of Ubuntu called Rolling Rhino Remix.

Rolling release does not necessarily mean bleeding-edge, i.e. the provision of updated packages in the shortest possible time after the official release by the developers. Major updates, such as those of desktop environments and the associated underlying frameworks GTK or Qt, may well take a few weeks for the new features to be rolled out to users. Through extensive testing, the package maintainers of the distributions ensure that the updated software harmonizes well with the rest of the software.

Intermediate path with TUXEDO OS

With TUXEDO OS we are making a compromise between rolling release and „point release“, i.e. the classic versioning model. TUXEDO OS uses its own package sources so that important central components such as the KDE Plasma desktop, the kernel, Mesa, Pipewire and Wireplumber as well as the Firefox browser can be updated independently. Our driver configuration service Tomte ensures that the system configuration is always up-to-date without users having to do anything themselves.

Arch/Manjaro on TUXEDO notebooks

The most frequently used rolling release distros include Arch Linux and Manjaro, which itself is based on Arch but maintains its own package sources. With its graphical installation routine and preconfigured desktop images, Manjaro is aimed at users who expect their computer to be installed quickly and as easily as possible. Arch Linux, on the other hand, does without a graphical installation wizard: The recommended installation is done by hand on the command line, with instructions (in German or English) guiding you through the process. In the meantime, however, there is also archinstall, a script that does a lot of the work for the user during installation.

Since the installation process of Arch Linux is constantly changing and the Wiki guides the community step by step through the installation, we will not provide our own installation instructions here. Despite all the simplifications, installing Arch Linux still requires some Linux know-how. If you are unsure about partitioning the drives, if terms such as Pulseaudio, WirePlumber or NetworkManager mean nothing to you, then we recommend that you take the step to Manjaro. You can also install this distribution on suitable devices via the TUXEDO WebFAI.

Arch User Repository (AUR for short)

In contrast to TUXEDO OS, the TUXEDO Control Center and the hardware-specific kernel modules are not automatically installed when Arch Linux is installed on a TUXEDO notebook. Depending on the device, the system may therefore not work optimally. We therefore recommend installing the packages tuxedo-drivers-dkms and tuxedo-control-center-bin. However, Arch Linux does not yet have these packages in its official package sources. However, the community maintains installation recipes in the Arch User Repository. With an AUR helper like Yay the installation is quite easy.

sudo pacman -S --needed git base-devel

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git

cd yay

makepkg -si

Install Yay on your Arch computer according to the commands above. Then update the package sources (the parameters of yay correspond to the usual commands of pacman). The following command will then install the kernel modules and the TUXEDO Control Center (please adapt the linux-headers package to the kernel you have installed). In future, keep the system, including all components and the programs installed from the AUR, up to date by calling yay -Syu.

yay -Syu

yay -S tuxedo-control-center-bin tuxedo-drivers-dkms linux-headers

To load the kernel modules, you must now restart the computer. You can then use lsmod | grep tuxedo to check whether the system was able to load the kernel modules tuxedo_io and tuxedo_keyboard successfully. If this is the case, call up the TUXEDO Control Center from the application menu. The program can then be used to control the hardware profiles as usual. As with TUXEDO OS, the computer should only spin up the fan when required and the maximum computer performance should be available. In order for the TCC to appear in the tray bar under Gnome, as shown in the illustration, you must install the extension AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support.

lsmod | grep tuxedo
(out)tuxedo_io                   24576   0  
(out)tuxedo_keyboard             110592  2  clevo_acpi,tuxedo_io
(out)tuxedo_compatibility_check  12288   1  tuxedo_keyboard
(out)sparse_keymap               12288   2  intel_hid,tuxedo_keyboard
(out)led_class_multicolor        16384   1  tuxedo_keyboard

Optional: TUXEDO Tools

In addition to the TUXEDO Control Center and TUXEDO drivers, you can also find other TUXEDO tools in the AUR. For example, if you want to create a WebFAI stick, install the package tuxedo-webfai-creator-bin.

yay -S tuxedo-webfai-creator-bin

Manjaro on a TUXEDO notebook

With Manjaro, you do not need to use the Arch User Repository. The distribution integrates the TUXEDO Control Center and also the kernel modules of many TUXEDO devices into its own package sources. However, the required packages are not installed automatically. To integrate the Control Center, first determine the currently used kernel with the help of Manjaro hardware detection and then import the header files accordingly. In our example, kernel linux61 is installed, so we need the linux61-headers. Then install the Control Center and the kernel modules. After a restart, the Control Center will be fully available.

mhwd-kernel -li
(out)Currently running: 6.1.1-1-MANJARO (linux61)
(out)The following kernels are installed in your system:
(out)   * linux61

pamac install linux61-headers

pamac install tuxedo-control-center-bin tuxedo-drivers-dkms

Rolling Release as an alternative

We generally recommend that customers also choose TUXEDO OS when purchasing a TUXEDO device. The system is optimally prepared for our devices. Assistants such as Tomte take care of the configurations in the background so that the system is always up to date and optimally configured. However, the two rolling release distributions Arch Linux and Manjaro offer themselves as an alternative to TUXEDO OS – albeit without our official support. TUXEDO Control Center and the TUXEDO kernel modules can be installed under both distributions without much effort. There are also entries in the community wiki for many TUXEDO devices.