Zichen "Charles" Zhang

An Art and Sports Aficionado who is unveiling the beauty of Mathematics and Computer Science behind the Artificial Intelligence

Configure Dual-Boot Linux (Manjaro) to the Laptop (Blade 15 2022) for Everything

It is crazy to configure Linux to a latest released laptop, especially for a newbie to the hardware and system (like me), so I would like to share my major configurations journal here for others (and just in case I need to rebuild everything if it is crashed in the future…)

Charles Zhang

Machine Info

Machine Info

  • System
    • Kernel: 5.17.6-1-MANJARO, arch: x86_64
    • Desktop: Xfce v: 4.16.0,dou dm: LightDM
    • Distro: Manjaro Linux, base: Arch Linux
  • Machine
    • Type: laptop, System: Razer, Product: Blade 15 (2022) - RZ09-0421
  • CPU
    • 12th Intel Core i7-12800H, Arch: Alder Lake
    • Cores: 14, Threads: 20, RAN: 32 GB
  • GPU
    • Intel Alder Lake-P Integrated Graphics
      • Driver: i915
    • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
      • Driver: nvidia510
      • VRAM: 16 GB

Basic Installation and Configuration

  • Download Manjaro iso image: here
    • linux kernel version: 5.15
      • Not support WiFi driver => need to update to 5.17
  • Flash iso to USB by Etcher: here
  • F12 boot with USB
  • Wired connection (e.g. by phone hotspot)
  • Install Manjaro and reboot
  • Update to kernel version 5.17 (for iwlwifi driver for wifi):
    • sudo pacman -Sy	# synchronizing community database
sudo pacman -R linux515-nvidia	# remove conflict dependencies 
sudo mhwd-kernel -i linux517  # install 5.17
      • Or install from Manjaro Setting Manager/Kernel
    • Remove kennel 5.15
    • Reboot
  • Extended monitor is not working:
    • Append in /etc/default/grub
      • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=“pci=realloc”
  • Nvidia sanity check
    • Ideal output of pacman -Qs linux517-:
    • local/linux517-headers 5.17.6-1
  Header files and scripts for building modules for Linux517 kernel
local/linux517-nvidia 510.68.02-4 (linux517-extramodules)
  NVIDIA drivers for linux.
      • Otherwise:
        • sudo pacman -S linux517-headers linux517-nvidia
      • Reboot
  • Stop random sleeping (logout) issue
    • Edit in /etc/default/grub:
      • Append command inside the quotes of GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=’ … ’ :
        • button.lid_init_state=open
    • To update:
      • sudo update-grub`
  • RAM swap
    • pamac install systemd-swap # install
    • Edit /etc/systemd/swap.conf
      • `zswap_enabled=1`
`swapfc_enabled=1`

    • sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-swap.service	# activate
    • Optional check status
      • sudo systemctl status systemd-swap.service
  • Common WiFi Security setup:
    • xfinity
      • Security: WPA & WPA2 Enterprise
      • Authentication: Tunneled TLS
      • No CA certificate is required
      • Inner authentication: PAP
      • Username & Password
    • eduroam (and college’s WiFi)
      • Security: WPA & WPA2 Enterprise
      • Authentication: Protected EAL (PEAP)
      • Domain: xxx.edu
      • No CA certificate is required
      • PEAP version: Automatic
      • Inner authentication: MMSCHAPv2
      • Username & password
    • WiFi needs login/register with redirected portal
  • Troubleshooting
    • Buzzing sound when output sounds
      • Uninstall wireplumber and install pipewire-media-session
      • Otherwise: discussion here
  • More MacOS / Windows-like extra configurations, e.g. touchpad gestures, mission control, Windows IR Face ID, and so forth, can be found in the section Personal Configuration.
  • Known unresolvable issues (waiting for updates):
    • No microphone (input audio)
    • Reversed sound output

Python Environment (& MuJoCo)

  • Miniconda
    • wget https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
source .bashrc
  • MuJoCo
    • wget https://mujoco.org/download/mujoco210-linux-x86_64.tar.gz 
mkdir ~/.mujoco
tar xf mujoco210-linux-x86_64.tar.gz -C ~/.mujoco
    • Extra work to build from scratch for Manjaro:
      • git clone https://github.com/openai/mujoco-py
cd mujoco-py
pip install -e . --no-cache     # after activate conda env
    • Render troubleshooting:
      • Missing path to your environment variable
        • export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$HOME/.mujoco/mujoco210/bin:/usr/lib/nvidia
          • or add in python file
            • os.environ[
  "LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
] = f"{os.environ['$LD_LIBRARY_PATH']}:{os.environ['HOME']}/.mujoco/mujoco210/bin:/usr/lib/nvidia"
      • GLEW initialization error: Missing GL version
        • export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libGLEW.so
      • libGL error: failed to load driver: i965 and swrast issues
        • sudo find / -wholename "*conda*/**/libstdc++.so*"
conda install libgcc
# check if conflicts
sudo find / -wholename "*conda*/**/libstdc++.so*"
rm ~/miniconda3/envs/<env_name>/lib/libstdc++*
  • PyTorch
    • conda install pytorch torchvision torchaudio cudatoolkit=11.3 -c pytorch
      • Though cuda is 11.6 for the system
      • Otherwise, error occurs:
        • RuntimeError: CUDA error: no kernel image is available for execution on the device

SSH

  • sudo pacman -S openssh
sudo systemctl status sshd.service
sudo systemctl enable sshd.service
sudo systemctl start sshd.service
  • Generate key
    • e.g. ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "xxx@xxx.org"
    • Add to ~/.ssh/config (or need to /etc/ssh/ssh_config) for login username
      • HOST *  
  USER charlesz
    • ssh-keygen -y for pub key
  • Troubleshooting:
    • …bad permissions…
      • chmod 400 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config
  • same network ip ip ad => ssh <username>@<ip>
  • With port forwarding
    • ssh <username>@<WAN ip address> -p <port>
    • Modify in /etc/ssh/sshd_config for ports
    • systemctl restart sshd
      • ss -tln to double-check

Personal Configuration

  • AUR, Snap for extension
  • Hot key command for terminal
    • xfce4-terminal
  • Crop screen: flameshot
    • Hot key command
      • flameshot gui
  • Record screen: SimpleScreenRecorder
  • VS code (refined version)
    • Need for symlink
      sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap/snap
  • MacOS style ref
  • Customize "show all application windows" (expose mission control)
    • cp /etc/xdg/skippy-xd.rc ~/.config/skippy-xd/skippy-xd.rc
    • Edit in ~/.config/skippy-xd/skippy-xd.rc
    • movePointerOnStart = false
switchDesktopOnActivate = true
Opacity=255	  # 0-255
background = scale mid mid /path/to/file
    • on-start command
      • skippy-xd --start-daemon
    • Customized hotkey command skippy-xd
  • Chinese pinyin:
    • sudo pacman -S fcitx-im fcitx-configtool fcitx-cloudpinyin fcitx-sunpinyin
    • Add to ~/.xprofile
      • export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx
    • Reboot
    • Hot key: Ctrl+space
  • Gestures:
    • sudo pacman -S xdotool libinput-gestures
sudo gpasswd -a <user_name> input #add user in input group
libinput-gestures-setup desktop 	# set up the application using the DE
libinput-gestures-setup autostart 	# enable the app to start automatically in the background
libinput-gestures-setup start 		# start the app immediately in the background
      • Troubleshooting: if libinput-gestures failed to start as a desktop application.
        • sudo gpasswd -a $USER input	# set user to group first
        • Reboot
    • Add to ~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf:
      • # Zoom in / Zoom out
gesture: pinch out xdotool key Ctrl+plus
gesture: pinch in xdotool key Ctrl+minus
# TODO smoothing scroll not working
# gesture: pinch out xdotool key Super_L+equal
# gesture: pinch in xdotool key Super_L+minus

# Switch between desktops
gesture: swipe left 4 xdotool set_desktop --relative 1
gesture: swipe right 4 xdotool set_desktop --relative -- -1

# Full screen windows (tasks) switcher (F11 & ESC)
gesture: swipe up 4 xdotool key 0xffc8
gesture: swipe down 4 xdotool key 0xff1b

# Tile windows (hotkey may different)
gesture: swipe left 3 xdotool key Super_L+Left
gesture: swipe right 3 xdotool key Super_L+Right
gesture: swipe up 3 xdotool key Super_L+Up
gesture: swipe down 3 xdotool key Super_L+Down
gesture: swipe left_up 3 xdotool key Ctrl+Super_L+Up
gesture: swipe left_down 3 xdotool key Ctrl+Super_L+Down
gesture: swipe right_up 3 xdotool key Alt+Super_L+Up
gesture: swipe right_down 3 xdotool key Alt+Super_L+Down
    • Reboot
    • Xdotoll list of key codes: here
  • Github desktop troubleshooting (for UI fans): Authentication failed: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.secrets: Failed to execute program org.freedesktop.secrets: No such file or directory
    • sudo pacman -S gnome-keyring libsecret
    • if still not working, try SSH keys
    • if still not working
      • in .git/config manually set
        • url=https://username:token@github.repo.git
  • Tmux
    • Enable mouse:
      • Add in .tmux.conf:
        • set -g mouse on

      • tmux kill-server && tmux
      • After this, selection automatically copied
      • Paste: Ctrl+b ]
    • CheatSheet (prefix Ctrl+b)
      • tmux new -s session_name
      • tmux equivalent to tmux new -s 0 # (or 1, 2, 3, …)
      • tmux ls
      • Ctrl+b % Split current pane horizontally into two panes
      • Ctrl+b " Split current pane vertically into two panes
      • Ctrl+d close current pane
      • Ctrl+b d detach
      • tmux a -t <session_name>	# attach
      • Ctrl+b c Create a new window (with shell)
      • Ctrl+b w Choose window from a list
      • Ctrl+b 0 Switch to window 0 (by number )
      • Ctrl+b , Rename the current window
  • Face ID (Windows near infrared (IR) camera):
    • Install howdy (or yay -S --editmenu howdy)
    • mpv /dev/video2	  # find IR camera, mostly video2
    • Edit /lib/security/howdy/config.ini
      • certainty = 4.5	# faster recognize
device_path = /dev/video2	# or whatever for IR
dark_threshold = 100
    • Register face
      sudo howdy add
    • Add auth sufficient pam_python.so/lib/security/howdy/pam.py in
      • /etc/pam.d/sudo for sudo
      • system-local-login and e.t.c. for unlock screen, download apps, e.t.c.
  • Open folder from terminal:
    •   xdg-open .  # current dir, or /path/to/folder
  • Logi-tech mouse button configuration GUI
    • Piper
  • Hot corner
    • xfce-hotcorner-plugin