How to Install and Configure Awesome WM on Arch Linux

Arch Linux is known for its simplicity, flexibility, and minimalism, which makes it a perfect environment for lightweight window managers like Awesome WM. Awesome is a highly configurable, dynamic window manager for X. It is particularly targeted at power users, developers, and anyone who wants to fine-tune their desktop environment for maximum productivity.

This article will guide you through the installation, basic configuration, and post-install enhancements of Awesome WM on Arch Linux. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a functional and personalized Awesome WM setup.

🧰 Prerequisites

Before diving into the installation, make sure that:

• You have Arch Linux installed.
• You have access to the internet.
• You are familiar with using the terminal.
• You have a user account with sudo privileges.
• You have a working X environment or at least the basic X server packages installed.

If your system does not have a graphical environment yet, make sure to install the Xorg server:

sudo pacman -S xorg-server xorg-xinit xterm

🚀 Step 1: Install Awesome WM

Awesome is available in the official Arch Linux repositories. You can install it with pacman:

sudo pacman -S awesome

This installs the core Awesome WM binaries and its Lua-based configuration files.

🎨 Step 2: Install a Display Manager or xinit

You can launch Awesome either through a Display Manager (DM) like GDM, LightDM, or through startx.

Option A: Using startx and .xinitrc

If you want to keep things minimal:

1. Edit or create the ~/.xinitrc file:

nano ~/.xinitrc

2. Add the following line:

exec awesome

3. Save and exit, then start X with:

startx

Option B: Using a Display Manager

If you prefer a graphical login, install a DM like LightDM:

sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
sudo systemctl enable lightdm.service
sudo systemctl start lightdm.service

Awesome will appear as a session option in the DM’s session menu.

🛠️ Step 3: Configure Awesome WM

Awesome uses Lua for its configuration. The default config files are located in /etc/xdg/awesome/. However, it’s recommended to copy them to your home directory:

mkdir -p ~/.config/awesome
cp /etc/xdg/awesome/rc.lua ~/.config/awesome/

Now you can begin customizing:

nano ~/.config/awesome/rc.lua

Let’s break down some of the key sections of rc.lua:

Key Areas in rc.lua

1. Theme: Awesome uses themes for visual elements like colors and fonts. You can switch themes by editing:

   beautiful.init(gears.filesystem.get_themes_dir() .. "default/theme.lua")
   

   You can replace "default/theme.lua" with another theme path.

2. Key Bindings: This section defines how you interact with the WM using the keyboard. You can add your own hotkeys or modify existing ones.

   Example:

   awful.key({ modkey }, "Return", function () awful.spawn(terminal) end,
             {description = "open a terminal", group = "launcher"})
   

   This binds Mod + Enter to open your default terminal.

3. Autostart Applications: Add a section near the top of your config to autostart programs:

   awful.spawn.with_shell("picom &")
   awful.spawn.with_shell("nm-applet &")
   awful.spawn.with_shell("volumeicon &")
   

🧩 Step 4: Install Essential Utilities

To make Awesome more functional and user-friendly, install the following:

1. Terminal Emulator

sudo pacman -S kitty

Set it as your default terminal in rc.lua:

terminal = "kitty"

2. File Manager

You can use Thunar or PCManFM:

sudo pacman -S thunar

3. Compositor (for transparency and effects)

sudo pacman -S picom

Autostart it by adding to your config:

awful.spawn.with_shell("picom --config ~/.config/picom.conf")

4. Network Manager Applet

sudo pacman -S network-manager-applet

Autostart with:

awful.spawn.with_shell("nm-applet")

🌈 Step 5: Enhance the Look

Install a Theme

You can install themes manually or use a theme manager like awesome-wm-widgets or clone from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/lcpz/awesome-copycats ~/.config/awesome/themes/copycats

Adjust your rc.lua accordingly:

beautiful.init("~/.config/awesome/themes/copycats/multicolor/theme.lua")

Font & Icon Themes

sudo pacman -S ttf-nerd-fonts-symbols ttf-font-awesome

Install icon themes:

sudo pacman -S papirus-icon-theme

Set icon theme via lxappearance:

sudo pacman -S lxappearance

⌨️ Step 6: Customize Keybindings

Keybindings are configured in rc.lua. Here’s how to add custom ones:

Open Browser (Mod + B)

awful.key({ modkey }, "b", function () awful.spawn("firefox") end,
          {description = "open browser", group = "launcher"})

Lock Screen

Install a screen locker:

sudo pacman -S i3lock

Bind it:

awful.key({ modkey, "Control" }, "l", function () awful.spawn("i3lock") end,
          {description = "lock screen", group = "system"})

⚙️ Step 7: Autostart with autorun.sh

For complex startup routines, use an external script:

1. Create the script:

mkdir -p ~/.config/awesome
nano ~/.config/awesome/autorun.sh

2. Example contents:

#!/bin/bash
nm-applet &
picom &
volumeicon &

3. Make it executable:

chmod +x ~/.config/awesome/autorun.sh

4. In rc.lua:

awful.spawn.with_shell("~/.config/awesome/autorun.sh")

🧪 Step 8: Restart and Test

To apply changes:

• Restart Awesome with Mod + Ctrl + r.
• Alternatively, log out and log back in.

Use the terminal or keybindings to verify everything works. You can troubleshoot by running:

awesome -k  # check config syntax

or

awesome --replace  # reload awesome in place

🧠 Tips for Productivity

• Use dmenu or rofi for application launching:

sudo pacman -S rofi

Launch with:

awful.spawn("rofi -show drun")

• Use workspaces (tags) effectively.
• Customize widget bars with awesome-wm-widgets.
• Monitor system with conky or Awesome widgets.

🧹 Optional: Remove GNOME/KDE Services

If you’re migrating from a heavier desktop environment:

sudo systemctl disable gdm.service
sudo pacman -Rns gnome

Be cautious and only remove packages you no longer need.

✅ Conclusion

Awesome WM is an exceptional tool for users who want a fast, minimalist, and fully configurable desktop experience. While it has a learning curve, especially due to its Lua-based configuration, it rewards users with a high level of control and performance.

With this guide, you’ve gone from a base Arch install to a polished Awesome WM setup. From here, you can explore more advanced Lua scripting, create custom widgets, or even build your own themes.