[ SWRNEKO // DOTS_NEXT ]

Arch Linux / Hyprland / Noctalia Shell

A minimal, efficiency-oriented desktop environment configuration with a focus on clean aesthetics and smooth Wayland performance.

---

📺 SHOWCASE VIDEO

Click the image above to watch the full system showcase on YouTube

---

📦 01. Prerequisites & Dependencies

To ensure the system looks and functions exactly as shown in the video, you must install the following base packages.

Core Components (Arch Linux)

Use pacman to install the system core:

sudo pacman -S --needed \
    hyprland hyprlock \
    xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland xdg-desktop-portal-gtk \
    xorg-xwayland \
    grim slurp wl-clipboard \
    brightnessctl playerctl wireplumber \
    kitty nemo btop ttf-0xproto-nerd

Why these are important:

• XDG Portals: Essential for screen sharing (Discord/Zoom) and file picker dialogs.
• Font (0xProto Nerd Font): Hardcoded in Kitty and Noctalia configs. Without it, icons will appear as empty boxes.
• Utilities: grim/slurp handle screenshots, while playerctl manages media playback via keybindings.

External Modules (AUR)

These components should be installed via an AUR helper (e.g., yay or paru):

1. Noctalia Shell: Installation Guide. The heart of the UI (panels, widgets, and launcher).
2. Zen Browser: My primary browser. You can change this to your preferred browser in the hyprland.conf file.

---

🚀 02. Installation Procedure

I recommend a manual installation to ensure full control over your configuration files.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Clone the dots into your home directory:

git clone https://github.com/swrneko/dots-next.git
cd dots-next

Step 2: System Backup (Safety First)

Before applying the dots, we will move your existing configurations to a backup folder to prevent any data loss.

# Create a backup directory
mkdir -p ~/dotfiles_backup

# Move existing directories (errors will be ignored if folders don't exist)
mv ~/.config/hypr ~/dotfiles_backup/ 2>/dev/null
mv ~/.config/kitty ~/dotfiles_backup/ 2>/dev/null
mv ~/.config/noctalia ~/dotfiles_backup/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Apply Configuration

Copy the .config content from this repository to your system:

cp -r .config/* ~/.config/

---

⚙️ 03. Hardware Adaptation (Critical Nuances)

After copying the files, you must adjust a few settings to match your hardware, otherwise, the system might fail to boot or perform poorly.

1. Display Configuration

Hyprland needs to know your monitor's resolution and refresh rate.

1. Open the config: nano ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf
2. Locate the DISPLAYS section.
3. The default is set to: monitor=,preferred,auto,auto
4. If you have a specific monitor (e.g., 144Hz or 4K), modify it accordingly. Example for a 2K 144Hz monitor: monitor=DP-1, 2560x1440@144, 0x0, 1 (Run hyprctl monitors in your terminal to find your output name).

2. NVIDIA Support

Hyprland works best on AMD/Intel. If you are using an NVIDIA GPU, you must uncomment (remove the #) these lines in hyprland.conf:

env = LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME,nvidia
env = XDG_SESSION_TYPE,wayland
env = GBM_BACKEND,nvidia-drm
env = __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME,nvidia

Failure to do this may result in a black screen, crashes, or visual artifacts.

---

⌨️ 04. System Keybindings

Shortcut	Action	Description
SUPER + RET	Terminal	Launch Kitty
SUPER + D	Launcher	Open Application Menu (Noctalia)
SUPER + E	Explorer	Open Nemo File Manager
SUPER + Q	Kill	Close focused window
SUPER + SHFT + Q	Exit	Terminate Hyprland session
SUPER + CTRL + L	Lock	Lock screen immediately (Hyprlock)
PrintScreen	Shot	Select area for screenshot

Note: The SUPER key is usually the Windows logo key.

---

🛠️ 05. Troubleshooting

• Black screen on login: Double-check your monitor settings in hyprland.conf and ensure GPU drivers are installed.
• Missing Panels: Ensure Noctalia Shell is installed and the qs command is available in your PATH.
• Broken Icons: You likely missed the ttf-0xproto-nerd package.

If you encounter a bug or have a suggestion, please open an Issue or leave a comment under the video. Enjoy!