Howto articles

The information on this page will be updated to be more consistent with changes made from the first Spartacus release to Edelweißpiraten

Please use the FAQ first.

antiX-FAQ
antiX-13:

http://www.mepisimo.com/antix/Released/antiX-13/FAQ/index.html

antiX-12:

http://www.mepisimo.com/antix/Released/FAQ/index.html

Perguntas frequentes em português (antiX-M11): http://sblinux.org/antix-port/

Old Beginners Guide Pre-Vetëvendosje! release.

As from antiX-M8, but especially for the antiX-M11 release and later editions, it is recommended to set language before booting the live system to be installed, by selecting your language from the boot menu [F2]. This way, locale settings propagate to all required places for the installed system and don't require cumbersome changes once installed to hard drive.

If your language is supported, both fluxbox and icewm menus and antiX specific applications such as the antiX Control Centre will be in your chosen language and the nearest Debian mirror automatically set in /etc/apt/sources.list

If your language choice is not available in the menu F2, then simply add the following cheatcode at the boot menu.

lang=XXX  where XXX is the standard used, eg for czech lang=cs or lang=cs_CZ

On first boot after install, users will be asked to set up their timezone.

Rox tips and tricks
antiX uses the Rox-filer application for managing files. It is a single pane file organiser, which may take some getting used to in the beginning. This application has a lot more to offer though. Have a look.
 * Getting Started


 * Make Rox-desktop Permanent


 * Adding Icons to Desktop


 * Customise Icons on Desktop


 * Save Your Own Rox-desktop


 * Rox Hotkeys

Fluxbox Tips and Tricks
The default windows manager for antiX-base is fluxbox. It is a very light, fast and flexible windows manager. Here are some tips to get started and get the most out of it.
 * First Time User


 * Keyboard Shortcuts -Basic


 * Edit Fluxbox Menu


 * Tabbed Windows


 * Configure Toolbar


 * Transparency


 * Update Fluxbox Menu


 * Add Keyboard Language

Command Line Apps
antiX comes with many command line applications (CLI's) as well as GUI's. Why not try a few of these?


 * Setting Up mpd/ncmpc Music Player


 * rtorrent


 * screen


 * irssi


 * raggle rss reader


 * lxdvdshrink


 * newsbeuter RSS/Atom reader


 * moc audio player


 * alpine mail


 * ripit audio ripper


 * abcde audio ripper


 * nano text editor

Further Lighten antiX
antiX offers users plenty of choice; 2 windows managers and an option to use the Rox-desktop. You may wish to 'lighten' antiX further by removing applications you don't need, using startx rather than slim and editing the run level, for example. Have a look at some user tips to make antiX truly yours! (Many thanks to macondo for all his tips)


 * IceWM and startx
 * Sudo and Ratpoison!
 * Debianise me!

Installation Tips
antiX can be installed to hard-disk, usb drive (as a livecd) and to a cd. Here are some installation tips and tricks.


 * Boot from iso on hard-disk

Asus EEEPC Install Tips

Install on Asus EEE PC AntiX 8.2 Install on Asus EEE PC using External 8 Gig SD Flash Drive Card Link to Rokytnjis Blog

AntiX 8.5 Full Install on Asus EEEPC 900 Internal dual SSD drive Netbook. Link to Rokytnjis Blog.

Limiting writes to SSD on Asus EEEPC 900

Moving /home to secondary 16gig SSD on Asus EEEPC 900

AntiX 11 EEEPC 900 Install

antiX 12 install on Asus EeePC 900 step-by-step

antix2usb (for antiX-M11 series)
You can use the livecd/liveusb/fromiso live (as well as installed antiX) to install an antiX.iso file to usb stick via the antix2usb application.

1. Boot from live media

2. Open antiXcc -> Disks -> antix2usb, provide root password

3. Select Iso file - Navigate to the antiX.iso file

4. Choose a system partition size of circa 10 MB bigger than the selected Iso file

5. Set options for antix2usb ie persistent.

6. Make sure hal is disabled before hitting Apply (/etc/init.d/hal stop)

7. Once finished, you should have a bootable live usb stick with persistence enabled

8. If you have an older computer, you might need to add this to the /boot/grub/menu.lst to stop being dropped to a limited shell, when booting from the usb stick.

rootdelay=10

Using persistence with live media
Works best with usb devices or as a frugal install.


 * Using liveusb with persistence


 * frugal install

Wicd
In antiX 8.5 Wicd's default is for wired, if you have wireless this is one way to get connected.

Control Center--> Network--> Connect Wirelessly (wicd) The first time it is run The Wicd Network Manager pops up with wired network as default, click on +Add, a pop up box with Enter Profile name comes up, in Profile Name enter wireless--> Click OK--> Click Preferences--> Enter your wireless interface (eth0,ath0,wlan0,etc), if you only connect wirelessly, remove the interface from the wired. Note:(If the pop up box does not come up, then go to preferences and enter your wireless interface (eth0,ath0,wlan0,etc)

Note: Under External Programs tab, the DHCP client default is set to Automatic, if you get an ip address, but cannot connect to the www, then return here and try dhclient.

Click Ok--> Refresh (wicd will run iwlist scan) you should now be able to choose your essid. Check the Automatically Connect to this network-->click on properties--> choose your encryption scheme and enter your password in the Key box--click OK--> click on connect on your essid and you should get a connection.

In the complete sequence below remember that those in parenthesis will be your entries. Control Center--> Network--> Connect Wirelessly--> Add--> (wireless)--> OK--> Click Preferences--> (eth0,ath0,etc)--> OK--> Refresh--> Properties--> (enter Password)--> OK--> Connect

If you have a hidden essid, under the Network Tab on the Wicd Network Manager you can click on Find a hidden network, then you can enter your essid and connect.

Ceni
Curses interface to /etc/network/interfaces A Curses user interface for configuring network interfaces with ifupdown. Ceni can manage basic network interface configuration stanzas for ethernet and wireless devices.

In antiX 8.5 to get connected.

Wired:

antiX Control Center--> Network--> Network interfaces (ceni)--> click on ethernet--> accept

You should now be connected.

Note: If you have the BCM 4401-B0 ethernet you will need to comment out these lines: in /etc/modprobe.d/b43.conf as root.

ssb true b44 true

then: modprobe ssb && modprobe b44

then restart ceni.

Wireless:

antiX Control Center--> Network--> Network Interfaces--> click on your hardware interface (ex. eth0 wireless 00:00:00:00:00:00 ipw220 INTEL PRO 2915ABG) --> reconfigure eth0 (or whatever yours is ath0,wlan0,etc)--> Scan--> Choose a wireless network--> enter pw for WPA or WEP, or choose none if no encryption --> Accept--> Accept--> enter--> yes

You should now be connected.

Printing

 * HP printers

Xdelta

 * xdelta

cli-installer

 * cli-installer

Install a Desktop Environment
Use the meta-installer included in antiX to install a variety of desktop environments.

The meta-installer is set up to easily install the following desktop environments:


 * lxde
 * lxde-basic
 * KDE4
 * KDE4-lite
 * KDE-standard
 * Gnome-ultra
 * Gnome-lite
 * XFCE4
 * XFCE4-lite
 * fvwm-crystal
 * MATE

auto-start devices
Do you want your audio cd to start automatically when you insert it?

Do you want your dvd to do the same?

Do you want your usb sticks to automount and open its contents?

Well antiX can do all that via spacefm. Here is how.

1. Make sure no other auto-detect application is running ie If it hasn't already been done, rename etc/udev/rules.d/90-fstab-automount.rules to 90-fstab-automount.rules.live-only, or the same if you use etc/udev/rules.d/99-usbstorage.rules. If you use /home/username/.xinitrc-custom, comment out the which line.

2. Add spacefm -d & to your windows manager startup file (no & for icewm)

A better alternative is to add it to .xinitrc-custom so it is set for all windows managers.

3. Restart the windows manager (or logout/login)

4. Plugin usb device and spacefm should open to its contents. If you want rox to open rather than SpaceFM, you'll also want to turn off Settings|Auto Mount|Open Tab

and then Devices|Settings|Auto Run|On Mount and type rox or rox %m

5. Simply unplug to auto-unmount.

6. For audio cd. Open SpaceFM. In the Devices area, right-click, -> |Settings|Auto Run|On Audio Cd and type xmms /media/cdrom in the pop up. (choose the correct media mount point) Exit SpaceFM, insert an audio cd and after about 5 seconds, xmms should open and play.

7. For video. Open SpaceFM. In the Devices area, right-click, -> |Settings|Auto Run|On Video DVD and type mplayer /dev/sr0 in the pop up. (choose the correct /dev mount point for your dvd.) You can also change mplayer for gnome-mplayer. Exit SpaceFM, insert a video dvd and after about 5 seconds, mplayer should open and play.

Thanks to IgorantGuru of SpaceFM.

antiX live cheatcodes
These are the specific cheatcodes useful for running antiX live.


 * lean - This disables some services that are (usually) not needed when running live.
 * Xtralean - Disables more services including wicd.
 * mean - Disables network connection.
 * nogui - Disables SLiM login manager. (Better to use init 3 instead though)
 * Rox - Sets up Rox desktop with some icons. Carries over to install.
 * desktop=X - For initial live antiX, options include icewm or fluxbox. However with persist options other desktops and windows managers are possible ie lxde, xfce, fvwm-crystal, kde, gnome, openbox
 * dpi=XX - Sets the dpi. Default in antiX is 96.

For persistence:

See here for more details on persistence.
 * homefs=UUID=XXX or homefs=/dev/XXX or homefs=LABEL=XXX
 * rootfs=UUID=XXX or rootfs=/dev/XXX or rootfs=LABEL=XXX

Apps Used in antiX

 * Applications used in antiX-12
 * Link to full list of applications. antiX-12 antiX-12-base antiX-12-core-libre

.xinitrc

 * xinitrc

Mirror antiX

 * Mirror antiX