Pantheon

Summary
This article covers basic installation procedures and configuration methods for Pantheon, the default desktop environment of elementary OS.
Related
GNOME: A DE which is also based on GTK3.

Pantheon is the default desktop environment originally created for the elementary OS distribution. It is written from scratch using Vala and the GTK3 toolkit. With regards to usability and appearance, the desktop has some similarities with GNOME Shell and Mac OS X.

Installation

Pantheon is split into several packages which are available in the AUR. To get a minimal desktop interface, you may start by installing pantheon-session-bzr. This will pull the following core components:

• cerbere-bzr: Watchdog service to keep core Pantheon apps running
• gala-bzr: Window Manager
• wingpanel-bzr: Top panel

Note: You will need to install at least one indicator, otherwise wingpanel will not launch.

• slingshot-launcher-bzr: Application launcher
• plank-bzr: Pantheon bottom dock

Additionally, you may install the following packages:

• audience-bzr: Video player
• contractor-bzr: Service for sharing data between apps
• dexter-contacts-bzr: Contacts manager (does not build)
• eidete-bzr: Simple screencaster
• elementary-icon-theme: elementary icons
• elementary-scan-bzr: Simple scan utility
• gtk-theme-elementary: elementary GTK theme
• feedler-bzr: RSS feeds reader (does not build)
• footnote-bzr: Note taking app
• geary: Email client
• indicator-pantheon-session-bzr: Session indicator
• lightdm-pantheon-greeter-bzr: LightDM greeter
• maya-calendar-bzr: Calendar
• midori-granite: Web browser
• noise: Audio player
• pantheon-calculator-bzr: Calculator
• pantheon-files-bzr: File explorer
• pantheon-notify-bzr: Notification daemon
• pantheon-print-bzr: Print settings
• pantheon-terminal-bzr: Terminal emulator
• plank-theme-pantheon-bzr: Pantheon theme for plank
• scratch-text-editor-bzr: Text editor
• snap-photobooth-bzr: Webcam app
• switchboard-bzr: Settings manager

Note: You will also need to install plugs, look for "switchboard-plug-*" in the AUR.

• webcontracts-bzr: Web services contracts for use with contractor-bzr

Additional Infos

Unofficial repository

I have set up an unofficial repository for pantheon packages: http://pkgbuild.com/~alucryd/pantheon/. Add the following lines at the top of your sources in /etc/pacman.conf:

[pantheon]
SigLevel = Optional
Server = http://pkgbuild.com/~alucryd/$repo/$arch

Note: This repository only contains some stable packages atm. A bug in devtools makes it impossible to build bzr packages. Patch has already been submitted, but since the build server cannot be patched, we need to wait for the next devtools release.

Github repository

All Pantheon related PKGBUILDs can be found on my GitHub repository: https://github.com/alucryd/aur-alucryd/tree/master/pantheon

Packages based on older evolution-data-server

dexter-contacts-bzr and feedler-bzr do not build because they are based on evolution-data-server 3.2. Arch Linux provides version 3.8 which uses a different Vala API.

Wallpaper drawer

The pantheon wallpaper drawer, pantheon-wallpaper-bzr, has been deprecated in favor of the GNOME drawer. This used to be handled by nautilus, but since GNOME 3.8 it is handled directly by gnome-shell, which means we can't have GNOME drawing the wallpaper anymore.

Somehow, we can't use nitrogen either because gala seems to paint a black background all over it (kill gala and the wallpaper appears). Please keep using the deprecated drawer until a solution is found.

Note: There is a branch of gala which supports mutter 3.8. This branch enables gala to draw the wallpaper specified by the GNOME gsettings key directly. You can install gala-mutter38-bzr from the AUR to try it out.

Launching Pantheon

Via a Display Manager

pantheon-session-bzr provides a session entry for display managers such as gdm or lightdm.

Note: Either use the bzr version of cerbere or add 'gala' to the monitored processes for this to work.

Via .xinitrc

You can also use ~/.xinitrc with slim to launch the Pantheon shell. The following code will successfully launch a Pantheon session:

#!/bin/sh
 
if [ -d /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d ]; then
  for f in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/*; do
    [ -x "$f" ] && . "$f"
  done
  unset f
fi

gsettings-data-convert &
xdg-user-dirs-gtk-update &
/usr/lib/polkit-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1 &
/usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gnome-settings-daemon &
/usr/lib/gnome-user-share/gnome-user-share &
eval $(gnome-keyring-daemon --start --components=pkcs11,secrets,ssh,gpg)
export GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL GNOME_KEYRING_PID GPG_AGENT_INFO SSH_AUTH_SOCK
exec cerbere

Note: Either use the bzr version of cerbere or add 'gala' to the monitored processes for this to work.

Autostart applications

Pantheon, when launched via ~/.xinitrc, does not support XDG autostart. However, there are 2 other ways to achieve this for applications which do not provide a systemd unit:

• You may add any program to your ~/.xinitrc, preferably right between the cerbere and gala lines. This is the better choice for one-shot programs.
• Or you may edit the org.pantheon.cerbere.monitored-processes key using dconf-editor and add the programs of your choice. This method is best for applications which keep running in the background.

Note: Keep in mind that applications started via cerbere cannot be terminated, they will keep respawning.

Configuration

Configuring Pantheon is done via switchboard-bzr and its plugs, some of which are available in the AUR, but close to none work as intended for the moment. Instead, most pantheon settings can be altered via dconf, they are located in the org.pantheon key. Use dconf-editor for easy editing.

Also, part of the configuration is handled by gnome-control-center via a dedicated plug, which unfortunately does not support GNOME 3.8. Use gnome-control-center itself and gnome-tweak-tool instead.