SETUP-DESKTOP(8)

📦 version 3.22.0, in alpine 3.24

💅 setup-desktop (section 8, bestie)

okay so real talk — this is a page from the System Manager's Manual, and it's all about setup-desktop, the lil script that installs a whole desktop environment for you so you don't have to hand-pick every package like some kind of medieval peasant. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

setup-desktop — install a desktop environment. that's it, that's the vibe. 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

setup-desktop [-h] [gnome | plasma | xfce | xfce-wayland | mate | sway |
lxqt | none]

like, you literally just hand it a name and it goes ✨

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

setup-desktop installs a standard desktop environment. iconic behavior, no notes. 👑

the accepted values are the ones listed up in the synopsis — gnome, plasma, xfce, xfce-wayland, mate, sway, lxqt, and none. and the value none? it just exits without changes. it's giving "i'm just here for the vibes," and honestly? respect. 🙈

the script installs the required packages for whichever desktop you picked, enables its display manager and other needed services in the default runlevel, and disables acpid if present. yes bestie it handles all of that for you, you're welcome 💅

and here's the cute part — if no user accounts exist (that's UID >= 1000, UID < 65000), setup-user is run to create one before installing the desktop. so you're never out here with a shiny new desktop and nobody to log in as 😭

heads up though: a warning is printed if no users exist after installation. so like... pay attention if that pops up, fr fr. ⚠️

🫶 OPTIONS 🫶

  • -h — display usage information and exit. the classic "wait what does this do again" button, we've all been there 🎀

⭐ EXIT STATUS ⭐

  • 0 — success!! slay!! you ate that 💖
  • non-zero — an error occurred. it's giving ✨something went wrong✨ and you should probably read the output 😭

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

iykyk, go read those next 👀

🌈 AUTHORS 🌈

Natanael Copa <ncopa@alpinelinux.org> and others — absolute icons, we stan 👑

and that's the whole page bestie!! this one's from Alpine Linux, dated 2026-06-09 — the SETUP-DESKTOP(8) original was served up on that day, and now you have the deluxe group-chat remix. go install a desktop, you deserve it 💜🧚✨

📦 where this page comes from