AlpEX Linux Files

AlpEX Live System with LXQt, Refracta Snapshot and Refracta Installer - Build 261029

ABOUT
AlpEX is a remaster of Alpine Linux - https://alpinelinux.org/ - "Small. Simple. Secure". In AlpEX have installed a full featured Desktop (LXQt 2.4) and all other Linux packages the average Linux user could want. Study a list of all installed packages in AlpEX: https://www.exton.se/alpex/alpex-installed-packages-261029.txt 

LOGIN
After boot you will end up at SDDM's Login Page. Login as user with password live or as root with password root. While logged in as user you can use Sudo to become root.

AUDIO Stack (PipeWire & WirePlumber)
AlpEX feature a modern PipeWire sound server paired with WirePlumber as the session manager, offering complete drop-in replacement/compatibility for PulseAudio and ALSA. Pavucontrol is pre-installed for easy volume and input/output stream management. 

SAMBA & Network Shares (using PCManFM-qt)
Support for accessing Windows/Samba network shares directly via the file manager (smb://<IP_ADDRESS>) is fully configured using cifs-utils and libsmbclient. Watch this screenshot: https://www.exton.se/alpex/alpex-samba-connection-261028.jpg

NETWORK - WIFI MANAGEMENT
AlpEX uses NetworkManager paired with nm-applet in the LXQt system tray. Network connections (including WiFi and mobile broadband) can be managed directly by clicking the network icon near the clock or using nmtui from the terminal.

INSTALL to hard drive
Use Refracta Installer for that. Launch it and follow the instructions. You should create the install partition and a SWAP partition in advance. Use GParted (pre-installed) for that. Before installing to hard drive reading my Instruction “How to Multi-boot Linux…” can be useful - https://www.exton.se/how-to-multi-boot-linux/
Start Refracta Installer by running the command refractainstaller in a terminal. Then just follow the instructions.

BUILD Your Own ISO with Refracta Snapshot
AlpEX serve as a complete “distro-builder kit.” Boot the live environment or install it to disk/VirtualBox. Add your favorite applications, tweak themes, or adjust configurations. Launch Refracta Snapshot from the terminal. Command: refractasnapshot.
MOST IMPORTANT: Refracta Snapshot is pre-installed, which means that you can use it to create your own live installable Alpine Linux System with AlpEX as a template. I mean install AlpEX to hard drive in about five (5) minutes using Refracta Installer, change everything to your liking and then create a new ISO in a few minutes. You do not even have to install AlpEX to hard drive before you can use the Refracta Snapshot. If you have plenty of RAM you can create a new (your own!) Alpine System while running AlpEX from a USB stick. Please note that the whole Refracta process (creating your new ISO) only will take 5 – 10 minutes! You will find the ISO in /home/snapshot. Or edit /etc/refractasnapshot.conf and decide where you want the created ISO to end up. The whole thing is very simple.
NOTE ALSO: You can only use Refracta Snapshot with “my” special kernel 7.2.11-amd64-exton. I.e. it won’t be possible if you use Alpine’s original kernel. Once you have installed AlpEX to hard drive you can (of course) switch to Alpine’s kernel 6.18.58-r0 (as of 261029) if you like. But be sure to keep “my” kernel 7.2.11-amd64-exton if you want to use Refracta Snapshot. Also the links /vmlinuz and /initrd.img to said kernel.

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WHAT IS Alpine Linux & Why Choose It? (Generated by Google Gemini)

"Alpine Linux is an independent, non-commercial, general-purpose Linux distribution designed primarily for power users, security-minded administrators, and minimalists. Unlike mainstream distributions built around heavy GNU toolchains, Alpine is built from the ground up with a focus on security, simplicity, and resource efficiency".

Key Advantages:

    Ultra-Lightweight & Fast:
    Alpine has a remarkably small footprint. A base installation can run comfortably in just a few megabytes of RAM and boots almost instantaneously. This makes it exceptionally fast for live environments and custom remasters.

    musl libc & BusyBox:
    Instead of the standard GNU C Library (glibc) and GNU core utilities, Alpine uses musl libc and BusyBox. This results in a cleaner, more compact, and faster system architecture.

    Security-First Design:
    Alpine incorporates robust security features by default, including stack-smashing protection (SSP) and position-independent executables (PIE) compiled into all user-space binaries, minimizing vulnerability surface areas.

    OpenRC Init System:
    It uses the straightforward and lightweight OpenRC init system rather than systemd, making service management transparent, quick, and easy to configure.

    Simple Package Management (apk):
    The Alpine Package Keeper (apk) is lightning-fast, uses atomic upgrades, and makes building or stripping down custom environments remarkably straightforward.

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APK CHEAT SHEET
https://www.exton.se/alpex/apk-cheat-sheet.txt

ALPINE COMMUNITY REPOSITORY
The official Alpine community repository is enabled by default in /etc/apk/repositories. This gives you immediate access to thousands of extra packages (such as nm-connection-editor, additional GUI applications, and media codecs) via apk add <package-name>.

PERFORMANCE
Everything works alright. The AlpEX System is very fast, especially if you run it Live from RAM.

READ MORE
https://www.exton.se/alpex-linux/

READ ABOUT MY OTHER BUILDS WITH ANDROID
https://andex.exton.se - Run Android on PC's 
- latest is AndEX 11 (Android 11)
https://raspex.exton.se - Android for Raspberry Pi 
- latest is RaspAnd 17 (Android 17): https://raspex.exton.se/raspand-17-android-17-for-raspberry-pi-5-with-gapps-google-play-store-netflix-youtube-and-bluetooth-pre-installed-build-260903/

READ ABOUT ALL my Linux Builds: 
https://www.exton.se/download

261029 /exton