Setup Checklist

Tested on Fedora Workstation 44, RTX 5060 Ti eGPU, ThinkPad X1 Yoga

Minimal Fedora Workstation Install¶

Download: Fedora Workstation Live ISO
Install:
- Select “Minimal Install” (or “Server with GUI” for even less bloat).
- Partitioning: Use automatic (Btrfs) or manual (ext4 for /, XFS for /home).
- User: Create your account with sudo access.

First boot:

sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf install -y git curl wget flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install NVIDIA Proprietary Drivers¶

# Enable RPM Fusion (non-free for NVIDIA)
sudo dnf install -y https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf groupupdate -y "NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit"  # Optional for AI/ML

# Install NVIDIA drivers + CUDA (for RTX 5060 Ti)
sudo dnf install -y akmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda

# Rebuild initramfs and load kernel module
sudo akmods --force
sudo dracut --force
sudo modprobe nvidia

Verify driver install:

nvidia-smi  # Should show your RTX 5060 Ti
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"  # Should show NVIDIA

Enable Kernel Modesetting (Critical for Wayland)¶

sudo grubby --update-kernel=ALL --args="nvidia-drm.modeset=1"

Reboot now to apply:

sudo systemctl reboot

Install Niri¶

sudo dnf install -y niri niri-settings

Install Noctalia¶

# Add Terra repo (Fyra Labs)
sudo dnf install -y --nogpgcheck --repofrompath='terra,https://repos.fyralabs.com/terra$releasever' terra-release

# Install Noctalia + Quickshell (dependency)
sudo dnf install -y noctalia-shell quickshell

Configure Niri to Launch Noctalia¶

Create config directory:
```
mkdir -p ~/.config/niri
```

Edit ~/.config/niri/config.kdl:

cat > ~/.config/niri/config.kdl <<EOF
# Niri base config
...

# Launch Noctalia (Quickshell component)
spawn-at-startup "qs" "-c" "noctalia-shell"

# Required for portals (screenshots, file dialogs, etc.)
spawn-at-startup "dbus-update-activation-environment" "--systemd" "WAYLAND_DISPLAY" "XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=niri"

# Optional: Enable animations
animation {
    enable true
}
EOF

Create environment file (~/.config/niri/environment):

cat > ~/.config/niri/environment <<EOF
# Ensure Wayland works with NVIDIA
export NVIDIA_DRM_MODESET=1
export XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland
export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=niri
export QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland
export SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland
export CLUTTER_BACKEND=wayland
EOF

Set Up Display Manager (GDM)¶

Create a custom session for Niri + Noctalia:

sudo tee /usr/share/xsessions/niri-noctalia.desktop <<EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Niri + Noctalia
Comment=Scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor with Noctalia shell
Exec=/usr/bin/niri
Type=Application
DesktopNames=Niri
EOF

Disable GNOME’s Wayland session (to avoid confusion):

sudo mv /usr/share/xsessions/gnome-wayland.desktop /usr/share/xsessions/gnome-wayland.desktop.bak

Reboot and select “Niri + Noctalia” at the GDM login screen.

Thunderbolt eGPU Setup¶

Install Thunderbolt tools:
```
sudo dnf install -y bolt
```

Authorize your eGPU enclosure (run after first plug-in):

sudo boltctl authorize <device-UUID>  # List devices with `boltctl list`

Enable persistent authorization (so it remembers your eGPU):
```
sudo boltctl enroll
```

Post-Install Checks¶

Verify Wayland Session¶

echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE  # Should output "wayland"
echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP  # Should output "niri"

Test NVIDIA eGPU Detection¶

lspci | grep -i nvidia  # Should show your RTX 5060 Ti
nvidia-smi             # Should show GPU info (may take ~10-30 sec after plugging in)

Test Noctalia¶

Right-click on the desktop → Should show Noctalia’s context menu.
Press Super (Windows key) → Should open the application launcher.

Troubleshooting¶

Check kernel modesetting:
```
cat /proc/cmdline | grep nvidia-drm.modeset=1
```
If missing, reapply Step 3 and reboot.
Fallback to TTY:
- Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a TTY.
- Run sudo journalctl -u gdm -b to check GDM logs.

Noctalia Doesn’t Launch?¶

Check Niri logs:
```
journalctl -u niri -f
```
Manually test Noctalia:
```
qs -c noctalia-shell
```
If this works, your Niri config is misconfigured.

eGPU Not Detected?¶

Check Thunderbolt:
```
boltctl list
```
If unauthorized, run sudo boltctl authorize <UUID>.
Check PCIe:
```
lspci | grep -i nvidia
```
If missing, your eGPU may need to be plugged in before boot.

Final Notes¶

Hotplug Behavior¶

Plugging in: Works for compute-only (CUDA) after ~10-30 sec (no relogin).
Display output: Requires relogin (NVIDIA driver limitation).
Unplugging: Stop all CUDA processes first (killall python), then unplug.

Performance Tips¶

Disable vsync in Noctalia settings for smoother animations.
Use nvidia-smi -pl 100 to unlock power limits for AI workloads.