lelegard/arch-linux-install.md

## arch-linux-install.md

      
    Raw
  

              arch-linux-install.md
            
          
    My Arch Linux Installation

As the title implies, this is "my" experience of Arch Linux Installation on a virtual machine. There are many (too many) ways to install Arch Linux. This Gist is only designed as a reminder if I need to do this again...
Target configuration: use English language, French keyboard, located in France.
Installation guides


Arch Linux Installation Guide: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/installation_guide
Network manager: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NetworkManager
GRUB: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB
General recommendations: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/General_recommendations
List of applications: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/List_of_applications

Get base installation media


Download page: https://archlinux.org/download/
French mirror: http://mirror.archlinux.ikoula.com/iso/
Last installation: http://mirror.archlinux.ikoula.com/iso/2021.12.01/archlinux-2021.12.01-x86_64.iso

Virtual machine configuration


CPU: 2
Memory: 4 GB
Disk: 40 GB
USB: 3.1
CD: installation image
No nested virtualization
No UEFI, use legacy BIOS

Installation, phase 1


Boot on install CD => prompt root@archiso ~ #
Define keyboard layout:

# loadkeys fr


Network: list adapters, start DHCP client daemon, verify address:

# ip link
# systemctl start dhcpcd
# ip addr


List disks (assuming /dev/sda):

# fdisk -l


Partition disk: 4 GB swap, root file system for the rest of the disk (see fdisk commands at end of document)

# fdisk /dev/sda
o  <-- create a new empty DOS partition table
p  <-- print the partition table
F  <-- list free unpartitioned space
n  <-- add a new partition
   p    <-- primary
   1    <-- partition number
        <-- first sector, use default
   +4G  <-- last sector (4GB after first sector)
t  <-- change a partition type
   82   <-- type: Linux swap
n  <-- add a new partition
   p    <-- primary
   2    <-- partition number
        <-- first sector, use default
        <-- last sector, use default (end of disk)
a  <-- toggle a bootable flag
   2    <-- partition number
p  <-- print the partition table
v  <-- verify the partition table
w  <-- write table to disk and exit


Format swap and root, mount them:

# mkswap /dev/sda1
# mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2
# swapon /dev/sda1
# mount /dev/sda2 /mnt


Update the maintainers keyring, in case new keys are not on the boot DVD:

pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring


Install some base packages:

# pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware grub vi vim sudo dhcpcd networkmanager man-db man-pages texinfo


Generate an fstab file:

# genfstab -U /mnt >>/mnt/etc/fstab


Change root into the new system:

# arch-chroot /mnt


Set the time zone, generate /etc/adjtime (hardware clock is set to UTC):

# ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris /etc/localtime
# hwclock --systohc


Generate locale, keyboard and host name:

# vi /etc/locale.gen   # uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
# locale-gen
# echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" >/etc/locale.conf
# echo "KEYMAP=fr" >/etc/vconsole.conf
# echo "vmarch" >/etc/hostname


Set the root password:

# passwd


Install GRUB bootloader:

# grub-install /dev/sda
# vi /etc/default/grub  # only if non-default configuration is needed
# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg


Reboot:

# exit  # from arch-chroot
# umount /mnt
# reboot

Installation, phase 2


Enable network:

# systemctl start NetworkManager
# systemctl enable NetworkManager
# ip addr  # to check addresses


Create user:

# groupadd _NAME_
# useradd _NAME_ -m -d /home/_NAME_ -g _NAME_
# passwd _NAME_
# echo "_NAME_ ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" >/etc/sudoers.d/_NAME_


Install additional software:

# pacman -Syu --noconfirm base-devel bash-completion gnome gnome-terminal gnome-tweaks openssh linux-headers dkms git
# localectl --no-convert set-x11-keymap fr
# systemctl enable gdm
# systemctl enable sshd

Appendix 1: fdisk commands summary


Main commands:

DOS (MBR)
 a   toggle a bootable flag
 b   edit nested BSD disklabel
 c   toggle the dos compatibility flag

Generic
 d   delete a partition
 F   list free unpartitioned space
 l   list known partition types
 n   add a new partition
 p   print the partition table
 t   change a partition type
 v   verify the partition table
 i   print information about a partition

Misc
 m   print this menu
 u   change display/entry units
 x   extra functionality (experts only)

Script
 I   load disk layout from sfdisk script file
 O   dump disk layout to sfdisk script file

Save & Exit
 w   write table to disk and exit
 q   quit without saving changes

Create a new label
 g   create a new empty GPT partition table
 G   create a new empty SGI (IRIX) partition table
 o   create a new empty DOS partition table
 s   create a new empty Sun partition table


Extra commands (after x):

DOS (MBR)
 b   move beginning of data in a partition
 i   change the disk identifier

Geometry (for the current label)
 c   change number of cylinders
 h   change number of heads
 s   change number of sectors/track

Generic
 p   print the partition table
 v   verify the partition table
 d   print the raw data of the first sector from the device
 D   print the raw data of the disklabel from the device
 f   fix partitions order
 m   print this menu

Save & Exit
 q   quit without saving changes
 r   return to main menu