vimwiki

Install arch

set keyboard layout and font

By default it’s a US layout.

To change:

1. list the available layout:

   ls /usr/share/kbd/keymaps/–/-.map.gz (replace the - with asterisk)

2. select the layout:

   loadkeys layoutFileWithoutExtension ex: loadkeys fr-latin1 (french azerty layout)

If in need of a bigger font:

setfont ter-132b (132 is the size, b == bold, n for normal)

List font with ls /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts

Verify boot mode

Check if using UEFI or bios:

cat /sys/firmware/efi/fw_platform_size

if return 64 or 32: UEFI 64bit or 32bit if file does not exist: BIOS

Modern pc should be in UEFI

Connect to wifi

1. iwctl
2. List the devices (ex: wlan0):

   device list

3. If not on:

   device {device} set-property Powered on

4. Scan (it won’t output anything):

   station {device} scan

5. List the network:

   station {device} get-networks

6. Connect:

   station {device} connect {network name}

7. If it does not say wrong password after a few second, it’s good
8. exit
9. Check with:

   ping google.com

Partition the disks

1. list available disk

   fdisk -l Loop0 can be ignore

2. GPT or MBR table:
   1. older pc or BIOS: MBR (But GPT might be use if supported, which is better)
   2. recent or UEFI: GPT

Partition layout

For MBR, see wiki

For GPT table, the basic partition layout is:

mount point	partition	type	size
/boot or /efi	/dev/sda1	EFI system partition	300mib min
[swap]	/dev/sda2	Linux swap	512mib min
/	/dev/sda3	Linux (or Linux x86-64 root)	remaining space

Note for a nvme it would be nvme0n1, nvme0n2…

A separate /home partition can also be used. In that case allocate around 20gib (30 max) for the root and give the rest to the home in sda4.

Partition the disk

Use fdisk with the desire disk:

fdisk /dev/sda (or nvme0n, sdb…)

!! When selecting the type, double check the number with L

1. Create a GPT table by typing g
2. Create the efi partition:
   1. Type n to create new partition
   2. Press enter if the default number is 1
   3. Press enter to select the default first sector
   4. Enter +550M or the desired size for the efi part
   5. Once create, change the type by pressing t then 1 for efi
3. Create the swap partition:
   1. Type n, then enter if num is 2, then enter for first sector
   2. For last sector enter +512M or the desired size
   3. Change the type by pressing t, check that the part 2 is selected
   4. Type 82 (or 19) for linux swap
4. Create the root partition:
   1. type n, then enter if num is 3, then enter for first sector
   2. For last sector, press enter if you only want a root partition and no other, otherwise choose the size with +xG
   3. Change the type by pressing t, check that the part 3 is selected
   4. Type 83 (20) for Linux file system
5. Eventually create a home partition, same process as the root
6. Create additional partition if needed, then press w to save the changes

Format the partition

Each newly created partition must be formatted

For EFI: mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/efi_partition

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1

For swap: mkswap /dev/swap_partition

mkswap /dev/sda2

For the root partition and home: mkfs.ext4 /dev/root_partition

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3

Mount the file systems

For the root:

mount /dev/root_partition /mnt

For the EFI boot:

• For Grub mount in: /mnt/boot/efi
• For Systemd-boot: /mnt/boot

  mount –mkdir /dev/efi_partition /mnt/boot/efi or mount –mkdir /dev/efi_partition /mnt/boot

For swap (! it’s not using mount):

swapon /dev/swap_partition

For home:

mount –mkdir /dev/home_partition /mnt/home

Install the base packages

pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Generate an fstab

It define how partition are mounted

genfstab -U /mnt » /mnt/etc/fstab

Chroot into the new system

arch-chroot /mnt

Install needed packages

pacman -S networkmanager neovim vim git sudo iwd firefox kitty…

Enable networkmanager:

systemctl enable NetworkManager

!! Check if a firmware is needed for the wifi card, check the name of the card:

lspci -k (look for network controller) then google it or look this page

Set the time zone

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

Set localization

Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment the needed locales. Uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 and/or fr_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8

Then generate the locales file with:

locale-gen

Network configuration

Set the hostname by creating /etc/hostname file and typing the hostname in it.

Note: this is not the username

Root pasword

Set a root password with:

passwd

Add users

Create a user (-m -> create /home, -G -> group list)

useradd -m -G wheel [username]

Set password

passwd [username]

Let user use sudo (sudo must be installed)

usermod -aG wheel (if you haven't had it in the user creation) visudo uncomment %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL (don't uncomment the one that does not ask for passwd)

Boot loader

Grub

In efi:

pacman -S grub efibootmgr pacman -S amd-ucode // or intel-ucode grub-install –target=x86_64-efi –efi-directory=/boot/efi –bootloader-id=GRUB grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

If it says: ‘efibootmgr not found’ -> pacman -S efibootmgr

Note: the amd-ucode is optional but better to install amd microcode. It check for update for the cpu microcode (whatever that is).

Systemd-boot

pacman -S efibootmgr pacman -S amd-ucode // or intel-ucode bootctl –path=/boot install cd /boot/loader

Edit the entries directory and loader.conf file:

Loader.conf:

• Uncomment the timeout 3 if you want to add a delay before starting the system
• Enter default arch-* (or modify the default entry if already one)

Entries:

• cd /entries
• create entry: nvim arch.conf

title   Arch Linux
linux   /vmlinuz-linux
initrd  /amd-ucode.img                      or intel-ucode.img
initrd  /initramfs-linux.img
options root=PARTUUID=root-part-uid rw

To find the root partition uuid either:

• blkid /dev/root-partition (ex: blkid /dev/sda2)
• Or remove the options lines form the arch.conf file and enter in the console:

  echo “options root=PARTUUID=$(blkid -s PARTUUID -o value /dev/sdX2) rw” » /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf Just replace sdX2 with the correct root partition

Reboot

Exit the chroot with exit It’s better to umount all the partition with umount -R /mnt Type reboot and remove the installation media

After installing

Setting up AUR

1. Install dependency

   sudo pacman -S base-devel (git)

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay-git.git 
cd yay-git
sudo pacman -S fakeroot
makepkg -si


# install package like so:
yay -S packagename

Setting up standard /home directories

sudo pacman -S xdg-user-dirs

xdg-users-dirs-update

Installing Xorg

Note: if you install a desktop environment, you might not have to install X11

1. sudo pacman -S xorg
2. sudo pacman -S xorg-server xorg-xinit xorg-twm xorg-xclock xterm3. install a wm or a desktop
3. create .xinitrc in ~
4. add line to exec the wm or desktop:

   exec i3

5. startx

You can also install the necessary driver:

sudo pacman -S xf86-video-amdgpu sudo pacman -S xf86-video-intel Or nvidia

Installing a display manager

For sddm (should be the same for any dm):

1. sudo pacman -S sddm
2. sudo systemctl enable sddm.service

Sound

Alsa should be installed by default. By default all channel are muted. To unmute:

amixer sset Master unmute
$ amixer sset Speaker unmute
$ amixer sset Headphone unmute

To use alsamixer:

sudo pacman -S alsa-utils

Bluetooth

sudo pacman -S bluez bluez-utils
sudo systemctl enable bluetooth.service
sudo systemctl start bluetooth.service

Networking security

See DNS security and setting up firewall in the arch wiki.

Style gtk and qt

See wiki.