saltire / archlinux-notes

Arch Linux installation & setup notes

Install image

create + mount filesystem

• gdisk /dev/[sda]

uefi

• create 512MB partition with type ef00
• mkfs.fat -F32 [partition]
• parted:
  • toggle [partition #] boot for each partition:
• mkfs.[ext4] [partition]
• mount [partition] /mnt/[mount point]

pacman

• edit /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
• or: reflector reflector --verbose --sort rate -c Canada -n 10 --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

install

• pacstrap /mnt base
• genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

inside chroot

• arch-chroot /mnt
  • echo "[hostname]" > /etc/hostname
  • ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/[zone]/[subzone] /etc/localtime
  • /etc/locale.gen: uncomment locale
  • locale-gen
  • /etc/locale.conf:
    • LANG=[en_CA.utf-8]
    • LC_COLLATE=C
  • /etc/mkinitcpio.conf:
    • HOOKS="[...] autodetect filesystems fsck block keyboard"
  • mkinitcpio -p linux
  • passwd

grub

• grub
• edit /etc/default/grub
• grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
• mbr:
  • grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck /dev/[sda]
• uefi:
  • efibootmgr
  • mount [efi partition] [temp mount point]
  • grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=[mount point] --bootloader-id=grub --recheck
• bugfix for multiple grub entries: chmod 644 /etc/grub.d/10_linux
• bugfix for grub error message: ln -s /boot/grub/en\@quot.mo /boot/grub/en.mo

refind

• refind-efi
• mkdir /boot/efi
• mount /dev/[sda1] /boot/efi
• refind-install
• refind-mkrlconf

Installed system

uefi + grub + dual boot

• WINDOWS 7/8 COMMAND PROMPT (Administrator):
  • powercfg -h off (turn off hibernation. otherwise win7/8 overwrites grub's boot entry in efi on reboot)
• or:
  • bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\grub\grubx64.efi (set windows boot manager to load grub's efi file)

network

• wired: systemctl enable dhcpcd
• wireless: networkmanager systemctl enable NetworkManager

pacman

• /etc/pacman.conf:
  • Color
  • TotalDownload
  • VerbosePkgLists
  • ILoveCandy
  • uncomment [multilib] section

shell and users

• zsh sudo
• useradd -m -G wheel -s /usr/bin/zsh marcus
• passwd marcus
• visudo:
  • %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

yaourt

• base-devel git
• git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/package-query
• git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yaourt
• (from each directory) makepkg -si

misc

• mlocate updatedb
• rsyslog systemctl enable rsyslog
• terminus-font
• /etc/vconsole.conf:
  • FONT=[ter-v16b]

filesystem

• ntfs-3g
• /etc/fstab:
  • UUID=[uuid] [mountpoint] ntfs defaults,gid=users,umask=0000 0 0
• udevil systemctl enable devmon@[user]

cups server

• cups cups-filters aur:samsung-unified-driver
• systemctl enable cups
• http://localhost:631:
  • Administration > Printers > Add Printer
  • Administration > Advanced > Share printers
• systemctl enable avahi-daemon
• systemctl enable cups-browsed
• /etc/cups/cupsd.conf:
  • Listen [ip]:631

cups client

• libcups
• /etc/cups/client.conf:
  • ServerName

GUI

• xorg-server xorg-xinit [ nvidia | catalyst | xf86-video-[vesa|intel|ati|nouveau] ]

sddm

• sddm aur:[archlinux-themes-sddm|sddm-archlinux-theme-git]
• /etc/sddm.conf:
  • [Theme]
  • Current=[archlinux-simplyblack]

lightdm

• lightdm aur:lightdm-webkit2-greeter aur:lightdm-webkit2-theme-material2
• /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf:
  • greeter-session=lightdm-webkit2-greeter
• /etc/lightdm/lightdm-webkit2-greeter.conf:
  • webkit-theme=material2

openbox

• openbox obconf openbox-themes
• ~/.xprofile:
  • exec openbox-session
• menumaker nitrogen tint2 aur:compton
• rxvt-unicode
• ttf-[liberation|droid|roboto] aur:inconsolata-g
• ~/.config/openbox/Autostart:
  • mmaker -f openbox
  • nitrogen --restore
  • tint2 &
  • compton &

fancy gui

• plasma-workspace qt5ct breeze-kde4
• ~/.config/openbox/environment:
  • export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt5ct
• qt5ct
• qtconfig-qt4