/alis

Arch Linux Install Script (or alis) installs unattended, automated and customized Arch Linux system.

Primary LanguageSassGNU General Public License v3.0GPL-3.0

alis (fork to cater for my default config)

You're probably looking for the upstream repo. This is a fork for me to check in the defaults for my installation into the config file.

Arch Linux Install Script (or alis) installs unattended, automated and customized Arch Linux system.

It is a simple bash script that fully automates the installation of a Arch Linux system after booting from the original Arch Linux installation media. It contains the same commands that you would type and execute one by one interactively to complete the installation. The only user intervention needed is to edit a configuration file to choose the installation options and preferences from partitioning, to encryption, bootloader, file system, language and keyboard mapping, desktop environment, kernels, packages to install and graphic drivers. This automation makes the installation easy and fast.

If some time later after an system update for any reason the system does not boot correctly a recovery script is also provided to enter in a recovery mode that allows to downgrade packages or execute any other commands to restore the system. Also a log of the installation can be taken with asciinema.

Warning! This script can delete all partitions of the persistent storage. It is recommended to test it first in a virtual machine like VirtualBox.

Currently these scripts are for me but maybe they are useful for you too.

Follow the Arch Way of doing things and learn what this script does. This will allow you to know what is happening.

Please, don't ask for support for this script in Arch Linux forums, first read the Arch Linux wiki, the Installation Guide and the General Recomendations, later compare those commands with the commands of this script.

For new features, improvements and bugs fill an issue in GitHub or make a pull request. You can test it in a VirtualBox virtual machine (strongly recommended) before run it in real hardware. If you test it in real hardware please send me an email to pico.dev@gmail.com with the machine description and tell me if something goes wrong or all works fine. Pull request and new feature request are welcome!

Principles

  • Use the original Arch Linux installation media
  • Require as little interactivity as possible
  • Allow to customize the installation to cover the most common cases
  • Provide support for recovery
  • Provide support for log

Features

  • System: UEFI, BIOS
  • Storage: SATA, NVMe and MMC
  • Encryption: root partition encrypted and no encrypted
  • Partition: no LVM, LVM, LVM on LUKS, GPT on UEFI, MBR on BIOS
  • File system: ext4, btrfs (with subvols), xfs
  • Kernels: linux-lts, linux-hardened, linux-zen
  • Desktop environment: GNOME, KDE, XFCE, Mate, Cinnamon, LXDE
  • Display managers: GDM, SDDM, Lightdm, lxdm
  • Graphics controller: intel, nvidia and amd with optionally early KMS start. With intel optionally fastboot, hardware video acceleration and framebuffer compression.
  • Bootloader: GRUB, rEFInd, systemd-boot
  • WPA WIFI network installation
  • Periodic TRIM for SSD storage
  • Intel and AMD processors microcode
  • Optional swap file
  • VirtualBox guest utils
  • Kernel compression and custom parameters
  • Users creation and add to sudoers
  • Common and custom packages installation
  • systemd units enable or disable
  • AUR utility installation (aurman, yay)
  • Script for download installation and recovery scripts and configuration files
  • Retry packages download on connection/mirror error
  • Desktop environments (GDM, KDE, XFCE, Mate, Cinnamon, LXDE), display managers (GDM, SDDM, Lightdm, lxdm) and no desktop environment
  • Packer support for testing in VirtualBox
  • Installation log with all commands executed and output in a file and/or asciinema video
  • Wait after installation for an abortable reboot

Installation

Download and boot from the latest original Arch Linux installation media. After boot use the following comands to start the installation.

Follow the Arch Way of doing things and learn what this script does. This will allow you to know what is happening.

Internet connection is required, with wireless WIFI connection see Wireless_network_configuration to bring up WIFI connection before start the installation.

# # Start the system with lastest Arch Linux installation media
# loadkeys [keymap]
# curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/picodotdev/alis/master/download.sh | bash, or with URL shortener curl -sL https://bit.ly/2F3CATp | bash
# # Edit alis.conf and change variables values with your preferences
# vim alis.conf
# # Start
# ./alis.sh

Installation with asciinema video

As another form of log.

# # Start the system with lastest Arch Linux installation media
# loadkeys [keymap]
# curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/picodotdev/alis/master/download.sh | bash, or with URL shortener curl -sL https://bit.ly/2F3CATp | bash
# ./alis-asciinema.sh
# # Edit alis.conf and change variables values with your preferences
# vim alis.conf
# Start
# ./alis.sh
# # Exit
# exit
# ./alis-reboot.sh

Recovery

Boot from the latest original Arch Linux installation media. After boot use the following comands to start the recovery, this will allow you to enter in the arch-chroot environment.

# # Start the system with lastest Arch Linux installation media
# loadkeys [keymap]
# curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/picodotdev/alis/master/download.sh | bash, or with URL shortener curl -sL https://bit.ly/2F3CATp | bash
# # Edit alis-recovery.conf and change variables values with your last installation with alis
# vim alis-recovery.conf
# # Optional asciinema video
# ./alis-asciinema-recovery.sh
# # Start
# ./alis-recovery.sh

How you can help

  • Test in VirtualBox and create an issue if something does not work, attach the main parts of the used configuration file and the error message
  • Create issues with new features
  • Send pull requests
  • Share it in social networks, forums, create a blog post or video about it

Test in VirtuaBox with Packer

VirtualBox and Packer are required.

  • Firmware: efi, bios
  • File system: ext4, btrfs, f2fs, xfs
  • Partition: luks, lvm
  • Bootloader: grub, refind, systemd
  • Desktop environment: gnome, kde, xfce, ...
$ curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/picodotdev/alis/master/download-packer.sh | bash

$ ./alis-packer.sh -c alis-packer-efi-btrfs-luks-lvm-systemd.json
$ ./alis-packer.sh -c alis-packer-efi-ext4-grub-gnome.json
$ ./alis-packer.sh -c alis-packer-efi-ext4-grub-kde.json
$ ./alis-packer.sh -c alis-packer-efi-ext4-grub-xfce.json
$ ./alis-packer.sh -c alis-packer-efi-ext4-luks-lvm-grub.json
$ ./alis-packer.sh -c alis-packer-efi-f2fs-luks-lvm-systemd.json

Video

asciicast

Arch Linux Installation Media

https://www.archlinux.org/download/

Reference