alis

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, fast as less than 4 minutes.

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 Recommendations, 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 virtual machine (strongly recommended) like VirtualBox 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!

Arch Linux Install Script (alis) is based on Arch Linux but is NOT approved, sponsored, or affiliated with Arch Linux or its related projects.

Index

Principles

Use the original Arch Linux installation media
As much unattended and automated as possible, require as little interactivity as possible
Allow to customize the installation to cover the most common cases
Provide support for system recovery
Provide support for installation 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, f2fs, reiserfs
Kernels: linux, linux-lts, linux-hardened, linux-zen
Desktop environment: GNOME, KDE, XFCE, Mate, Cinnamon, LXDE, i3-wm, i3-gaps, Deepin
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
Custom shell: bash, zsh, dash, fish
WPA WIFI network installation
Periodic TRIM for SSD storage
Intel and AMD processors microcode
Optional swap file
VirtualBox guest additions
Kernel compression and custom parameters
Users creation and add to sudoers
systemd units enable or disable
systemd-homed support
PipeWire support
Multilib support
Arch Linux common and custom packages installation
Flatpak utility installation and Flatpak packages installation
SDKMAN utility installation and SDKMAN packages installation
AUR utility installation (paru, yay, aurman) and AUR packages installation
Packages installation after base system installation (preferred way of packages installation)
Script for download installation and recovery scripts and configuration files
Retry packages download on connection/mirror error
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
Use your own configuration

System installation

Download and boot from the latest original Arch Linux installation media. After boot use the following commands 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.

Minimum usage

#                         # Start the system with latest Arch Linux installation media
# loadkeys [keymap]       # Load keyboard keymap, eg. loadkeys es, loadkeys us, loadkeys de
# curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/justkant/alis/master/download.sh | bash     # Download alis scripts
# vim alis.conf           # Edit configuration and change variables values with your preferences (system configuration)
# ./alis.sh               # Start installation

Advanced usage

#                         # Start the system with latest Arch Linux installation media
# loadkeys [keymap]       # Load keyboard keymap, eg. loadkeys es, loadkeys us, loadkeys de
# iwctl --passphrase "[WIFI_KEY]" station [WIFI_INTERFACE] connect "[WIFI_ESSID]"          # (Optional) Connect to WIFI network. _ip link show_ to know WIFI_INTERFACE.
# curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/justkant/alis/master/download.sh | bash     # Download alis scripts
# # curl -sL https://bit.ly/2F3CATp | bash                                                 # Alternative download URL with URL shortener
# ./alis-asciinema.sh     # (Optional) Start asciinema video recording
# vim alis.conf           # Edit configuration and change variables values with your preferences (system configuration)
# vim alis-packages.conf  # (Optional) Edit configuration and change variables values with your preferences (packages to install)
#                         # (The preferred way to install packages is after system installation, see Packages installation)
# ./alis.sh               # Start installation
# ./alis-reboot.sh        # (Optional) Reboot the system, only necessary when REBOOT="false"

Packages installation

After the base Arch Linux system is installed, alis can install packages with pacman, Flatpak, SDKMAN and from AUR.

#                                  # After system installation start a user session
# curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/justkant/alis/master/download.sh | bash     # Download alis scripts
# # curl -sL https://bit.ly/2F3CATp | bash                                                 # Alternative download URL with URL shortener
# ./alis-packages-asciinema.sh     # (Optional) Start asciinema video recording
# vim alis-packages.conf           # Edit configuration and change variables values with your preferences (packages to install)
# ./alis-packages.sh               # Start packages installation

Recovery

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

#                                  # Start the system with latest Arch Linux installation media
# loadkeys [keymap]                # Load keyboard keymap, eg. loadkeys es, loadkeys us, loadkeys de
# iwctl --passphrase "[WIFI_KEY]" station [WIFI_INTERFACE] connect "[WIFI_ESSID]"          # (Optional) Connect to WIFI network. _ip link show_ to know WIFI_INTERFACE.
# curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/justkant/alis/master/download.sh | bash     # Download alis scripts
# # curl -sL https://bit.ly/2F3CATp | bash                                                 # Alternative download URL with URL shortener
# ./alis-recovery-asciinema.sh     # (Optional) Start asciinema video recording
# vim alis-recovery.conf           # Edit configuration and change variables values with your last installation configuration with alis (mainly device and partition scheme)
# ./alis-recovery.sh               # Start recovery
# ./alis-recovery-reboot.sh        # Reboot the system

Video

Arch Linux base installation installed in less than 4 minutes with a fiber internet connection and a NVMe SSD. Don't trust me? See the video.

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
Send me an email, I like to read that the script is being used and is useful :). Which are your computer specs, which is your alis configuration, if is your personal or working computer, if all worked fine or some suggestion to improve the script

Test in VirtualBox 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, ...

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

Arch Linux Installation Media

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

Justkant / alis