cheat-sheet/my-arch-install-cheat-sheet.md

Install Arch Linux
==================

This is my personal setup almost every time I install Arch Linux.
This is meant for me as being something I can quickly reference.

Change localkeys to my keyboard layout
--------------------------------------

In my case I have a Danish keyboard layout.

```bash
loadkeys dk
```

You can find your keymap file by using localectl:

```bash
localectl list-keymaps
```

Or by simply looking inside the /usr/share/kbd/keymaps/ directory.

```bash
find /usr/share/kbd/keymaps/ -type f
```

Create Partitions
-----------------

```bash
cfdisk
```

Set up the partions, mount and use swap
---------------------------------------

Let us say you have a simple setup:

- /boot partition (ext2)
- /     partition (ext4)
- /home partition (ext4)
- /var  partition (ext4)
- /tmp  partition (ext4)
- swap  partition [swap]

NOTE: `lsblk` is a very nice tool to doublecheck your partition(s) structure.

First we format to the file systems we want:

```bash
mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdaxY (/boot)
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdaxY (/, /home, /var, /tmp)
```

Why do I use ext2 for the boot partition? No need to have a journal.

Create /mnt structure, one-liner:

```bash
mkdir -p /mnt/{boot,home,var,tmp}
```

And then mount the file systems to /mnt:

```bash
# Mount / (root)
mount /dev/sdaxY /mnt
# Mount /boot, /home, /var, /tmp
mount /dev/sdaxY /mnt/<point>
```

Let us not forget to make ("format") our swap and mount it as well:

```bash
mkswap /dev/sdaxY
swapon /dev/sdaxY
```

Installing the actual base system and sudo
------------------------------------------

Install the base system, with sudo as well.

```bash
pacstrap /mnt base base-devel sudo
```

Generate the fstab (so it knows how things are mounted)
-------------------------------------------------------

This is why we had to mount everything as first, so genfstab
would know what to do when generating the fstab.

```bash
genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
```

chroot into the installed system with /bin/bash
-----------------------------------------------

```bash
arch-chroot /mnt /bin/bash
```

Locale (system language)
------------------------

Depending on what you want, you change the /etc/locale.gen file:

```bash
nano /etc/locale.gen
```

NOTE: Use UTF-8 whenever possible.

DOUBLE NOTE: If you are from America, you don't need to change the file.

When done, you simply generate the locales you want and tell the system what you
want to use.

Generate:

```bash
locale-gen
```

Tell the system what we use:

```bash
echo LANG=en_GB.UTF-8 > /etc/locale.conf
export LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
```

Timezone
--------

Symlink/Set your timezone:

```bash
ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Copenhagen /etc/localtime
```

Set system to the Hardware Clock
--------------------------------

```bash
hwclock --systohc --utc
```

Hostname
--------

Choose an awesome hostname:

```bash
echo myhostname > /etc/hostname
```

Setting up DHCP for my Internet Card
------------------------------------

systemd setup of your dhcp interface:

```bash
ip link
systemctl enable dhcpcd@my-device.service
```

Just simply using `systemctl enable dhcpcdeth0.service` won't work anymore.
So I'm getting the correct device with ip link. (Usually the entry under the loop.)

Ramdisk
-------

Initial ramdisk environment.

```bash
mkinitcpio -p linux
```

This actually ran under the pacstrap process, I just like to be safe.

Root Password
-------------

Be stronk:

```bash
passwd
```

Grub (Bootloader)
-----------------

Well, we need a bootloader:

```bash
pacman -S grub
```

If I'm having **Windows** as well on another Partition, I'll also install ***os-prober***.

```bash
grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck /dev/sda
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
```

Exit arch-chroot
----------------

```bash
exit
```

Umount /mnt and reboot
----------------------

Unmount EVERYTHING and reboot the system.

```bash
umount /dev/sdaxY
reboot
```

NOTE: You can use `umount -R /mnt` to recursively unmount everything in /mnt

Login as Root to Arch Linux and permantly set the keymap (keyboard)
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Now we want to make our keyboard layout permanent:

```bash
localectl set-keymap --no-convert dk
```

I obviously have "dk" for Danish layout. Substitute with your own layout.

NOTE: If you are a bloody American, you don't need to do this. US is default.

Check for updates, there's probably none
----------------------------------------

```bash
pacman -Syy
pacman -Syu
```

Add User and set Password
-------------------------

```bash
useradd -m -g users -G lp,scanner,audio,video,optical,network,games,wheel -s /bin/bash username
passwd username
```

Change sudoers file using nano
------------------------------

```bash
EDITOR=nano visudo
```

Uncomment wheel group.

`# %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL`

Logout of Root
--------------

```bash
exit
```

Login as your username and test sudo with pacman
------------------------------------------------

```bash
sudo pacman -Syy
sudo pacman -Syu
```