arch-linux-virtualbox-installation

This is a step by step guide to install Arch Linux in a VirtualBox environment, using this profile's dotfiles and post-installation script. I use an EFI installation, and this is based in Arch Linux Installation Guide.

The same installation method can be used to install Arch Linux in a real machine, only jump VirtualBox steps.

Configuring VirtualBox

1. Create a new virtual machine, and define its parameters. For Arch Linux, recommended specs are:
   • 1024 MB RAM.
   • 8 GB of hard disk space.
   • For a more detailed tutorial, access this link
2. Don't forget to set "enable EFI" on "System" tab.
3. Run machine.

Run installation

4. When system is ready, change layout to your preference with loadkeys {layout}. I use loadkeys la-latin1.
5. Enable Ethernet with ip link. Check if it works with ping google.com.
6. Set system clock with timedatectl set-ntp true.
7. After this, you have to set disk partitions. Personally, i prefer to use cfdisk utility.

• Run cfdisk.
• Select gpt.
• Create a partition with New option. Assign it 1G.
• Set its type (Type option) to EFI System.
• Create another partition, assign it the space you want for root partition.

I prefer to create a swap partition. Many users not do this, but here you can read why I'll do it.

• Create a last partition, to use a swap. It's recommended to use at least double of RAM assigned for this one.
• Finally, select Write option.

8. After that, is needed to format them. Considering like /dev/sda1 the EFI partition, /dev/sda2 the root partition, and /dev/sda3 the swap partition, run:

• mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2.
• mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1.
• mkswap /dev/sda3.
• swapon /dev/sda3.

9. We'll mount them:

• mount /dev/sda2 /mnt.
• mkdir /mnt/efi.
• mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/efi.

10. Finally, we must have root mounted in mnt folder, and the EFI partition reachable through /mnt/efi. Continue installing kernel. Run pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware base-devel nano reflector. I have also added some software, like nano text editor.
11. Run reflector to set the 5 fastest mirrors. Before, backup mirrorlist:
    • cp /mnt/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist /mnt/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.bak
    • reflector --verbose --latest 5 --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
12. Generate filesystem file genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab.
13. Change root into the new system arch-chroot /mnt.
14. Set the time zone ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires /etc/localtime. "America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires" is which I use. You can list all file in /usr/share/zoneinfo/ directory to see zones available.
15. Run hwclock(8) to generate /etc/adjtime hwclock --systohc.
16. Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment es_ES.UTF-8 UTF-8 or which corresponds to you.
17. Run locale-gen.
18. Edit /etc/locale.conf and add LANG=es_ES.UTF-8 or which you uncomment before.
19. Edit /etc/vconsole.conf and add KEYMAP=la-latin1 or which layout you prefer.
20. Edit /etc/hostname and write the PC name you want it to have.
21. Edit /etc/hosts and write this replacing "pcname" with the name your write on step 19:

127.0.0.1    localhost
::1          localhost
127.0.1.1    pcname.localdomain    pcname

21. Run passwd and create a root password.
22. useradd -m "yourname".
23. passwd "yourname".
24. usermod -aG wheel,audio,video,optical,storage,vboxusers,rfkill "yourname".
25. We'll install and configure sudo:

• pacman -S sudo.
• Run EDITOR=nano visudo and uncomment line which says %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL.

26. After that, its needed to configure grub:

• Run pacman -S grub efibootmgr.
• grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/efi/ --bootloader-id=Arch.
• grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

27. Finally, before rebooting, remainds to enable network:

• pacman -S networkmanager.
• systemctl enable NetworkManager.

28. Exit (exit) and shutdown (shutdown now).

Take out disk of VirtualBox

After installing, you must take out the ISO image from optical disk (like in a real computer). Go to machine configuration, select "Storage" tab, select ISO, press Supr key.

Run config scripts

1. Run machine. Wait it to open.
2. Enter your user and password.
3. I recommended to take out sudo password limit, otherwise you will have to enter it several times during process:

• sudo nano /etc/sudoers.d/{yourname}.
• Inside it, write Defaults timestamp_timeout=-1.
• Exit file.

5. Now, download repository cloning from Github git clone https://github.com/joelermantraut/arch-post-installation-script.git/.
6. Enter folder, cd arch-post-installation-script.
7. Run setup, ./setup.sh.
8. Wait it to finish.
9. Set sudo password limit removing file: sudo rm -r /etc/sudoers.d
10. Reboot.
11. Now you are ready to use it!!!

Other setup

1. If you have several disks, you would want to mount them on init. For that:
   • Run sudo blkid, to get disk info. From this take, UUID and TYPE of disks.
   • Open fstab file: nano /etc/fstab.
   • Add an entry, similar to the other one in it, write UUID, mount-point, type, "auto" (to mount on init), "0", and a number to indicate the order in which disks are mounted.

Notes

1. After rebooting, you will see screen resolution lower than maybe you want it. My config files don't define screen resolution, so you have to add xrandr --output {actual output} --mode {your desired resolution} & to the .xprofile file. To see available output, run xrandr -q. In VirtualBox, it usually is "Virtual-1".
2. Take care that this will download all my dotfiles, create my folders, and download my wallpapers. Maybe you don't want my configuration, so you can copy this repository, and modify it!!!