INSTALL.md

Steps to install Arch Linux

1. Connect to a network using iwctl. You will be prompted for a password. Replace wlan0 and WilmFi with you interface name and SSID.

   $ iwctl
   [iwd]# station wlan0 connect WilmFi
   password:

2. Sync the repos:

   $ pacman -Sy

3. Format the disks. First list them

   $ lsblk

   Use gdisk to create partitions.

   $ gdisk /dev/nvme0n1

   EFI partition:

   Command (? for help): n
   Partition number (1-128, default 1):
   First sector (34-104857566, default 2048) or{+-}size{KMGTP}:
   Last sector (2048-104857566, default 104857566) or{+-}size{KMGTP}: +350M
   Current type is 8300 (Linux filesystem)
   Hex code or GUID (L to show codes, Enter = 8300): ef00
   Changed partition type to 'EFI system partition'

   Linux partition:

   Command (? for help): n
   Partition number (2-128, default 2):
   First sector (34-104857566, default 718848) or{+-}size{KMGTP}:
   Last sector (718848-104857566, default 104857566) or{+-}size{KMGTP}:
   Current type is 8300 (Linux filesystem)
   Hex code or GUID (L to show codes, Enter = 8300):
   Changed partition type to 'Linux filesystem'

   Write changes to disk:

   Command (? for help): w
   ...
   ...
   Do you want to proceed? (Y/N): y

4. Format the EFI partition.

   $ mkfs.vfat /dev/nvme0n1p1

5. Prepare encryption of root volume:

   $ cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/nvme0n1p2
   ...
   Are you sure? (Type 'yes' in capital letters): YES
   Enter passphrase for /dev/nvme0n1p2:
   Verify passphrase:

   Open partition:

   $ cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/nvme0n1p2 cryptroot
   Enter passphrase for /dev/nvme0n1p2:

6. Format the btrfs partition:

   $ mkfs.btrfs /dev/mapper/cryptroot

7. Create btrfs subvolumes

   $ mount /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt
   $ btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@
   $ btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home
   $ btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@var

8. Unmount the device

   $ umount /mnt

9. Mount the @ subvolume with options:

   $ mount -o noatime,compress=zstd,ssd,discard=async,space_cache=v2,subvol=@ /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt

   Create directories for all other volumes:

   mkdir -p /mnt/{boot/efi,home,var}

   Remount the @home subvolume with options:

   $ mount -o noatime,compress=zstd,ssd,discard=async,space_cache=v2,subvol=@home /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt/home

   Remount the @var subvolume with options:

   $ mount -o noatime,compress=zstd,ssd,discard=async,space_cache=v2,subvol=@var /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt/var

   Mount EFI partition:

   $ mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot/efi

   Verify everything mounted correctly:

   $ lsblk

10. Install the base system:

    $ pacstrap /mnt \
       base linux linux-firmware \
       intel-ucode btrfs-progs \
       git vim

11. Create fstab:

    genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

12. Enter installation

    arch-chroot /mnt

13. Configure the system. Check out this script to make your own version.
14. Edit mkinitcpio.conf to add support for btrfs and encryption.

    MODULES=(btrfs)
    ...
    HOOKS=(...block enrcypt filesystems...)

    Recreate image:

    mkinitcpio -p linux

15. TODO: figure out how to do this with refind Edit /etc/default/grub.cfg. Replace ${UUID} with the UUID of the encrypted partition, not the mapper device:

    ...
    GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="loglevel=3 quiet cryptdevice=UUID=${UUID}:cryptroot root=/dev/mapper/cryptroot"
    ...

    Regenerate grub config:

    grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

16. Exit chroot, unmount /mnt folder and reboot.
17. Connect to the network:

    sudo nmcli --ask d wifi connect ${SSID}

18. Install and configure sway:

    sudo pacman -S sway swaylock swayidle xorg-xwayland
    mkdir ~/.config/sway
    cp /etc/sway/config ~/.config/sway/

    NOTE: at time of writing there is an issue with the swayidle install which causes the pacman command to fail. I simply removed it for this install.
19. Install yay:

    git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
    cd yay
    makepkg -si

20. Configure Ulauncher. Add this line to set it as Sway menu shortcut:

    set $menu ulauncher | xargs swagmsg exec --

21. Configure hardware keys. You'll need to install a package for screen brightness:

    yay -S brightnessctl

    Add the following directives to your sway config.
22. Install and configure waybar:

    yay -S community/waybar
    mkdir ~/.config/waybar
    cp /etc/xdg/waybar/* ~/.config/waybar/

23. Install nerd fonts:

    yay -S nerd-fonts-complete

24. Authorize CalDigit TS3 Plus (bolt package required):

    $ bolt list
    Caldigit, Inc. TS3 Plus
    ...
    ...
       uuid: UUID
    ...
    $ bolt authorize UUID

25. Configure DDC/DI:

    usermod -aG i2c david

    Load i2c-dev kernel module on startup by creating /etc/modules-load.d/i2c-dev.conf:

    # Support DDC/DI of external monitors via ddcutil
    i2c-dev
    

26. Install zplug:

    yay -S zplug

27. Install development tools:

    aws-cli-v2-bin
    aws-session-manager-plugin
    aws-vault
    github-cli
    helm
    kbenv
    neovim
    tfswitch-bin
    vim-plug
    yq
    

28. Install and configure timeshift:

    $ yay -S timeshift timeshift-autosnap

    timeshift normally runs its GUI root which displeases Wayland (aka it won't start). To run timeshift under Wayland, you need to run this command:

    $ xhost si:localuser:root && sudo timeshift-gtk

29. Installing virtualbox:

    $ yay -S virtualbox virtualbox-host-modules-arch

    note that linux-headers are also required for this but they should have been installed during pacstrap