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Revisions

  1. amorellg revised this gist Jul 13, 2025. 1 changed file with 12 additions and 1 deletion.
    13 changes: 12 additions & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
    View file
    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ swapon UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p3 | grep -v UUID)
    # "openssh" to use ssh and manage keys
    # "man" for manual pages
    # "sudo" to run commands as other users
    pacstrap -K /mnt base base-devel linux linux-firmware git btrfs-progs grub efibootmgr grub-btrfs vim networkmanager pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack wireplumber reflector zsh zsh-completions zsh-autosuggestions openssh man man-db man-pages texinfo fastfetch sudo snapper snap-pac
    pacstrap -K /mnt base base-devel linux linux-firmware git btrfs-progs grub efibootmgr grub-btrfs vim networkmanager pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack wireplumber reflector zsh zsh-completions zsh-autosuggestions openssh man man-db man-pages texinfo fastfetch sudo snapper snap-pac btop
    ```

    <br>
    @@ -581,6 +581,17 @@ nmcli device wifi connect <SSID> password <password>

    <br>

    ## Configure makepkg multithread support
    ```Zsh
    # Open the makepkf configuration file
    sudo vim /etc/makepkg.conf

    # Change the MAKEFLAGS to
    MAKEFLAGS="-j$(nproc)"
    ```

    <br>

    ## Configuring AUR and Snapper Integration with GRUB and Pacman

    Since we will need AUR helpers eventually to install other AUR packages, including snap-pac-grub, which provides pacman hooks to include snapshots in the GRUB menu, we will enable a pacman wrapper that supports the AUR -- paru and yay. Yay has a CLI, but if you later want to have an aur helper with a GUI you can install [`pamac`](https://gitlab.manjaro.org/applications/pamac) \( a Manjaro software, so use at your own risk \), **however** note that front\-ends like `pamac` and also any store \( KDE discovery, Ubuntu store etc. \) are not officially supported and should be avoided, because of the high risk of performing [partial upgrades](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_maintenance#Partial_upgrades_are_unsupported). This is also why later when installing KDE, I will exclude the KDE discovery store from the list of packages.
  2. amorellg revised this gist Jul 13, 2025. 1 changed file with 2 additions and 2 deletions.
    4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ mkdir AUR
    cd AUR

    # Install yay
    git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git && cd yay && makepkg -si
    git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git && cd yay && makepkg -sic

    # If you want to install paru
    cd ../AUR
    @@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer
    # Enable Periodic Execution of btrfs scrub

    ```Zsh
    systemd-escape --template [email protected] --path /dev/nvme0n1p2 btrfs-scrub@dev-nvme0n1p2.timer
    systemd-escape --template [email protected] --path /dev/nvme0n1p2 btrfs-scrub@dev-nvme0n1p2

    # Enable the timer using the unit file name as determined above:
    sudo systemctl enable [email protected]
  3. amorellg revised this gist Jul 13, 2025. 1 changed file with 23 additions and 25 deletions.
    48 changes: 23 additions & 25 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -505,19 +505,24 @@ mount -a
    # Adjust permissions of /.snapshots
    chmod 750 /.snapshots
    ```

    <br>

    ## Install Bootloader
    ## Grub configuration

    Now I'll [deploy grub](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB#Installation)

    ```Zsh
    # Install the GRUB firmware bootloader on the ESP.
    grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/efi --bootloader-id=ARCH-B --modules="normal test efi_gop efi_uga search echo linux all_video gfxmenu gfxterm_background gfxterm_menu gfxterm loadenv configfile gzio part_gpt btrfs"
    ```

    # Update the GRUB configuration.
    <br>

    Generate the grub configuration ( it will include the microcode installed with pacstrap earlier )

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

    <br>

    ## Root and users
    @@ -544,24 +549,6 @@ EDITOR=vim visudo

    <br>

    ## Grub configuration

    Now I'll [deploy grub](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB#Installation)

    ```Zsh
    grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/efi --bootloader-id=GRUB
    ```

    <br>

    Generate the grub configuration ( it will include the microcode installed with pacstrap earlier )

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

    <br>

    ## Unmount everything and reboot

    ```Zsh
    @@ -585,6 +572,10 @@ timedatectl set-ntp true
    # Enable NetworkManager and configure wifi
    sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager.service

    # To configure the WiFi password you can use
    nmtui

    # Or
    nmcli device wifi connect <SSID> password <password>
    ```

    @@ -605,6 +596,12 @@ mkdir AUR
    # Change to the new directory.
    cd AUR

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

    # If you want to install paru
    cd ../AUR

    # Clone the repository.
    git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git

    @@ -614,14 +611,15 @@ cd paru
    # Use makepkg to build the package and install it.
    makepkg -sic

    # Install yay
    cd ../AUR
    sudo pacman -S --needed git base-devel && git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git && cd yay && makepkg -si
    ```
    # Enable Snapshots in GRUB Menu

    ```Zsh
    # Install snap-pac-grub with
    yay -S snap-pac-grub

    # Or

    paru -Sa snap-pac-grub
    ```

  4. amorellg revised this gist Jul 5, 2025. 1 changed file with 3 additions and 3 deletions.
    6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ Installation looks almost identical to the AMD one, but every time a package con

    ```Zsh
    # Create a new manual snapshot of the system at a state before making changes for the test.
    sudo snapper -v -c root create -t single -d "description"
    sudo snapper -v -c root create -t single -d "<description>"

    # Verify the snapshot was created.
    sudo snapper list
    @@ -802,8 +802,8 @@ sudo snapper list
    After making changes to the system:

    ```Zsh
    # Rollback from the active snapshot
    sudo snapper -c root -v rollback -d "description" <number>
    # Rollback to the desired snapshot
    sudo snapper -c root -v rollback -d "<description>" <number>

    # Update GRUB
    grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
  5. amorellg revised this gist Jul 5, 2025. 1 changed file with 29 additions and 0 deletions.
    29 changes: 29 additions & 0 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -789,6 +789,35 @@ Installation looks almost identical to the AMD one, but every time a package con

    <br>

    # Rollback methods

    ```Zsh
    # Create a new manual snapshot of the system at a state before making changes for the test.
    sudo snapper -v -c root create -t single -d "description"

    # Verify the snapshot was created.
    sudo snapper list
    ```

    After making changes to the system:

    ```Zsh
    # Rollback from the active snapshot
    sudo snapper -c root -v rollback -d "description" <number>

    # Update GRUB
    grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

    # Reboot and select rollback snapshot in GRUB.

    # Update GRUB again
    grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

    # Reboot into the new default
    ```

    <br>

    # Setting up a graphical environment

    I'll provide 2 options:
  6. amorellg revised this gist Jul 4, 2025. 1 changed file with 8 additions and 22 deletions.
    30 changes: 8 additions & 22 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -592,9 +592,11 @@ nmcli device wifi connect <SSID> password <password>

    ## Configuring AUR and Snapper Integration with GRUB and Pacman

    # Enable AUR Helper
    Since we will need AUR helpers eventually to install other AUR packages, including snap-pac-grub, which provides pacman hooks to include snapshots in the GRUB menu, we will enable a pacman wrapper that supports the AUR -- paru and yay. Yay has a CLI, but if you later want to have an aur helper with a GUI you can install [`pamac`](https://gitlab.manjaro.org/applications/pamac) \( a Manjaro software, so use at your own risk \), **however** note that front\-ends like `pamac` and also any store \( KDE discovery, Ubuntu store etc. \) are not officially supported and should be avoided, because of the high risk of performing [partial upgrades](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_maintenance#Partial_upgrades_are_unsupported). This is also why later when installing KDE, I will exclude the KDE discovery store from the list of packages.

    Since we will need AUR helpers eventually to install other AUR packages, including snap-pac-grub, which provides pacman hooks to include snapshots in the GRUB menu, we will enable a pacman wrapper that supports the AUR -- paru.
    To learn more about yay read [here](https://github.com/Jguer/yay#yay)

    > Note: you can't execute makepkg as root, so you need to log in your main account. For me it's mjkstra
    ```Zsh
    # Create a directory for AUR packages.
    @@ -611,6 +613,10 @@ cd paru

    # Use makepkg to build the package and install it.
    makepkg -sic

    # Install yay
    cd ../AUR
    sudo pacman -S --needed git base-devel && git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git && cd yay && makepkg -si
    ```
    # Enable Snapshots in GRUB Menu

    @@ -704,26 +710,6 @@ systemctl enable vboxservice.service
    <br>

    ## Aur helper and additional packages installation

    To gain access to the arch user repository we need an aur helper, I will choose yay which also works as a pacman wrapper \( which means you can use yay instead of pacman \). Yay has a CLI, but if you later want to have an aur helper with a GUI you can install [`pamac`](https://gitlab.manjaro.org/applications/pamac) \( a Manjaro software, so use at your own risk \), **however** note that front\-ends like `pamac` and also any store \( KDE discovery, Ubuntu store etc. \) are not officially supported and should be avoided, because of the high risk of performing [partial upgrades](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_maintenance#Partial_upgrades_are_unsupported). This is also why later when installing KDE, I will exclude the KDE discovery store from the list of packages.

    To learn more about yay read [here](https://github.com/Jguer/yay#yay)

    > Note: you can't execute makepkg as root, so you need to log in your main account. For me it's mjkstra
    ```Zsh
    # Install yay
    sudo pacman -S --needed git base-devel && git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git && cd yay && makepkg -si

    # Install "timeshift-autosnap", a configurable pacman hook which automatically makes snapshots before pacman upgrades.
    yay -S timeshift-autosnap
    ```

    > Learn more about timeshift autosnap [here](https://gitlab.com/gobonja/timeshift-autosnap)
    <br>

    ## Finalization

    ```Zsh
  7. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 18 additions and 0 deletions.
    18 changes: 18 additions & 0 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -663,6 +663,24 @@ TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY="10" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY="3"

    TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY="10" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY="0"

    # Enable timeline snapshots timer.
    sudo systemctl enable snapper-timeline.timer

    # Start the timeline snapshots timer.
    sudo systemctl start snapper-timeline.timer

    # Enable the timeline cleanup algorithm based on the "TIMELINE_LIMIT_XXXX" settings in the configuration.
    sudo systemctl enable snapper-cleanup.timer

    # Start the timeline cleanup timer.
    sudo systemctl start snapper-cleanup.timer
    ```

    # Delete Subvolumes Created by systemd for VMs and Containers

    ```Zsh
    sudo btrfs subvolume delete /.snapshots/1/snapshot/var/lib/portables
    sudo btrfs subvolume delete /.snapshots/1/snapshot/var/lib/machines
    ```

    <br>
  8. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 69 additions and 8 deletions.
    77 changes: 69 additions & 8 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -583,25 +583,86 @@ reboot
    timedatectl set-ntp true

    # Enable NetworkManager and configure wifi
    sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
    sudo systemctl start NetworkManager.service
    sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager.service

    nmcli device wifi connect <SSID> password <password>
    ```

    <br>

    ## Automatic snapshot boot entries update
    ## Configuring AUR and Snapper Integration with GRUB and Pacman

    Each time a system snapshot is taken with timeshift, it will be available for boot in the bootloader, however you need to manually regenerate the grub configuration, this can be avoided thanks to `grub-btrfs`, which can automatically update the grub boot entries.
    # Enable AUR Helper

    Edit the **`grub-btrfsd`** service and because I will rely on timeshift for snapshotting, I am going to replace `ExecStart=...` with `ExecStart=/usr/bin/grub-btrfsd --syslog --timeshift-auto`. If you don't use timeshift or prefer to manually update the entries then lookup [here](https://github.com/Antynea/grub-btrfs)
    Since we will need AUR helpers eventually to install other AUR packages, including snap-pac-grub, which provides pacman hooks to include snapshots in the GRUB menu, we will enable a pacman wrapper that supports the AUR -- paru.

    ```Zsh
    sudo systemctl edit --full grub-btrfsd
    # Create a directory for AUR packages.
    mkdir AUR

    # Change to the new directory.
    cd AUR

    # Clone the repository.
    git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git

    # Change to the created directory.
    cd paru

    # Use makepkg to build the package and install it.
    makepkg -sic
    ```
    # Enable Snapshots in GRUB Menu

    ```Zsh
    # Install snap-pac-grub with
    paru -Sa snap-pac-grub
    ```

    <br>

    ## Final Configuration

    # Enable Periodic Execution of TRIM

    ```Zsh
    sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer
    ```

    # Enable Periodic Execution of btrfs scrub

    ```Zsh
    systemd-escape --template [email protected] --path /dev/nvme0n1p2 [email protected]

    # Enable the timer using the unit file name as determined above:
    sudo systemctl enable [email protected]

    # Start the timer.
    sudo systemctl start [email protected]
    ```

    <br>

    ## Edit Snapper Configuration
    ```Zsh
    #
    vim /etc/snapper/configs/root

    # Change
    NUMBER_LIMIT="50" to NUMBER_LIMIT="10-35"

    NUMBER_LIMIT_IMPORTANT="50" to NUMBER_LIMIT_IMPORTANT="15-25"

    TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY="10" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_HOURLY="5"

    TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY="10" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_DAILY="5"

    TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY="0" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_WEEKLY="2"

    TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY="10" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_MONTHLY="3"

    TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY="10" to TIMELINE_LIMIT_YEARLY="0"

    # Enable grub-btrfsd service to run on boot
    sudo systemctl enable grub-btrfsd
    ```

    <br>
  9. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 26 additions and 1 deletion.
    27 changes: 26 additions & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
    View file
    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -490,7 +490,32 @@ umount /.snapshots
    # Remove the directory that was the mountpoint of the @/.snapshots subvolume. Removing the directory does not delete the subvolume since it was unmounted in the last command.
    rm -r /.snapshots

    #
    # Issue the Snapper command to initialize a configuration named root for a subvolume mounted at /.
    snapper --no-dbus -c root create-config /

    # Delete the subvolume automatically created by snapper.
    btrfs subvolume delete /.snapshots

    # Remake the directory for mounting our snapshots subvolume.
    mkdir /.snapshots

    # Remount our snapshots subvolume with mount -a which remounts all filesystems specified in /etc/fstab
    mount -a

    # Adjust permissions of /.snapshots
    chmod 750 /.snapshots
    ```

    <br>

    ## Install Bootloader

    ```Zsh
    # Install the GRUB firmware bootloader on the ESP.
    grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/efi --bootloader-id=ARCH-B --modules="normal test efi_gop efi_uga search echo linux all_video gfxmenu gfxterm_background gfxterm_menu gfxterm loadenv configfile gzio part_gpt btrfs"

    # Update the GRUB configuration.
    grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
    ```

    <br>
  10. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 3 additions and 3 deletions.
    6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) /mnt
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@

    # Create the subvolume for /home.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/home

    # Create a subvolume for snapshots named /.snapshots with the path /@/.snapshots.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/.snapshots
    @@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ mkdir /mnt/.snapshots
    # Make a mount point for the @/boot/grub subvolume.
    mkdir -p /mnt/boot/grub

    # Make a mount point for the @home subvolume.
    # Make a mount point for the @/home subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/home

    # Make a mount point for the @/opt subvolume.
    @@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ mkdir /mnt/efi
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/.snapshots,compress=zstd /mnt/.snapshots

    # Mount the @home subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@home,compress=zstd /mnt/home
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/home,compress=zstd /mnt/home

    # Mount the @/boot/grub subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/boot/grub,compress=zstd /mnt/boot/grub
  11. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 0 additions and 3 deletions.
    3 changes: 0 additions & 3 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -185,9 +185,6 @@ lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p1 | grep -v UUID

    # Get the UUID of swap partition.
    lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p3 | grep -v UUID

    # Mount the root fs to make it accessible
    mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt
    ```

    <br>
  12. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 0 additions and 12 deletions.
    12 changes: 0 additions & 12 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -363,18 +363,6 @@ mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p1 | grep -v UUID) /mnt/efi
    swapon UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p3 | grep -v UUID)
    ```

    I will lay down the subvolumes on a **flat** layout, which is overall superior in my opinion and less constrained than a **nested** one. What's the difference ? If you're interested [this section of the old sysadmin guide](https://archive.kernel.org/oldwiki/btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SysadminGuide.html#Layout) explains it.

    ```Zsh
    # Create the subvolumes, in my case I choose to make a subvolume for / and one for /home. Subvolumes are identified by prepending @
    # NOTICE: the list of subvolumes will be increased in a later release of this guide, upon proper testing and judgement. See the "Things to add" chapter.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home

    # Unmount the root fs
    umount /mnt
    ```

    <br>

    ## Packages installation
  13. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 14 additions and 0 deletions.
    14 changes: 14 additions & 0 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -496,6 +496,20 @@ vim /etc/hosts

    <br>

    ## Initialize Snapper

    ```Zsh
    # Umount the @/.snapshots subvolume from /.snapshots.
    umount /.snapshots

    # Remove the directory that was the mountpoint of the @/.snapshots subvolume. Removing the directory does not delete the subvolume since it was unmounted in the last command.
    rm -r /.snapshots

    #
    ```

    <br>

    ## Root and users

    ```Zsh
  14. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 1 addition and 1 deletion.
    2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ Write the following ip, hostname pairs inside /etc/hosts, replacing `Arch` with
    ```
    127.0.0.1 localhost
    ::1 localhost
    127.0.1.1 Arch
    127.0.1.1 Arch.localdomain Arch
    ```

    ```Zsh
  15. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 1 addition and 22 deletions.
    23 changes: 1 addition & 22 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -377,26 +377,6 @@ umount /mnt

    <br>

    For this guide I'll compress the btrfs subvolumes with **Zstd**, which has proven to be [a good algorithm among the choices](https://www.phoronix.com/review/btrfs-zstd-compress)

    ```Zsh
    # Mount the root and home subvolume. If you don't want compression just remove the compress option.
    mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@ /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt
    mkdir -p /mnt/home
    mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@home /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt/home
    ```

    <br>

    Now we have to mount the efi partition. In general there are 2 main mountpoints to use: `/efi` or `/boot` but in this configuration i am **forced** to use `/efi`, because by choosing `/boot` we could experience a **system crash** when trying to restore `@` _\( the root subvolume \)_ to a previous state after kernel updates. This happens because `/boot` files such as the kernel won't reside on `@` but on the efi partition and hence they can't be saved when snapshotting `@`. Also this choice grants separation of concerns and also is good if one wants to encrypt `/boot`, since you can't encrypt efi files. Learn more [here](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/EFI_system_partition#Typical_mount_points)

    ```Zsh
    mkdir -p /mnt/efi
    mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/efi
    ```

    <br>

    ## Packages installation

    ```Zsh
    @@ -408,7 +388,6 @@ mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/efi
    # "grub" the bootloader
    # "efibootmgr" needed to install grub
    # "grub-btrfs" adds btrfs support for the grub bootloader and enables the user to directly boot from snapshots
    # "inotify-tools" used by grub btrfsd deamon to automatically spot new snapshots and update grub entries
    # "timeshift" a GUI app to easily create,plan and restore snapshots using BTRFS capabilities
    # "amd-ucode" microcode updates for the cpu. If you have an intel one use "intel-ucode"
    # "vim" my goto editor, if unfamiliar use nano
    @@ -422,7 +401,7 @@ mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/efi
    # "openssh" to use ssh and manage keys
    # "man" for manual pages
    # "sudo" to run commands as other users
    pacstrap -K /mnt base base-devel linux linux-firmware git btrfs-progs grub efibootmgr grub-btrfs inotify-tools timeshift vim networkmanager pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack wireplumber reflector zsh zsh-completions zsh-autosuggestions openssh man sudo
    pacstrap -K /mnt base base-devel linux linux-firmware git btrfs-progs grub efibootmgr grub-btrfs vim networkmanager pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack wireplumber reflector zsh zsh-completions zsh-autosuggestions openssh man man-db man-pages texinfo fastfetch sudo snapper snap-pac
    ```

    <br>
  16. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 9 additions and 7 deletions.
    16 changes: 9 additions & 7 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) /mnt
    # Make the @ subvolume.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@

    # Create the subvolume for /home.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home

    # Create a subvolume for snapshots named /.snapshots with the path /@/.snapshots.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/.snapshots

    @@ -284,6 +287,9 @@ mkdir /mnt/.snapshots
    # Make a mount point for the @/boot/grub subvolume.
    mkdir -p /mnt/boot/grub

    # Make a mount point for the @home subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/home

    # Make a mount point for the @/opt subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/opt

    @@ -314,12 +320,12 @@ mkdir /mnt/var/tmp
    # Make a mountpoint for the ESP (EFI System Partition).
    mkdir /mnt/efi

    # Make a folder for /home.
    mkdir /mnt/home

    # We now mount the subvolumes to the mount points. Mount the @/.snapshots subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/.snapshots,compress=zstd /mnt/.snapshots

    # Mount the @home subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@home,compress=zstd /mnt/home

    # Mount the @/boot/grub subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/boot/grub,compress=zstd /mnt/boot/grub

    @@ -355,10 +361,6 @@ mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p1 | grep -v UUID) /mnt/efi

    # Activate the swap partition.
    swapon UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p3 | grep -v UUID)

    # Create the subvolume for /home and mount it.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home
    mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@home /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt/home
    ```

    I will lay down the subvolumes on a **flat** layout, which is overall superior in my opinion and less constrained than a **nested** one. What's the difference ? If you're interested [this section of the old sysadmin guide](https://archive.kernel.org/oldwiki/btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SysadminGuide.html#Layout) explains it.
  17. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 1 addition and 1 deletion.
    2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
    View file
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    @@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ mkdir /mnt/var/tmp
    # Make a mountpoint for the ESP (EFI System Partition).
    mkdir /mnt/efi

    # Make a mount point for the /home partition.
    # Make a folder for /home.
    mkdir /mnt/home

    # We now mount the subvolumes to the mount points. Mount the @/.snapshots subvolume.
  18. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 25 additions and 0 deletions.
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    @@ -333,7 +333,32 @@ mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/root,compr
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/srv,compress=zstd /mnt/srv

    # Mount the @/tmp subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/tmp,compress=zstd /mnt/tmp

    # Mount the @/usr/local subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/usr/local,compress=zstd /mnt/usr/local

    # Mount the @/var/cache subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/var/cache,nodatacow /mnt/var/cache

    # Mount the @/var/log subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/var/log,nodatacow /mnt/var/log

    # Mount the @/var/spool subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/var/spool,nodatacow /mnt/var/spool

    # Mount the @/var/tmp subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/var/tmp,nodatacow /mnt/var/tmp

    # Mount the ESP partition.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p1 | grep -v UUID) /mnt/efi

    # Activate the swap partition.
    swapon UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p3 | grep -v UUID)

    # Create the subvolume for /home and mount it.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home
    mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@home /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt/home
    ```

    I will lay down the subvolumes on a **flat** layout, which is overall superior in my opinion and less constrained than a **nested** one. What's the difference ? If you're interested [this section of the old sysadmin guide](https://archive.kernel.org/oldwiki/btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SysadminGuide.html#Layout) explains it.
  19. amorellg revised this gist Jul 3, 2025. 1 changed file with 152 additions and 1 deletion.
    153 changes: 152 additions & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -175,7 +175,16 @@ For the file system I've chosen [**BTRFS**](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Btr
    mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/nvme0n1p1

    # Find the root partition. For me it's /dev/nvme0n1p2 and format it. I will use BTRFS.
    mkfs.btrfs /dev/nvme0n1p2
    mkfs.btrfs -L ARCH -f -n 32k /dev/nvme0n1p2

    # Format the swap partition
    mkswap /dev/nvme0n1p3

    # Get the UUID of the ESP of the computer.
    lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p1 | grep -v UUID

    # Get the UUID of swap partition.
    lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p3 | grep -v UUID

    # Mount the root fs to make it accessible
    mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt
    @@ -185,6 +194,148 @@ mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt

    ## Disk mounting

    The creation of the subvolumes is based on [https://www.ordinatechnic.com/distribution-specific-guides/Arch/an-arch-linux-installation-on-a-btrfs-filesystem-with-snapper-for-system-snapshots-and-rollbacks](https://www.ordinatechnic.com/distribution-specific-guides/Arch/an-arch-linux-installation-on-a-btrfs-filesystem-with-snapper-for-system-snapshots-and-rollbacks).

    ```Zsh
    # Mount the newly created Btrfs filesystem.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) /mnt

    # Make the @ subvolume.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@

    # Create a subvolume for snapshots named /.snapshots with the path /@/.snapshots.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/.snapshots

    # Create a subvolume for the initial snapshot which will be the target of the installation.
    mkdir /mnt/@/.snapshots/1
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/.snapshots/1/snapshot

    # Create a subvolume for the filesystem hierarchy in and under /boot/grub/.
    mkdir /mnt/@/boot
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/boot/grub

    # Create the /@/opt subvolume for the filesystem hierarchy under /opt.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/opt

    # Create the /@/root subvolume for the filesystem hierarchy under /root.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/root

    # Create the /@/srv subvolume for the filesystem hierarchy under /srv.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/srv

    # Create the /@/tmp subvolume for the filesystem hierarchy under /tmp.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/tmp

    # Create a subvolume for filesystem hierarchy in and under /usr/local.
    mkdir /mnt/@/usr
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/usr/local

    # Create the /@/var/cache subvolume for filesystem hierarchy in and under /var/cache.
    mkdir /mnt/@/var
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/var/cache

    # Create the /@/var/log subvolume for filesystem hierarchy in and under /var/log.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/var/log

    # Create the /@/var/spool subvolume for filesystem hierarchy in and under /var/spool
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/var/spool

    # Create the /@/var/tmp subvolume for filesystem hierarchy in and under /var/tmp.
    btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@/var/tmp
    ```

    Snapper stores metadata for each snapshot in the snapshot's directory /@/.snapshots/# where "#" represents the snapshot number in an .xml file. For our initial snapshot this will be /@/.snapshots/1 One of the metadata items is the snapshot creation time, in the format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.

    ```Zsh
    # The current date and time string in the appropriate format can be obtained with the command:
    date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"

    # Create the metadata required by Snapperfor the initial installation snapshot.
    vim /mnt/@/.snapshots/1/info.xml

    # Add the following, replacing 2021-09-23 21:56:17 with your current time and date string.
    <?xml version="1.0"?>
    <snapshot>
    <type>single</type>
    <num>1</num>
    <date>2021-09-23 21:56:17</date>
    <description>First Root Filesystem Created at Installation</description>
    </snapshot>

    # Make the initial snapshot subvolume, /@/mnt/.snapshots/1/snapshot, the default subvolume.
    btrfs subvolume set-default $(btrfs subvolume list /mnt | grep "@/.snapshots/1/snapshot" | grep -oP '(?<=ID )[0-9]+') /mnt

    # Disable copy-on-write for the /@/var subvolumes this will require the nodatacow mount option, which will disable compression for these subvolumes.
    chattr +C /mnt/@/var/cache
    chattr +C /mnt/@/var/log
    chattr +C /mnt/@/var/spool
    chattr +C /mnt/@/var/tmp

    # Unmount the Btrfs filesystem.
    umount /mnt

    # Mount the Btrfs filesystem again. Unlike the previous time, when we mount it this time, since we have set the default subvolume, the subvolume attached to /mnt will be the subvolume @/.snapshots/1/snapshot with a subvolume ID of 258 and not the main subvolume with a subvolume ID of 5.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o compress=zstd /mnt

    # We need to make mountpoints for the subvolumes to be mounted at hierarchy locations under / for our installation process and for when this subvolume (subvolid=258) is mounted at / in our installed system.
    # Make a mount point for the @/.snapshots subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/.snapshots

    # Make a mount point for the @/boot/grub subvolume.
    mkdir -p /mnt/boot/grub

    # Make a mount point for the @/opt subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/opt

    # Make a mount point for the @/root subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/root

    # Make a mount point for the @/srv subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/srv

    # Make a mount point for the @/tmp subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/tmp

    # Make a mount point for the @/usr/local subvolume.
    mkdir -p /mnt/usr/local

    # Make a mount point for the @/var/cache subvolume.
    mkdir -p /mnt/var/cache

    # Make a mount point for the @/var/log subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/var/log

    # Make a mount point for the @/var/spool subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/var/spool

    # Make a mount point for the @/var/tmp subvolume.
    mkdir /mnt/var/tmp

    # Make a mountpoint for the ESP (EFI System Partition).
    mkdir /mnt/efi

    # Make a mount point for the /home partition.
    mkdir /mnt/home

    # We now mount the subvolumes to the mount points. Mount the @/.snapshots subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/.snapshots,compress=zstd /mnt/.snapshots

    # Mount the @/boot/grub subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/boot/grub,compress=zstd /mnt/boot/grub

    # Mount the @/opt subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/opt,compress=zstd /mnt/opt

    # Mount the @/root subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/root,compress=zstd /mnt/root

    # Mount the @/srv subvolume.
    mount UUID=$(lsblk -o UUID /dev/nvme0n1p2 | grep -v UUID) -o subvol=@/srv,compress=zstd /mnt/srv

    # Mount the @/tmp subvolume.

    ```

    I will lay down the subvolumes on a **flat** layout, which is overall superior in my opinion and less constrained than a **nested** one. What's the difference ? If you're interested [this section of the old sysadmin guide](https://archive.kernel.org/oldwiki/btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SysadminGuide.html#Layout) explains it.

    ```Zsh
  20. amorellg revised this gist Jun 29, 2025. 1 changed file with 1 addition and 1 deletion.
    2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ sudo pacman -S lib32-mesa lib32-vulkan-radeon lib32-libva-mesa-driver lib32-mesa
    In summary if you have an Nvidia card you have 3 options:

    1. [**NVIDIA** proprietary driver](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA)
    2. [open source guide](https://github.com/korvahannu/arch-nvidia-drivers-installation-guide)
    2. [open source guide](https://github.com/amorellg/arch-nvidia-drivers-installation-guide)
    3. [**Nouveau** open source driver](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Nouveau)

    ```Zsh
  21. amorellg revised this gist Jun 29, 2025. 1 changed file with 15 additions and 4 deletions.
    19 changes: 15 additions & 4 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ For this guide I'll install the [**AMDGPU** driver](https://wiki.archlinux.org/t
    # libva-mesa-driver: VA-API h/w video decoding support.
    # mesa-vdpau: VDPAU h/w accelerated video decoding support.

    sudo pacman -S mesa vulkan-radeon libva-mesa-driver mesa-vdpau
    sudo pacman -S mesa vulkan-radeon libva-mesa-driver libva-utils mesa-vdpau
    ```

    ### 32 Bit support
    @@ -517,12 +517,23 @@ sudo pacman -S lib32-mesa lib32-vulkan-radeon lib32-libva-mesa-driver lib32-mesa

    ## Nvidia

    In summary if you have an Nvidia card you have 2 options:
    In summary if you have an Nvidia card you have 3 options:

    1. [**NVIDIA** proprietary driver](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA)
    2. [**Nouveau** open source driver](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Nouveau)
    2. [open source guide](https://github.com/korvahannu/arch-nvidia-drivers-installation-guide)
    3. [**Nouveau** open source driver](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Nouveau)

    The recommended is the proprietary one, however I won't explain further because I don't have an Nvidia card and the process for such cards is tricky unlike for AMD or Intel cards. Moreover for reason said before, I can't even test it.
    ```Zsh
    sudo pacman -S nvidia-open nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils

    sudo vim /etc/default/grub
    ```

    `GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nvidia-drm.modeset=1 nvidia-drm.fbdev=1"`

    ```Zsh
    sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
    ```

    <br>

  22. amorellg revised this gist Jun 19, 2025. 1 changed file with 6 additions and 0 deletions.
    6 changes: 6 additions & 0 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -400,6 +400,12 @@ reboot

    # Enable and start the time synchronization service
    timedatectl set-ntp true

    # Enable NetworkManager and configure wifi
    sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
    sudo systemctl start NetworkManager.service

    nmcli device wifi connect <SSID> password <password>
    ```

    <br>
  23. amorellg revised this gist Jun 15, 2025. 1 changed file with 1 addition and 1 deletion.
    2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ Now don't reboot your system yet. If you want a display manager, which is genera
    # swaylock: the lockscreen
    # waybar: a status bar for wayland wm's

    pacman -S --needed waybar dolphin dunst grim hyprland kitty polkit-kde-agent qt5-wayland qt6-wayland slurp wofi xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland swaylock waybar
    pacman -S --needed dolphin dunst grim hyprland kitty polkit-kde-agent qt5-wayland qt6-wayland slurp wofi xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland swaylock waybar

    # wlogout: a logout/shutdown menu
    yay -S wlogout
  24. amorellg revised this gist Jun 15, 2025. 1 changed file with 13 additions and 4 deletions.
    17 changes: 13 additions & 4 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -588,12 +588,21 @@ Now don't reboot your system yet. If you want a display manager, which is genera

    ```Zsh
    # Install hyprland from tagged releases and other utils:
    # swaylock: the lockscreen
    # dolphin:
    # dunst:
    # grim:
    # hyprland:
    # kitty:
    # polkit-kde-agent:
    # qt5-wayland:
    # qt6-wayland:
    # slurp:
    # wofi: the wayland version of rofi, an application launcher, extremely configurable
    # xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland:
    # swaylock: the lockscreen
    # waybar: a status bar for wayland wm's
    # dolphin: a powerful file manager from KDE applications
    # alacritty: a beautiful and minimal terminal application, super configurable
    pacman -S --needed hyprland swaylock wofi waybar dolphin alacritty

    pacman -S --needed waybar dolphin dunst grim hyprland kitty polkit-kde-agent qt5-wayland qt6-wayland slurp wofi xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland swaylock waybar

    # wlogout: a logout/shutdown menu
    yay -S wlogout
  25. @mjkstra mjkstra revised this gist Oct 3, 2024. 1 changed file with 3 additions and 3 deletions.
    6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
    - [Windows compatibility layers](#windows-compatibility-layers)
    - [Generic optimizations](#generic-optimizations)
    - [Overclocking and monitoring](#overclocking-and-monitoring)
    - [Tips and tricks](#tips-and-tricks)
    - [Additional notes](#additional-notes)
    - [Things to add](#things-to-add)

    # Introduction
    @@ -692,7 +692,7 @@ To overclock your system, i suggest installing [**corectrl**](https://gitlab.com

    <br>

    # Tips and tricks
    # Additional notes

    - On KDE disabling mouse acceleration is simple, just go to the settings via the GUI and on the mouse section enable the flat acceleration profile. If not using KDE then read [here](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Mouse_acceleration)

    @@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ To overclock your system, i suggest installing [**corectrl**](https://gitlab.com
    - There is no such thing as the best kernel, all kernels make tradeoffs \( eg: latency for throughtput \) and this it why it's generally advised to stick with the generic one.
    - If you are mainly a gamer you MAY consider the **TKG** or **CachyOS** kernel. These kernels contain many optimizations and are highly customizable, however the TKG kernel has to be compiled \( mainly it's time consuming, not hard \), while CachyOS kernel comes already packaged and optimized for specific hardware configurations, and can be simply installed with pacman upon adding their repos to `pacman.conf`. Some users have reported to experience a smoother experience with lower latency, however I couldn't find consistent information about this and it seems that is all backed by a personal sensation and not a result obtained through objective measurements \( Also this is difficult because in Linux there can be countless configuration variables and it also depends by the graphic card being used \).

    - Now some recommended reads:
    - Some recommended reads:
    - [How to build your KDE environment](https://community.kde.org/Distributions/Packaging_Recommendations)
    - [Gaming on Wayland](https://zamundaaa.github.io/wayland/2021/12/14/about-gaming-on-wayland.html) \( old article but still relevant \)
    - [Improving Linux Gaming Performance](https://linux-gaming.kwindu.eu/index.php?title=Improving_performance)
  26. @mjkstra mjkstra revised this gist Oct 3, 2024. 1 changed file with 6 additions and 1 deletion.
    7 changes: 6 additions & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
    View file
    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -703,7 +703,12 @@ To overclock your system, i suggest installing [**corectrl**](https://gitlab.com
    - There is no such thing as the best kernel, all kernels make tradeoffs \( eg: latency for throughtput \) and this it why it's generally advised to stick with the generic one.
    - If you are mainly a gamer you MAY consider the **TKG** or **CachyOS** kernel. These kernels contain many optimizations and are highly customizable, however the TKG kernel has to be compiled \( mainly it's time consuming, not hard \), while CachyOS kernel comes already packaged and optimized for specific hardware configurations, and can be simply installed with pacman upon adding their repos to `pacman.conf`. Some users have reported to experience a smoother experience with lower latency, however I couldn't find consistent information about this and it seems that is all backed by a personal sensation and not a result obtained through objective measurements \( Also this is difficult because in Linux there can be countless configuration variables and it also depends by the graphic card being used \).


    - Now some recommended reads:
    - [How to build your KDE environment](https://community.kde.org/Distributions/Packaging_Recommendations)
    - [Gaming on Wayland](https://zamundaaa.github.io/wayland/2021/12/14/about-gaming-on-wayland.html) \( old article but still relevant \)
    - [Improving Linux Gaming Performance](https://linux-gaming.kwindu.eu/index.php?title=Improving_performance)
    - [Arch linux system maintenance](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_maintenance)
    - [Arch linux general recommendations](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/General_recommendations)
    <br>

    # Things to add
  27. @mjkstra mjkstra revised this gist Oct 3, 2024. 1 changed file with 7 additions and 0 deletions.
    7 changes: 7 additions & 0 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ I will make 2 partitions:
    # If you have an hdd is something like sdax
    fdisk -l

    # Now you can either go and partition your disk with fdisk and follow the steps below,
    # or if you want to do things yourself and make it easier, use cfdisk ( an fdisk TUI wrapper ) which is
    # much more user friendly. A reddit user suggested me this and it's indeed very intuitive to use.
    # If you choose cfdisk you will have to invoke it the same way as I did with fdisk below, but
    # you don't need to follow my commands blindly as with fdisk below, just navigate the UI with the arrows
    # and press enter to get inside menus, remember to write changes before quitting.

    # Invoke fdisk to partition
    fdisk /dev/nvme0n1

  28. @mjkstra mjkstra revised this gist Oct 3, 2024. 1 changed file with 30 additions and 2 deletions.
    32 changes: 30 additions & 2 deletions arch_linux_installation_guide.md
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    @@ -535,8 +535,36 @@ On top of that I'll add a **display manager**, which you can omit if you don't l
    **KDE Plasma** is a very popular DE which comes bundled in many distributions. It supports both the older **Xorg** and the newer **Wayland** protocols. It's **user friendly**, **light** and it's also used on the Steam Deck, which makes it great for **gaming**. I'll provide the steps for a minimal installation and add some basic packages.

    ```Zsh
    # Install the plasma desktop environment, the audio and network applets, task manager, screen configurator, Kvantum QT theme engine, power manager, some useful basic addons, configuration for GTK application theming and other package of personal interest
    sudo pacman -S plasma-desktop plasma-pa plasma-nm plasma-systemmonitor kscreen kvantum powerdevil kdeplasma-addons kde-gtk-config breeze-gtk alacritty dolphin firefox kate okular gwenview ark mpv gimp
    # plasma-desktop: the barebones plasma environment.
    # plasma-pa: the KDE audio applet.
    # plasma-nm: the KDE network applet.
    # plasma-systemmonitor: the KDE task manager.
    # plasma-firewall: the KDE firewall.
    # plasma-browser-integration: cool stuff, it lets you manage things from your browser like media currently played via the plasma environment. Make sure to install the related extension on firefox ( you will be prompted automatically upon boot ).
    # kscreen: the KDE display configurator.
    # kwalletmanager: manage secure vaults ( needed to store the passwords of local applications in an encrypted format ). This also installs kwallet as a dependency, so I don't need to specify it.
    # kwallet-pam: automatically unlocks secure vault upon login ( without this, each time the wallet gets queried it asks for your password to unlock it ).
    # bluedevil: the KDE bluetooth manager.
    # powerdevil: the KDE power manager.
    # power-profiles-daemon: adds 3 power profiles selectable from powerdevil ( power saving, balanced, performance ). Make sure that its service is enabled and running ( it should be ).
    # kdeplasma-addons: some useful addons.
    # xdg-desktop-portal-kde: better integrates the plasma desktop in various windows like file pickers.
    # xwaylandvideobridge: exposes Wayland windows to XWayland-using screen sharing apps ( useful when screen sharing on discord, but also in other instances ).
    # kde-gtk-config: the native settings integration to manage GTK theming.
    # breeze-gtk: the breeze GTK theme.
    # cups, print-manager: the CUPS print service and the KDE front-end.
    # konsole: the KDE terminal.
    # dolphin: the KDE file manager.
    # ffmpegthumbs: video thumbnailer for dolphin.
    # firefox: the web browser.
    # kate: the KDE text editor.
    # okular: the KDE pdf viewer.
    # gwenview: the KDE image viewer.
    # ark: the KDE archive manager.
    # pinta: a paint.net clone written in GTK.
    # spectacle: the KDE screenshot tool.
    # dragon: a simple KDE media player. A more advanced alternative based on libmpv is Haruna.
    sudo pacman -S plasma-desktop plasma-pa plasma-nm plasma-systemmonitor plasma-firewall plasma-browser-integration kscreen kwalletmanager kwallet-pam bluedevil powerdevil power-profiles-daemon kdeplasma-addons xdg-desktop-portal-kde xwaylandvideobridge kde-gtk-config breeze-gtk cups print-manager konsole dolphin ffmpegthumbs firefox kate okular gwenview ark pinta spectacle dragon
    ```

    Now don't reboot your system yet. If you want a display manager, which is generally recommended, head to the [related section](#adding-a-display-manager) in this guide and proceed from there otherwise you'll have to [manually configure](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/KDE#From_the_console) and launch the graphical environment each time \(which I would advise to avoid\).
  29. @mjkstra mjkstra revised this gist Sep 27, 2024. 1 changed file with 7 additions and 1 deletion.
    8 changes: 7 additions & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
    View file
    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -344,7 +344,13 @@ passwd
    useradd -mG wheel mjkstra
    passwd mjkstra

    # Uncomment the wheel group to allow execution of any command( ie: remove the # from the wheel line below where it says something like: "Uncomment to let members of group wheel execute any action" ). if you want to use nano then write EDITOR=nano instead. Note the following is a single command to enter in the terminal.
    # The command below is a one line command that will open the /etc/sudoers file with your favourite editor.
    # You can choose a different editor than vim by changing the EDITOR variable
    # Once opened, you have to look for a line which says something like "Uncomment to let members of group wheel execute any action"
    # and uncomment exactly the line BELOW it, by removing the #. This will grant superuser priviledges to your user.
    # Why are we issuing this command instead of a simple vim /etc/sudoers ?
    # Because visudo does more than opening the editor, for example it locks the file from being edited simultaneously and
    # runs syntax checks to avoid committing an unreadable file.
    EDITOR=vim visudo
    ```

  30. @mjkstra mjkstra revised this gist Sep 5, 2024. 1 changed file with 1 addition and 1 deletion.
    2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion arch_linux_installation_guide.md
    View file
    Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
    @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The goal of this guide is to help new users set up a modern and minimal installa

    - I **won't** prepare the system for **secure boot** because the procedure of custom key enrollment in the BIOS is dangerous and [can lead to a bricked system](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface/Secure_Boot#Creating_and_enrolling_keys). If you are wondering why not using the default OEM keys in the BIOS, it's because they will make secure boot useless by being most likely [not enough secure](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface/Secure_Boot#Implementing_Secure_Boot).

    - I **won't** encrypt the system because I don't need it and because encryption always adds a little bit of overhead in the boot phase leading to a **slower to varying degrees** start\-up, depending on your configuration. However it may be important for you so if you really wanna go this way I recommend reading [the wiki page in this regards](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-crypt) and **must** perform the documented steps **IMMEDIATELY AFTER** [disk partitioning](#disk-partitioning) \( Also if I recall correctly you must set the type of partition to a LUKS partition when partitioning with `fdisk`, but I am not sure if it's really needed \).
    - I **won't** encrypt the system because I don't need it and because encryption always adds a little bit of overhead in the boot phase leading to a **slower to varying degrees** start\-up, depending on your configuration. However it may be important for you so if you really wanna go this way I recommend reading [the wiki page in this regards](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-crypt) and **must** perform the documented steps **IMMEDIATELY AFTER** [disk partitioning](#disk-partitioning). Also note that you must set the type of partition to a LUKS partition instead of a standard Linux partition when partitioning with `fdisk`.

    - I'll **skip** the Arch ISO installation media preparation.