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

We will be creating dual boot for OS X and Linux with no special boot loader. For other setup, refer to [1].
We will keep all data on an external hard drive, so we do not need huge amount of space for the linux system.
We will install from an USB thumb drive (will need at least 1GB in size), newer Minis do not have CD roms.

Prepare the disk in Mac OS X (El Capitan)
-----------------------------------------

- Open `Disk Utility` and select the disk (not partition), click `Partition` (top tool bar)
- There are at least 3 partitions: __EFI__, __OS X__, __Recovery__. Only __OS X__ will be shown.
- Repartition your disk as follows:
  1. OS X (size: ~ tens of GB, type HFS+, for OS X)
  2. Arch tmp (size: ~ 10 GB, FAT, will be removed later)

Create LiveUSB that we will boot from
-------------------------------------

- Download the `.iso` from [download page](https://www.archlinux.org/download/)
- Open `Terminal`
- `$ diskutil list` and find out its name (let's say it is `/dev/disk2`)
- `$ diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2` to unmount the drive
- `# dd if=/path/to/arch-linux-image.iso of=/dev/rdisk2 bs=1m` (we replaced `disk` with `rdisk` which is the "raw" disk in OS X and a lot faster, it is not a typo)
- `$ diskutil eject /dev/disk2`

Boot from LiveUSB
-----------------

- Hold `Alt` while booting
- Select the USB disk
- Welcome to Arch Linux installer ;-)

Installation
------------

- Connect to network 
  - `$ wifi-menu` to setup wireless networking (assuming DHCP is available)

- Setup time
  - `$ timedatectl set-ntp true`
  - Check its status `$ timedatectl status`

- Partition the drive again ;-)
  - `# cgdisk`
  - Remove the `Arch tmp` partition we created earlier.
  - Remember to create 128 MB gap after OS X partitions, by typing `+128M` for the start of the partition.
  - Add new `Arch boot` partition (~ 100 MB)
  - Add new `Arch root` partition (fill the space)
  - Swap file can be created later if needed

- Create file systems
  - `# mkfs.ext2 /dev/<arch boot>`
  - `# mkfs.ext4 /dev/<arch root>`

- Mount the partitions 
  - `# mount /dev/<arch root> /mnt`
  - `# mkdir /mnt/boot`
  - `# mount /dev/<arch boot> /mnt/boot`

- Edit mirror list
  - `# vim /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist` it will be used pac the next step, so take good care of it here

- Install the base packages
  - `# pacstrap /mnt base`

- Configure the system
  - `# genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab`
  - `# arch-chroot /mnt /bin/bash`
  - `# echo <computer name> > /etc/hostname`
  - `# ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/<zone>/<subzone> /etc/localtime`
  - `# nano /etc/locale.gen` uncomment locales you want
  - `# locale-gen`
  - `# echo LANG=<your_locale> > /etc/locale.conf`
  - TODO: setup wireless networking
  - `# mkinitcpio -p linux`
  - `# passwd`
  - `# pacman -S gptfdisk`

Boot loader
-----------

- `# mkdir /boot/efi`
- `# mount /dev/<EFI partition>`
- `# pacman -S grub efibootmgr`
- `# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=arch`
- `# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg`
  
Reboot
------

- `# exit` or `Ctrl + D`
- `# umount -R /mnt`
- `# reboot`

References
----------

* [1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/MacBook
* [2] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/USB_flash_installation_media
* [3] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide
* [4] http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/7468.html