HowTo Install Arch Linux

Initializing the Disk

Install/reinitialize GPT (Guid Partition Table) on the disk`

sgdisk --zap /dev/vda

Create partition one, leave 2048 sectors blank for the syslinux bootloader, and consuming the rest of the drive.

sgdisk --new 1:2048: /dev/vda

For Partition 1, set the bootable flag, (flag 2)

sgdisk --attributes=1:set:2 /dev/vda

Now that you have a partition, it will show as /dev/vda1. Format The partition as ext4

mkfs.ext4 /dev/vda1 -F

Mount The partiton, so that we can install arch onto it.

mount /dev/vda1 /mnt

Install Arch

Install Arch to /mnt

pacstrap /mnt

Now that arch is isntalled, build a partition to mount point table, and write it to /mnt/etc/fstab

genfstab /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

Change Root (chroot) to Arch

Switch into the arch installtion.

arch-chroot /mnt

Set time Timezone

ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Chicago /etc/localtime

Prepraring to Boot

Create your initial ramdisk - The initial file system before the real one boots

mkinitcpio -p linux

Install syslinux

pacman -S syslinux

Prepare the /boot folder with syslinux's micro programs.

ln -s /usr/lib/syslinux/bios/*.c32 /boot/syslinux/
extlinux --install /boot/syslinux

Install syslinux's GPT MBR (Master Boot Record) to the root of MBR. This will sit in the 2048 of reserved space from when we partitioned the drive.

dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/bios/gptmbr.bin of=/dev/vda

By default, syslinux tries to boot /dev/sda3. Change it to boot /dev/vda1

sed -i 's#/dev/sda3#/dev/vda1#' /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg

Reboot

exit
reboot

When Something Goes Wrong

If something goes wrong with rebooting and you end up back on the live cd, you don't need to start over. Running the following 2 commands will bring you back to your Arch Linux Environment

mount /dev/vda1 /mnt
arch-chroot /mnt

Once you are back in the Arch environment, Check the following:

• You set the bootable flag on the partions
• You setup the syslinux boot loader correctly.

Flavor

Some settings common to most of the computers at PS:One can be applied by running the following commands:

pacman -S salt-zmq
systemctl start salt-minion
salt-call state.highstate