Archlinux Workstation

Project to setup Archlinux OS on my workstation.

Feel free to fork and custom it for your needs.

Summary

• Summary
• The stack
• Getting started
  • Requirements
  • Test on a local qemu VM
    • Build image
    • Test base image
    • Test final image
  • Provision workstation
    • Burn USB live iso
    • Prepare workstation
    • Provision
      • Init
      • Setup

The stack

• Core
  • kernel: Linux lts
  • crypted partition: LUKS
  • partition: gpt
  • filesystem: ext4
  • boot: uefi
  • boot manager: systemd-boot
  • network: systemd-networkd / systemd-resolved / iwd
  • init: systemd
  • sound: pulseaudio
  • bluetooth: bluez
• Display
  • server: Xorg
  • desktop: i3
  • lock: i3lock
  • menu: rofi
• GUI
  • terminal: alacritty / tmux
  • browser: brave
  • file explorer: thunar
  • image viewer: feh
  • video player: vlc
  • archive manager: file-roller
• Dev
  • git
  • rust
  • nasm
  • jdk11
  • maven
  • nvm / npm / node
  • yarn
  • code
• Ops
  • qemu
  • edk2-ovmf
  • libvirt
  • libguestfs
  • virt-manager
  • virt-viewer
  • qemu
  • packer
  • terraform
  • ansible
  • docker / docker-compose

Getting started

Requirements

• packer
• qemu
• qemu-ui-gtk
• edk2-ovmf
• ansible
• sshpass
• python-passlib

Test on a local qemu VM

Build image

This is based on the qemu Packer builder

If the file /usr/share/edk2-ovmf/x64/OVMF.fd doesn't exist on your system, find its right location, then adapt the firwmare path in the config.pkr.hcl file.

Then, build the qcow images with command:

packer build -force -parallel-builds=1 .

2 qcow images should be generated at dist/base/archlinux-workstation and dist/final/archlinux-workstation

Test base image

If the file /usr/share/edk2-ovmf/x64/OVMF.fd doesn't exist on your system, find its right location, then adapt the bios path in the command below.

qemu-system-x86_64 \
  -enable-kvm \
  -cpu host \
  -smp 4 \
  -m 8192M \
  -bios /usr/share/edk2-ovmf/x64/OVMF.fd \
  -device virtio-vga-gl \
  -display gtk,gl=on \
  -device virtio-net,netdev=net0 \
  -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22 \
  -drive file=dist/base/archlinux-workstation,if=virtio

A qemu window should appear

Type password to decrypt the root partition.

Then, login:

• Username: username
• Password: password

You're on the prompt of the base system !

Test final image

If the file /usr/share/edk2-ovmf/x64/OVMF.fd doesn't exist on your system, find its right location, then adapt the bios path in the command below.

qemu-system-x86_64 \
  -enable-kvm \
  -cpu host \
  -smp 4 \
  -m 8192M \
  -bios /usr/share/edk2-ovmf/x64/OVMF.fd \
  -device virtio-vga-gl \
  -display gtk,gl=on \
  -device virtio-net,netdev=net0 \
  -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22 \
  -drive file=dist/final/archlinux-workstation,if=virtio

A qemu window should appear

Type password to decrypt the root partition.

Then, login:

• Username: username
• Password: password

You're on i3 desktop !

Provision workstation

Burn USB live iso

Download Archlinux live iso at https://archlinux.org/download/:

curl https://mir.archlinux.fr/iso/latest/archlinux-x86_64.iso -o /tmp/archlinux.iso

Then, copy it on a USB device with dd:

dd if=/tmp/archlinux.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress # replace /dev/sdX with your USB device

It may take a while

Prepare workstation

Boot the USB key in UEFI mode on the workstation you want to install Archlinux to.

A root shell should appear after a few seconds

Execute these commands to give ssh access to ansible:

echo "root:root" | chpasswd

Checks:

• Internet connection
• Reachable by the machine which will run ansible

Note the workstation IP address for the next:

ip addr

The workstation is ready to be provisionned

Provision

Then, from a system which has access to the workstation, clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/rodolpheche/archlinux-workstation.git

Now, fill informations in the inventories/group_vars/all/all.yml and inventories/host_vars/remote.yml files

Init

Run this command to install the base system on the workstation:

ansible-playbook -i inventories/remote init.yml -D

Reboot the workstation, it will load the base system

Setup

Once the system is booted, run the following command:

ansible-playbook -i inventories/remote setup.yml -D

Reboot the workstation, and voila !