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DoTheEvo e8982b0dd1 update		2022-12-25 13:13:03 +01:00
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readme.md	update	2022-12-25 13:13:03 +01:00

readme.md

Arch Linux installation to serve as a docker host

guide-by-example

Notice

Since 2022 I am using the archinstall script that comes with arch iso
After the install I use my ansible playbooks to setup the arch the way I like it

Purpose

Linux that will run docker.

This is not a hand holding explaining guide how to install arch.
It's more of a checklist on what to do if you already done it and know what you are doing.

Files and directory structure

/home/
└── bastard/
    └── docker/
        ├── container-setup #1
        ├── container-setup #2
        ├── ...

Make installation usb

wiki

sudo dd bs=4M if=archlinux-2020.05.01-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=direct

The above command will fuck your machine up if you dunno what you are doing.

Boot from the usb

This is BIOS/MBR setup as I am running on an old thinkpad with a busted screen, plus I like the simplicity of it.
So if theres boot menu option choose non-uefi.

Installation

create a single partition and mark it bootable
cfdisk -z /dev/sda
build ext4 filesystem on it
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1
mount the new partition
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
install the base system
pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware base-devel grub micro
generate fstab
genfstab -U /mnt > /mnt/etc/fstab
chroot in to the new system
arch-chroot /mnt
install grub
grub-install /dev/sda
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
set password for root
passwd
remove the bootable media and restart the machine
exit
reboot

Basic configuration after the first boot

login as root
set hostname
echo docker-host > /etc/hostname
add new user and set their password
useradd -m -G wheel bastard
passwd bastard
edit sudoers to allow users of the group wheel to sudo
EDITOR=micro visudo
%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL
check the network interface name
ip link
setup networking using systemd-networkd and systemd-resolved
create 20-wired.network file either in static or dhcp configuration

micro /etc/systemd/network/20-wired.network
```
[Match]
Name=enp0s25

[Network]
Address=10.0.19.2/24
Gateway=10.0.19.1
#DNS=8.8.8.8
```
```
[Match]
Name=enp0s25

[Network]
DHCP=yes
```
for DNS resolution and hostname exposure using mDNS and LLMNR
systemd-resolved will be used in stub mode
by replacing /etc/resolv.conf with a link to stub-resolv.conf

ln -sf /run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf

enable the services
- systemctl enable --now systemd-resolved
- systemctl enable --now systemd-networkd
uncomment desired locales in locale.gen
micro /etc/locale.gen
generate new locales and set one system wide
locale-gen
localectl set-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8
select timezone and set it permanent
tzselect
timedatectl set-timezone 'Europe/Bratislava'
set hardware clock and sync using ntp
hwclock --systohc --utc
timedatectl set-ntp true
setup a swap file
dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile bs=1M count=8192 status=progress
chmod 600 /swapfile
mkswap /swapfile
micro /etc/fstab
/swapfile none swap defaults 0 0
reboot
reboot

SSH, Docker, ZSH, AUR

From now on its login as non-root user.

Setup SSH access

wiki

install openssh package
sudo pacman -S openssh
edit sshd_config
sudo micro /etc/ssh/sshd_config
PasswordAuthentication yes
enable sshd service
sudo systemctl enable --now sshd

Setup docker

Wiki

have docker and docker-compose packages installed
sudo pacman -S docker docker-compose
enable docker service
sudo systemctl enable --now docker
add non-root user to the docker group
sudo gpasswd -a bastard docker

ZSH shell

wiki

I like Zim, it's the fastest zsh framework and set up nicely out of the box

install zsh and curl packages
sudo pacman -S zsh git curl
install zim
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zimfw/install/master/install.zsh | zsh
change the default shell to zsh
chsh -s /bin/zsh
I prefer steeef theme echo 'zmodule steeef' >> ~/.zimrc && zimfw install

Adding stuff to .zshrc

micro .zshrc

export EDITOR=micro
export VISUAL=micro

for ctrl+f prepending sudo

add_sudo (){
    BUFFER="sudo $BUFFER"
    zle -w end-of-line
}
zle -N add_sudo
bindkey "^f" add_sudo

ZSH docker autocomplete

Here. For zim it's "Without oh-my-zsh shell" section.

Access to AUR

Using Yay.

install git package
sudo pacman -S git
install yay
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay-bin.git
cd yay-bin && makepkg -si
cd .. && rm -rf yay-bin

ctop-bin and inxi are good AUR packages.

Extra stuff

wiki - general general recommendations
wiki - improving performance

CPU microcode

sudo pacman -S intel-ucode
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Some packages

Tools

sudo pacman -S fuse curl wget micro nnn bind-tools borg python-llfuse

Monitoring and testing

sudo pacman -S htop lm_sensors iotop nload powertop iproute2

Performance and maintenance

install cron and enable the service
sudo pacman -S cronie
sudo systemctl enable --now cronie
if ssd, enable periodic trim
sudo pacman -S util-linux
sudo systemctl enable --now fstrim.timer
set noatime in fstab to prevent unnecessary tracking of read times
sudo micro /etc/fstab
UUID=cdd..addb / ext4 rw,noatime 0 1
enable use of all cpu cores for makepkg jobs and disable compression
sudo micro /etc/makepkg.conf
MAKEFLAGS="-j$(nproc)"
PKGEXT='.pkg.tar'
clean up old packages weekly, keep last 3
sudo pacman -S pacman-contrib
sudo systemctl enable --now paccache.timer
use reflector to get the fastest mirrors based on country -c <country code>
sudo pacman -S reflector
sudo reflector -c SK,CZ,UA -p http --score 20 --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

automatic mirror update with reflector

/etc/xdg/reflector/reflector.conf
```
--save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
--protocol http
--country SK,CZ,UA
--score 20
--sort rate
```
enable it, it will run weekly

sudo systemctl enable --now reflector.timer

Comfort

enable colors in pacman.conf
sudo micro /etc/pacman.conf
Color

Notebook

Lid closed should not make the machine go to sleep.

Set lid handle switch to ignore in systemd logind.conf
sudo micro /etc/systemd/logind.conf
HandleLidSwitch=ignore

But this alone leaves the screen running nonstop.

Tried to find solution, and while sudo vbetool dpms off works, turning it back on does not sudo vbetool dpms on and it timesout without any message or error.

Might be specific for the hardware, currently its latitude E5570