RichARCH
Creating a Rich experience to Arch.
RichARCH is designed to be a Simple Quick Pure path to Arch Linux with kickstart like automation features. (https://richarch.sf.net)
One goal of the project is to only use packages in the basic Arch Linux repos, including the option to install a few non-standard packages (like Pamac, Spotify, and Warp Terminal). Our hope is that this will help to make Arch Linux more approachable to individual and corporate users.
RichARCH also has a method to automate the whole installation process with very limited to no user interaction. This allows RichARCH to work very well in deploying multiple systems at a time as either physical or virtual machines and injunction with orchestration systems. The menu and automation config file based installation is able to set up the selected storage device with LVM storage setup options and with multiple format choices, including: BTRFS, EXT4, and XFS.
Make sure to backup any data you wish to keep from the storage device you plan to use with the RichARCH installer.
Desktop Environments you can choose to install from:
- Budgie - Cinnamon
- Enlightenment - Gnome
- Hyprland - KDE
- LXDE - Mate
- XFCE - TUI
Includes dual boot options for UEFI systems with at least Windoze 10 already installed.
INSTALLATION
DOWNLOAD Arch ISO:
https://archlinux.org/download/
MOVE ISO to bootable media (if needed, installing in a VM can probably skip this step):
https://kb.adamsdesk.com/application/ventoy
-- or --
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Ventoy
BOOT system with the bootable media the Arch ISO is on.
If needed the font can be adjusted to any listed in the /usr/share/fonts/misc directory (ls /usr/share/fonts/misc).
Example: setfont ter-v20n
VERIFY network connection for IP address by typing:
ip a |grep -i inet
(exclude any 127.0.01 or ::1/128 addresses)
If the system being installed uses only WIFI, then type:
iwctl
to connect a WIFI network.
List wifi device, type:
station list
Connect to wifi network type:
station DEVICE connect WIFINAME
(example: station wlan0 connect netgearwifi)
Connect to hidden wifi network type:
station DEVICE connect-hidden WIFINAME
(example: station wlan0 connect-hidden netgearwifi-hidden)
After connecting to WIFI, then type:
exit
Check for IP address again with the verify network connection ip command above.
If the system being installed does not automatically get an IP address from DHCP, then you can try requesting an IP by typing:
dhclient NETINTERFACENAME
You can find the NETINTERFACENAME by typing:
ip link
GET RichARCH install file after Arch ISO boot up and at the command prompt by typing:
curl -kLO download.sf.net/richarch/richarch-install.run
chmod 775 richarch-install.run
START RichARCH install, then follow the onscreen instructions.
** Be sure to carefully follow and read all the onscreen instructions.
To start the installation, type:
./richarch-install.run
VARIOUS INFO
After the BASE install and if the system being installed uses only WIFI with no GUI, then type:
sudo nmtui
to use the nmtui utility to connect the system’s WIFI to the network.
CFDISK - you can find storage partitioning help at https://www.thegeekdiary.com/understanding-linux-cfdisk-utility/
RichARCH installer will attempt to copy the cfdisk Dump file (if you created one in the cfdisk tool) to the /root directory of the new install. It will also look for a cfdisk Dump file in the same directory that the richarch-install.run installer is started from and present the option for you to load it during the install.
PARTITIONING - The install will walk through the creation of boot, root, home, and swap partitions on a single storage device. At this time, you can install on multiple storage devices by using a flagoptions.txt file with your different preinstall configured partition locations. In the flagoptions.txt file, set the DISKDEVICE variable to the device you plan to use for the BOOT and ROOT partition. You then will need to use cfdisk before you start richarch-install.run to configure the other storage device (or devices) you will be using not listed in the DISKDEVICE variable of the flagoptions.txt file.
If having extra partitions (like var or opt) are needed, then during the install just leave unused space on the storage or LVM the system is using. After the RichARCH install is complete and before rebooting the system, use the Arch boot environment to configure the unused storage space, then mount that configured unused space and the new system root partition just created. At that point use a procedure to move the contents of the var folder in the mounted new system root partition to the configured unused space (like the tar / rm method). After which update the fstab file in the mounted new system root partition to work with the new var partition. Then unmount new system root and new var partitions, then reboot.
For Faster Automated and Replicated Installs - you can run the install with the makeflags option (./richarch-install.run makeflags). Then the flagoptions.txt file will be opened with nano for editing the installation options (if needed, more editing of the flagoptions.txt file can be done by using vim flagoptions.txt or nano flagoptions.txt). After that just restart the installation (./richarch-install.run) and the edited flagoptions.txt file will be sourced by the install along with a cfdisk Dump file (if you have one), so that the install will auto select the installation options from the flagoptions.txt file. After the installation the flagoptions.txt file and a cfdisk Dump file (if created) will be saved in the /root directory of the installed system, so that those files can be used for creating other identical systems or to reinstall the system quickly.
SourceForge: https://richarch.sf.net
Founder: Rich DeMARS
Chief Designer: Maddalen DeMARS
Project Manager: Mindy DeMARS