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Created June 26, 2021 19:29
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alpine-usb.md

alpine-persistent-usb

Guide for making an Alpine Linux USB with persistence

Note: Replace all instances of {?X} (including the braces) with the proper value

Preparation

  1. Download the latest version of Alpline Standard x86_64
  2. Write it to a USB using dd or rufus and leave a shared or unallocated partition to use later for your /home directory
  3. Reboot to your boot menu and boot to Alpine on the USB

Setup Root Partition

  1. Login using login: root, password: (none)
  2. Run setup-alpine
  • Diskless install
  • Store configs in default
  • Store cache in default
  1. Run the following commands
  • mkdir /media/trueroot
  • apk add util-linux cfdisk nano (nano is optional if you're comfortable with vi)
  • lsblk and note what partition (usually /media/usb) the usb is running from on your USB
  • blkid | grep /dev/{?0} >> /etc/fstab where {?0} is the currently booted partition,
  1. Change your fstab to use the uuid and mount it to /media/trueroot
  • Run nano /etc/fstab
  • Replace the line that contains your root partition with the UUID at the bottom line to creating the following: UUID={?m1-own-uu1d} /media/trueroot vfat defaults,noatime 0 0 where {?m1-own-uu1d} is the UUID for your root partition on the last line (added with grep)
  • Press ctrl+o, followed by ctrl+x to save and exit
  1. Partition your USB
  • Run cfdisk /dev/{?sd} where {?sd} is the USB
  • Create home partition (can also create a shared partition to act like a regular USB`
  • Set home partition of type Linux home
  • Select Write
  • Select Yes
  • Exit
  1. Run the following commands to save and reboot:
  • lbu ci
  • reboot

Setup Home Partition

  1. Update your repositories and apkcache
  • Run apk add nano e2fsprogs f2fs-tools dosfstools util-linux
  • Run nano /etc/apk/repositories
  • Change top line to /media/trueroot/apks
  • Uncomment edge/main and edge/community by removing the #
  • Comment out everything else by addting a # at the beginning of the line
  • Press ctrl+o, followed by ctrl+x to save and exit
  1. Format your partitions
  • Run mkfs.f2fs /dev/{?sd} where {?sd} is the home partition
  • (OPTIONAL, shared partition only) Run mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/{?sd} where {?sd} is the shared partition
  1. Update your fstab to mount your home partition to /home
  • Run blkid | grep /dev/{?sd} >> /etc/fstab where {?sd} is your home partition created above
  • Run nano /etc/fstab
  • Change the bottom line to the following: UUID={?m1-h0m3-uu1d} /home ext4 defaults,noatime 0 0 where {?m1-h0m3-uu1d} is the UUID for your home partition at the last line (added from grep)
  • Press ctrl+o, followed by ctrl+x to save and exit
  1. Update lbu and apkcache
  • Run setup-lbu
  • Type trueroot
  • Run setup-apkcache
  • Type /media/trueroot/cache
  1. Run the following commands to save and reboot:
  • lbu ci
  • reboot

User Configuration

  1. Run the following commands for a simple dwm setup
  • setup-xorg-base
  • apk add sudo dmenu st dwm font-fira-mono-nerd firefox
  • sed -i '/%wheel all=(all) all/s/^#//g' /etc/sudoers or simply uncomment %wheel all=(all) all in /etc/sudoers
  • adduser main -G wheel
  • su main
  • echo 'exec dwm' >> ~/.xinitrc
  • echo 'startx' >> ~/.profile
  • sudo lbu ci
  • startx
  1. Follow this guide for audio
  1. Follow this guide for flatpak
  1. Reduce drive writes
  1. Config npm if necessary
  • npm config set prefix '~/.local'
  1. Config inittab (reduce ttys)
  • nano /etc/inittab
  1. Config OpenRc for faster boot times
  • nano /etc/rc.conf
  • uncomment rc_parallel="YES"
  1. lbu ci
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