a simple guide to install arch on uefi with encrypted btrfs root with snapper and systemd-boot

arch_install.md

Aim

• btrfs root with snapper
• luks encrytpion on root partition
• systemd-boot
• hyprland
• zram + swap

Lets get Started Then

Prepare

• using dd

sudo dd if=</path/to/arch_iso.img> of=</dev/sdX> bs=4M status=progress oflags=sync

• or just copy iso to a ventoy drive

After boot

• ensure its booted in uefi

ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars

• set font

setfont ter-124n

all fonts can be found in /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts/

• check internet

ip a
ping google.com -c 2

• Update system clock

timedatectl set-ntp true
timedatectl status

Network

• Ethernet
• wifi

	iwctl
	station <adaptor> connect <SSID>

Partitioning The Disk

• Partition the disk appropriatly

lsblk # list partitions

Im going to use `/dev/sda` as my starting point 
make 2 part
-> efi dir
	gdisk Code: `ef00`
	FS Type: fat32 (mkfs.fat -F32)
	Mount: `/boot/`
-> root part 
	gdisk Code: <def>
	Mount: /
	FS Type: btrfs

Encrypt Before Mounting

i will be using luks

cryptsetup --cipher aes-xts-plain64 --hash sha512 --use-random --verify-passphrase luksFormat <device>
YES > pass > verify > will take abit;```

now open the encrypted device

cryptsetup luksOpen mappeer_name[/dev/mapper/]

make FS and mount it 
```bash
mkfs.btrfs <encrypted_device>
mount it to /mnt

Making Subvol

cd /mnt
btrfs su cr @<subvol_name>
btrfs su li # to list
cd ~
umount /mnt

# now mount the subvol 
export sv_opts="rw,noatime,compress-force=zstd:1,space_cache=v2,ssd,noatime,nodiratime,discard=async,subvol=@"
mount /dev/sdaX -o ${sv_opts},subvol=@<name> /mnt/<mount_point>

Enabling Swap On BTRFS Without Additional Partitions

cd /.swap
truncate -s 0 ./swapfile
chattr +C ./swapfile
dd if=/dev/zero of=./swapfile bs=1M count=<FILE-SIZE-IN-MiB> status=progress
chmod 600 ./swapfile
mkswap ./swapfile
swapon ./swapfile

Prepare base and chroot

# fix up mirrorlist
pacman -Syy
reflector -c India -a 6 --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
pacman -Syyy

# fix pacman
ParallelDownloads = 15

# pacstrap
pacstrap /mnt base linux-zen linux-zen-headers linux-firmware git neovim amd-ucode wget base-devel btrfs-progs  bash-completion htop mandb mlocate networkmanager openssh pacman-contrib pkgfile reflector terminus-font efibootmgr efitools lsd reflector networkmanager zsh sudo 

# gen fstab
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

# finally chroot
arch-chroot /mnt

Post Setup

• generate initramfs

# fix mkinitcpio
nvim /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

# modules add 'btrfs'
# hooks before filesystems add encrypt 
# :wq

mkinitcpio -p linux-zen

• time

#disable rtc if its a dual boot or else widnows will mess yp ur linux time
# google it and u will easily find the reason behind it
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Asia/Kolkata /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

• hostname

echo 'iris' > /etc/hostname

echo > /etc/hosts <<EOF
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1       localhost
127.0.0.1 iris.localdomain iris
EOF

• locale

export locale='en_US.UTF-8' 
sed -i "s/^#\(${locale}\)/\1/" /etc/locale.gen 
echo 'LANG=${locale}' > /etc/locale.conf 

locale-gen

• env

echo 'FONT=ter-124n' > /etc/vconsole.conf

#optional
echo 'KEYMAP=colemak' >> /etc/vconsole.conf

echo 'EDITOR=nvim' > /etc/environment 
echo 'VISUAL=nvim' >> /etc/environment

• passwd

passwd # to change the root passwd 
useradd -m -G wheel felix
passwd felix
sed -i "s/# %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL/%wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL/" /etc/sudoers

• enable service

systemctl enable NetworkManager
systemctl enable reflector.service
systemctl enable bluetooth
systemctl enable sshd
systemctl enable tlp
systemctl enable reflector.timer
systemctl enable fstrim.timer
systemctl enable acpid

• pacman

pacman -S --needed linux-zen-headers network-manager-applet mtools dialog reflector xdg-user-dirs xdg-utils inetutils bluez bluez-utils bash-completion openssh rsync alsa-utils pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse pipewire-jack tlp acpi_call

• fix pacman

# for pacman 
Color
ILoveCandy
VerbosePkgList
ParallelDownloads = 15

• bootloader

# bootloader time
bootctl --path=/boot install

edit /boot/loader/loader.conf
`
default  arch.conf
timeout  0
console-mode max
editor   no
`

edit /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
`
title Arch Linux
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /intel-ucode.img
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
-- options cryptdevice=UUID=<UUID-OF-ROOT-PARTITION>:luks:allow-discards root=/dev/mapper/luks rootflags=subvol=@ rd.luks.options=discard rw resume=/dev/mapper/luks resume_offset=<YOUR-OFFSET>
options cryptdevice=UUID=<UUID>:root root=UUID=<mapper_uuid> rootflags=subvol=@ rw resume=UUID=<uuid>
`

add bootflag me `video=1920x1080`

• zram

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay-bin.git
cd git
makepkg -si
yay -S zramd
zramd start
# enable service 

using an luks encrypted home with auto decrypt without pass

# see keys
cryptsetup luksDump <dev>

#mk key
dd if=/dev/random bs=32 count=1 of=<key_loc>

# add key
cryptsetup luksAddKey <dev> <key_loc>
# add in /etc/crypttab
<mapper_dev_name> <dev> <key_loc>
#add in /etc/fstab 
<mapper_dev> <mount_loc> <fstype> <opt> <dump> <fsck_pass>

fix systemd-fstab-generator

/usr/lib/systemd/systemd/generators/systemd-fstab-generator /run/systemd/generator '' ''

 todo
 add hyprland install + dots copy
 add partition + subvol layout
 add swap part

Reboot And Enjoy ☕