# Arch Linux installation to serve as a docker host
###### guide-by-example
![logo](https://i.imgur.com/SkENpGn.png)
# Notice
**Since 2022 I am using the [archinstall script](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall)
that comes with arch iso**
**After the install [I use my ansible playbooks](https://github.com/DoTheEvo/ansible-arch) 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.
* [Official site](https://www.archlinux.org/)
* [Arch wiki install guide](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/installation_guide)
* [Arch wiki docker entry](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/docker)
# Files and directory structure
```
/home/
└── bastard/
└── docker/
├── container-setup #1
├── container-setup #2
├── ...
```
# Make installation usb
[wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/USB_flash_installation_media)
`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](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/OpenSSH)
* 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](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/docker)
* 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](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/zsh)
I like [Zim](https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw),
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](https://github.com/zimfw/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
```bash
add_sudo (){
BUFFER="sudo $BUFFER"
zle -w end-of-line
}
zle -N add_sudo
bindkey "^f" add_sudo
```
##### ZSH docker autocomplete
[Here](https://docs.docker.com/compose/completion/#zsh).
For zim it's "Without oh-my-zsh shell" section.
### Access to AUR
Using [Yay](https://github.com/Jguer/yay).
* install git package
`sudo pacman -S git`
* install yay
`git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay-bin.git`
`cd yay-bin && makepkg -si`
`cd .. && rm -rf yay-bin`
`ctop-bin` and `inxi` are good AUR packages.
# Extra stuff
[wiki - general general recommendations](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/general_recommendations)
[wiki - improving performance](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Improving_performance)
### CPU [microcode](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Microcode)
* `sudo pacman -S intel-ucode`
* `sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg`
### Some packages
Tools
* `sudo pacman -S fuse curl wget micro nnn bind-tools borg python-llfuse`
Monitoring and testing
* `sudo pacman -S htop lm_sensors iotop nload powertop iproute2`
### Performance and maintenance
* install cron and enable the service
`sudo pacman -S cronie`
`sudo systemctl enable --now cronie`
* if ssd, enable periodic trim
`sudo pacman -S util-linux`
`sudo systemctl enable --now fstrim.timer`
* set noatime in fstab to prevent unnecessary tracking of read times
`sudo micro /etc/fstab`
*UUID=cdd..addb / ext4 rw,noatime 0 1*
* enable use of all cpu cores for makepkg jobs and disable compression
`sudo micro /etc/makepkg.conf`
*MAKEFLAGS="-j$(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 `
`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