Alpine Linux - User contributions [en]

Alpine Linux:FAQ

2021-05-13T10:42:43Z

IsakBSD: Misspelled word.

[[Image:filetypes.svg|64px|left|link=]]
This is a list of '''frequently asked questions''' about Alpine Linux. 
If your question is not answered on this page, use the search box above to find work in progress pages not linked here, or in case of no answer, edit this page and write down your question.
{{Tip| Prepare your question. Think it through. Make it simple and understandable.}}

=General=

Alpine Linux is used heavily in containers (e.g. docker images) on servers, so many of its main packages are focused on server services.

== Where to start? ==

The «[[Installation|Installation page]]» provides a basic orientation.

A broader overview may be found on the official «[http://alpinelinux.org/about About page]», and at the «[[Alpine Linux:Overview|Wiki Overview]]».

Please note that testing is safer on your own virtual machine or on a public «[https://distrotest.net/AlpineLinux/ DistroTest.net]».

== I have found a bug, where can I report it? ==

You can report it in the [https://gitlab.alpinelinux.org/groups/alpine/-/issues bugtracker], but search it first to see if the issue has already been reported.

== Are there any details about the releases available? ==
Yes, please check the [https://alpinelinux.org/releases/ releases] page.

== How can I contribute? ==
You can contribute by:
* Using the software and giving feedback.
* Documenting your [http://www.alpinelinux.org Alpine Linux] experiences on this [[Main_Page|wiki]].
* In many other ways.
Please visit [[Contribute|Contribute page]] to read more about this topic.

== Why don't I have man pages or where is the 'man' command? ==
The ''man'' command and ''man pages'' are not installed by default. Many packages have documentation companion packages suffixed ''-doc''. Keep in mind, not all packages have a corresponding documentation package and when there is one it may not include ''man pages''.

To install the ''man'' command, and related utilities, first add the {{pkg|man-db}} package:

<code>apk add man-db</code>

Once installed, add documentation for the package where you need it. For example, say you installed {{pkg|nftables}} and you now require its man pages:

<code>apk add nftables-doc</code>

Now we've installed ''nft(8)'' and [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/contents?branch=edge&name=nftables-doc&arch=x86_64&repo=main other documentation] to our system and you can issue the command:

<code>man nft</code>.

To always install the documentation companion package, when available, add the {{pkg|docs}} meta package.

<code>apk add docs</code>

== What is the difference between edge and stable releases? ==
Stable releases are just what they sound like: initially a point-in-time snapshot of the package archives, but then maintained with bug-fixes only in order to keep a stable environment.

[[Edge]] is more of a rolling-release, with the latest and greatest packages available in the online repositories. 
Occasionally, snapshot ISO images of the then-current state of [[edge]] are made and are available for download. 
Typically these are made when there are major kernel upgrades or package upgrades that require initramfs rebuilds.

== What architectures does Alpine support? ==
As Alpine uses the Linux kernel, it supports:
* '''aarch64''': The 64-bit only ARM execution state of the ARMv8 device machines.
* '''armhf''': The newer ARM hard-float for newer, more powerful 32-bit devices alongside 64-bit
* '''armv7''': The 32-bit only ARM execution state of the ARMv7 devices machines.
* '''mips64''':
* '''s390x''': For the Super powered IBM mainframes, especially IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE servers.
* '''ppc64le''': For 64-bit PowerPC devices with pure little-endian mode, mostly for POWER8 and POWER9
* '''x86''': (i386, PC 32bit) and x86_64 (i686, PC 64bit and amd64)
* '''x86_64''': The popular AMD64 compatible 64-bit x86 based machines, i386 is not recommended for newer/latest hardware.

'''Please check [https://alpinelinux.org/downloads Download] page for media availability on each one''' and check [[Alpine_Linux:Releases|Releases]] pages for latest.

== What kind of release of Alpine Linux are available? ==
Please check the [https://alpinelinux.org/releases/ Releases] page for more information.

=Setup=

== What is the difference between ''sys'', ''data'', and ''diskless'' when running <code>setup-alpine</code> or <code>setup-disk</code>? ==

'''sys:''' This mode is a traditional disk install. The following partitions will be created on the disk: ''/boot/'', ''/'' (filesystem root) and ''swap''.
This mode may be used for development boxes, desktops, virtual servers, etc.

'''data:''' This mode uses your disk(s) for data storage, not for the operating system. Runs from the media and only a ''/var/'' is created on disk. The system itself will run from a ''tmpfs'' (RAM). Use this mode if you only want to use the disk(s) for data, like ''mailspool'', ''databases'', ''logs'', etc.

'''diskless:''' No disks are to be used. [[Alpine local backup]] may still be used in this mode.

These modes are explained further [[Installation#Installation_Overview|on the '''Installation''' page]].

== How do I upgrade Alpine? ==

To upgrade to a new stable release or edge:
<code>apk upgrade --available</code>

==My cron jobs don't run?==

Start service ''crond'' and add it to runlevel:

: {{cmd|rc-service crond start && rc-update add crond}}

After that the cron daemon is started automatically on system boot and executes the scripts placed in the folders under ''/etc/periodic/'' - there're folders for ''15min'', ''hourly'', ''daily'', ''weekly'' and ''monthly'' scripts.

To check whether your scripts are likely to run, use the ''run-parts'' command, for example:

{{cmd|run-parts --test /etc/periodic/15min}}

This command will tell you what should run but will not actually execute the scripts.

If the results of the test are not as expected, check the following:

* Make sure the script is executable - if unsure, issue the command {{cmd|chmod a+x /etc/periodic/[path/scriptname]}}
* Make sure the first line of your script is <code>#!/bin/sh</code>
* Do not use periods on your script file names - this stops them from working; for example: <code>/etc/periodic/daily/myscript</code> will run, but <code>/etc/periodic/daildy/myscript.sh</code> won't.

= Time and timezones =

== How do I set the local timezone? ==

If you wish to edit the ''timezone'' (TZ) after installation, run the [[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-timezone|setup-timezone]] script.

= Packages =

== Can you build an apk package for ...? ==
Yes, we probably can. 
Please create an [https://gitlab.alpinelinux.org/alpine/aports/issues/new issue] in the [https://gitlab.alpinelinux.org bugtracker]. Prefix with "feat" in title and include a short description (one-line), an URL for the home page, and an URL for the source package.

== How can I build my own package? ==
Please see the [[Creating an Alpine package]] page.

== What does "required by: world[$pkgname]" mean? ==

It means that the package you try to install does not exist in the repositories you have configured.

Maybe you forgot to add community, testing or unmaintained to ''/etc/apk/repositories''?

Or is the package in a [[Alpine_Linux_package_management#Repository_pinning|pinned repository]] and you forgot to suffix the package with the repo tag? Example:

{{cmd|apk add experimental-package@testing}}

== How can I find out if a certain package exists in Alpine? ==

If you want to only search repositories you have configured in /etc/apk/repositories, then <code>apk search $pkgname</code> should get you sorted. If you want to search all repositories have a look at the [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/ online pkg oracle]

== WARNING: Ignoring APKINDEX.xxxx.tar.gz ==
If you get <code>WARNING: Ignoring APKINDEX.xxxx.tar.gz: No such file or directory</code> while running [[Alpine_Linux_package_management|package related tools]], check your ''/etc/apk/repositories'' file.

To check the content of the repositories file
{{Cmd|cat /etc/apk/repositories}}

or
{{Cmd|setup-apkrepos}}

= Dynamic DNS =
== How do I schedule a regular dynamic DNS update? ==
You'll want to install the {{pkg|ez-ipupdate}} package:
{{cmd|apk add ez-ipupdate}}

After that, create a new file at {{path|/etc/ez-ipupdate.conf}} with contents similar to:
service-type=dyndns
user=myusername:mypassword
interface=eth1
host=myhostname.dyndns.org

Make the new ip cache directory:
{{cmd|mkdir /var/cache/ez-ipupdate
lbu add /var/cache/ez-ipupdate}}

Then schedule a new cron job with this command:
{{cmd|echo >> /var/log/ez-ipupdate && \ /bin/date >> /var/log/ez-ipupdate && \ ez-ipupdate --config-file /etc/ez-ipupdate.conf -f -F /var/run/ez-ipupdate.pid \ --cache-file /var/cache/ez-ipupdate/ipcache --quiet >> /var/log/ez-ipupdate 2>&1}}

Don't forget to backup your settings!
{{cmd|lbu ci}}

= Terminal =

== How to enable/fix colors for git? ==

The problem is not in git itself or terminal, but in the <tt>less</tt> command.
Busybox’s <tt>less</tt> doesn’t support <tt>-r</tt> (<tt>--raw-control-chars</tt>) and <tt>-R</tt> (<tt>--RAW-CONTROL-CHARS</tt>) options.

The simplest (yet not ideal) solution is to install GNU less:

{{cmd|apk add less}}

= Old questions, no longer freqently asked =

== Alpine freezes during boot from Compact Flash, how can I fix? ==
Most Compact Flash card readers do not support proper DMA. 
You should append '''nodma''' to the ''append'' line in {{path|syslinux.cfg}}.

== How do I remove the CDROM? ==
Since the modloop loopback device is on CDROM you cannot just run <code>eject</code>. You need to unmount the modloop first. 
Unmounting both the modloop and the CDROM in one step can be done by executing:
{{Cmd|/etc/init.d/modloop stop}}

Then it's possible to eject the CDROM:
{{Cmd|eject}}

== How can I install a custom firmware in a diskless system? ==

The modules and firmware are both special images which are mounted as read-only. 
To fix this issue you can copy the firmware directory to your writeable media (cf/usb) and copy your custom firmware to it. 
After reboot Alpine should automatically use the directory on your local storage instead of the loopback device.

== How do I play my .ogg/.mp3 files? ==
First, the sound card should be recognized (you must have {{path|/dev/snd/*****}} files)

{{pkg|sox}}, {{pkg|mpg123}}, etc all use the oss sound driver, while Alpine uses ALSA drivers. 
So you need to load the snd-pcm-oss compatibility module. 
While you're at it, you might need {{pkg|aumix}} to turn up the sound volume
{{cmd|echo snd-pcm-oss >> /etc/modules
modprobe snd-pcm-oss
apk_add aumix sox
aumix (set volume settings)
play really_cool_song.mp3}}

== OpenNTPD reports an error with "adjtime" ==
Your log contains something like:
reply from 85.214.86.126: offset 865033148.784255 delay 0.055466, next query 32s
reply from 202.150.212.24: offset 865033148.779314 delay 0.400771, next query 3s
adjusting local clock by 865033148.779835s
adjtime failed: Invalid argument

{{pkg|openntpd}} is supposed to make small adjustments in the time without causing time jumps. 
If the adjustment is too big then something is clearly wrong and ntpd gives up. (its actually adjtime(3) that has a limit on how big adjustments are allowed)

You can make ntpd set the time at startup by adding ''-s'' option to ntpd. This is done by setting '''NTPD_OPTS="-s"''' in {{path|/etc/conf.d/ntpd}}.

== Using a cron job to keep the time in sync ==
Add the following to {{path|/etc/periodic/daily}} (or use another folder under the {{path|/etc/periodic}} heirarchy if you want to run the script more/less frequently)

Example: file called {{path|do-ntp}}
<pre>
#!/bin/sh
ntpd -d -q -n -p uk.pool.ntp.org</pre>

This queries the uk time server pool - you can modify this to suit your localisation, or just use ''pool.ntp.org''. More info here: [http://www.pool.ntp.org/zone/@ http://www.pool.ntp.org/zone/@]

== Windows clients reports an error when trying to sync ==
{{pkg|openntpd}} needs to run for a while before it is satisfied it is in sync.
Until then it will set a flag "clock not synchronized" and Windows will report an error while trying to sync with your {{pkg|openntpd}} server.

Only thing to do is wait, do something else for 15-20mins and then check.

[[Category:Newbie]]

Wi-Fi

2021-02-23T11:35:28Z

IsakBSD: /* Broadcom Wi-Fi Chipset Users */

This document describes how to set up a wireless network connection with WPA encryption.

== Install necessary drivers and software ==

First make sure your wireless drivers are loaded properly. (if you are using a '''Broadcom chipset''', see the [[#Broadcom_Wi-Fi_Chipset_Users|section at the bottom of this post]].)

Install {{Pkg|wireless-tools}} and {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant}}, which are probably available to be installed in the base setup.
{{Cmd|apk add wireless-tools wpa_supplicant}}

== Manual Configuration ==

List your available network interfaces. If you don't see any wireless interfaces (e.g. {{Path|wlan0}}), you probably need to load and/or install extra drivers/firmware.
{{Cmd|ip link}}

Bring the desired interface up.
{{Cmd|ip link set wlan0 up}}

{{Note|If this errors with <code>ioctl 0x8914 failed: No error information</code>, that's <code>busybox ip</code>'s way of saying your wireless radio is rfkill'd. See [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless_network_configuration#Rfkill_caveat here] for information on how to unblock your wireless radio; the base installation should have <code>busybox rfkill</code> available.}}

Use the interface to scan for wireless access points. Make sure the ESSID you want to connect to appears here.
{{Cmd|iwlist wlan0 scanning}}

Associate the interface with desired ESSID.
{{Cmd|iwconfig wlan0 essid ExampleWifi}}

Sanity check: the interface should be configured with {{Path|ESSID:"ExampleWifi"}}.
{{Cmd|iwconfig wlan0}}

Create a wpa_supplicant configuration stanza for the wireless access point.
{{Cmd|wpa_passphrase 'ExampleWifi' 'ExampleWifiPassword' > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
''(Access point not broadcasting its SSID requires additional line <code>scan_ssid=1</code> in the file <code>wpa_supplicant.conf</code>)''

Start wpa_supplicant in the foreground to make sure the connection succeeds.
{{Cmd|wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}

If all is well, run it as a daemon in the background by setting the {{Path|-B}} option.
{{Cmd|wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}

Configure the interface with an IP address.
{{Cmd|udhcpc -i wlan0}}

Sanity check: the interface should have an {{Path|inet}} address.
{{Cmd|ip addr show wlan0}}

== Automatic Configuration on System Boot ==

Add a stanza for the desired interface (e.g. {{Path|wlan0}}) to {{Path|/etc/network/interfaces}}:

<pre>
auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
</pre>

Make sure {{Path|/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}} is the correct configuration for the wireless access point you want to connect to.

Bring the interface down.

{{Cmd|ifconfig wlan0 down}}

Manually start wpa_supplicant.

{{Cmd|/etc/init.d/wpa_supplicant start}}

If all is well (confirm with the sanity checks in [[#Manual_Configuration|Manual Configuration]]), configure wpa_supplicant to start automatically on boot.

{{Cmd|rc-update add wpa_supplicant boot}}

=== Launching udhcpc through wpa_cli actions ===

With the above configuration, udhcpc will only run once at boot.
If the Wifi isn't available then, or the network changes in between, it needs to be notified.
This is done through the wpa_cli action script in /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh

{{Cmd|rc-update add wpa_cli boot}}

== Broadcom Wi-Fi Chipset Users ==

The Broadcom chipset is quite popular among older computers. You will need to compile the firmware manually for this chipset as it is not included.

You can check if you have a Broadcom chipset by using dmesg:

{{Cmd|dmesg {{!}} grep Broadcom}}

First install the SDK and Git:
{{Cmd|apk add alpine-sdk git}}

Then git clone aports from git.alpinelinux.org.

{{Cmd|git clone git://git.alpinelinux.org/aports}}

Change your directory to '''aports/non-free/b43-firmware''', then build it.

{{Tip|You can't be root and must be a user of the group abuild (use groupadd f.e. '''addgroup $(whoami) abuild''')}}
{{Tip|If this is your first time building a package you will need to generate a key for use in signing packages (use '''abuild-keygen -a -i''')}}

{{Cmd|abuild -r}}

Install the generated packge file (it will be in ~/packages/) - make sure to pass '''--allow-untrusted'''

{{Cmd|apk add --allow-untrusted ~/packages/...pkg}}

Now we need fwcutter, which is executed from the firmware package:

{{Cmd|apk add b43-fwcutter b43-firmware}}

Now you need to use modprobe so the device will show up:

{{Cmd|modprobe b43}}

To automate this on startup add it to /etc/modules:

{{Cmd|echo b43 >> /etc/modules}}

Now continue with the normal instructions.

[[Category:Networking]]

Alpine Linux:Listings

2020-08-22T17:36:37Z

IsakBSD: Added Linode

Alpine Linux is present at many places all over the web. To track a bit what's going on, this page lists all known pages.

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Linux Wikipedia article]
* [http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=alpine Distrowatch entry]
* [http://freecode.com/projects/alpine-linux Freecode entry] (former freshmeat.net)
* [https://twitter.com/alpinelinux Twitter]
* [http://br.linkedin.com/groups/Alpine-Linux-6648617 LinkedIn]
* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alpine-Linux/161075343915373 Facebook Page] (I have no idea who created it)
* [https://plus.google.com/107486357109626209707/posts Google+] ([[User:Fab|fab]] created that page. )
* [http://identi.ca/group/alpinelinux Identi.ca group] - Use '''!AlpineLinux''' or '''!alpinelinux''' for postings.
* [https://www.ohloh.net/p/aports Ohloh] - Statistics about the aports at Ohloh
* [http://iso.linuxquestions.org/alpine-linux/ Linux Questions ISO links]
* [http://www.linuxquestions.org/reviews/showcat.php/cat/13 Linux Questions reviews] (has release announcements up to 2.3)
* [http://blog.xen.org/index.php/2013/03/04/alpine-linux-and-xen/ Xen.org article] about Xen and Alpine Linux.
* [https://github.com/alpinelinux/ GitHub organization]
* [https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/alpine Alpine tag on StackOverflow]

Reviews:

* http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2010/08/23/alpine-linux-2-review/ ([http://archive.is/F4ZSa archive 2010])
* http://linuxlandit.blogspot.com/2010/08/alpine-linux-is-community-developed.html

Lists that include Alpine:

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightweight_Linux_distribution Lightweight Linux distros]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_distributions_that_run_from_RAM Distros that run from RAM]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_router_or_firewall_distributions Router or Firewall distros]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security-focused_operating_system#Alpine_Linux Security-focused distros]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PaX#Distributions_that_use_PaX Distros that use PaX]

Hosting providers that offer Alpine:

* [http://www.gigatux.com/distro/alpine_linux_vps GigaTux]
* [https://linode.com Linode]
* [http://lylix.net/alpine-linux LYLIX]
* [https://vpsfree.cz/ vpsFree.cz]