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Please help with sorting out the current wiki documentation, once you have explored though the further pages enough to give you a good grasp to sort out the further things precisely and nicely as well.
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This page exists to provide a basic overview to get started. Before actually installing, it can help to skim through the [[Alpine_Linux:FAQ| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)]], as well as to refer to the official installation guide at [https://docs.alpinelinux.org/ docs.alpinelinux.org].


{{Tip|This is a wiki!
If something isn't correct, or is incomplete, you will have to figure it out, or ask for the correct solution in the [https://alpinelinux.org/community/ community].


And then carefully [[Help:Editing|edit]] the wiki page.


This page will get you started, but it can also help to skim through the [[Alpine_Linux:FAQ| Frequenty Asked Questions (FAQ)]] (also part of the left sidebar).
Just as those before who did it for you.}}
== Typical Hardware Requirements ==


* At least 100 MB of RAM (A graphical desktop system may require up to 1 GB minimum.)
== Minimal Hardware Requirements ==
* A writable storage device. Optional for saving data and configuration of systems running in "diskless" mode. Required for running in "sys" or "data" mode (explained below).
{{Main|Requirements}}
* At least 128 MB of RAM. [A graphical desktop system may require up to 512 minimum.]. Note that an installation itself (from ISO) generally requires at least 320 MB during installation.
* At least 0-700 MB space on a writable storage device. [Only required in [[#System Disk Mode|"sys"]] or [[#Data Disk Mode|"data"]] mode installations. It is optional in [[#Diskless Mode|"diskless"]] mode, where it may be used to save newer data and configurations states of a running system.]
* A working internet connection is required to complete [[#System Disk Mode|"sys"]] mode installation or use '''Extended image''' if available for your architecture.
 
{{Note|Refer [[#Custom Installation Instructions|custom installation instructions]] for headless system, virtualization etc. Most of the steps outlined on this page applies to all [[Architecture#Architectures_supported|Architectures]] supported by Alpine Linux. For more specific installation instructions, refer to their respective pages.}}


== Installation Overview ==
== Installation Overview ==
(To install on ARM systems that do not support .iso images refer to [[Alpine_on_ARM|Alpine on ARM]] instead.)


As with most linux distributions, the first installation steps usually consist of:<br>
Alpine Linux can be installed and run in [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Alpine_Linux_modes|three modes]]  i.e [[#Diskless_Mode|Diskless Mode]], [[#Data_Disk_Mode|Data Disk Mode]] and [[#System_Disk_Mode|System Disk Mode]]. The installation procedure for Alpine Linux '''requires basic understanding of the three modes''' explained in brief below:
([[Installation#additional details|additional details]] below)
 
==== Diskless Mode ====
{{Main|Diskless Mode}}
In Diskless mode the entire operating system with all applications are first loaded into RAM and then only run from there. This mode is extremely fast and can save on unnecessary disk spin-ups, power, and wear.  Alpine Linux uses this method to boot the .iso installation images. The [[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|<code>setup-alpine</code>]] script configures the installed system to continue to boot like this if "disk=none" is specified.
 
==== Data Disk Mode ====
{{Main|Data Disk Mode}}
In Data Disk mode also the operating system  runs from system RAM, thus it enjoys the same accelerated operation speed as "diskless" mode. However, swap storage and the entire {{Path|/var}} directory tree get mounted from a persistent storage device. This mode is useful for having RAM accelerated servers with variable amounts of user-data that exceed the available RAM size.
 
==== System Disk Mode ====
 
System or '''sys''' Disk Mode is the traditional hard-disk install. Alpine Linux can be installed to an entire [[#setup-alpine based System Disk Install|'''hard disk''']] using <code>setup-alpine</code> script or to custom partitions using [[Setting_up_disks_manually|<code>setup-disk</code>]]. For further info, refer [[Setting_up_disks_manually|System Disk Mode]].
 
=== General course of action ===
 
It is really helpful for many use cases to [[#Preparing for the installation|prepare]] and complete the [[#Installation Step Details|installation]] until the [[#Base configuration|base configuration]] step, then proceed with installation of the target system with any one of the various [[#Alternative courses of action|alternative]] courses of action.
 
=== Alternative courses of action ===
 
Examples of preparation options:
 
* Download some specific driver to configure the hardware, and/or install some software tool that may be missing in the live system by using the Alpine package manager <code>[[Alpine Package Keeper|apk]]</code>. 
* Do a [[Setting up disks manually#Manual partitioning|manual partitioning]] of the hard disk that avoids overwrite of an entire disk.
 
Examples of such options:
 
* To install Alpine Linux on an '''entire hard disk''' with optional [[Alpine setup scripts#Environment Variables|environment variables]], proceed to [[#setup-alpine based System Disk Install|setup-alpine based System Disk Install]].
* Use {{ic|setup-disk}} script to complete a [[Setting up disks manually|traditional hard disk installation]] on a partition or to [[Dualbooting|dualboot]] or to configure [[Setting up disks manually#RAID|RAID]], [[Setting up disks manually#Encryption|encryption]] or [[Setting up disks manually#LVM|LVM]] for [[#System Disk Mode|"system"]] disk mode or to add a [[#Data Disk Mode|"data"]] mode partition.
* Create a [[Create a Bootable Device#Using setup-bootable|customizable boot media]] i.e a boot device with a writable filesystem for '''[[#Diskless Mode|diskless]]''' or '''[[#Data Disk Mode|data]]''' disk-mode.
* Configure a [[Diskless Mode#Using an internal disk for persistent storage|internal disk for persistent storage]] to save the local configuration state and local package cache for the [[#Diskless Mode|diskless]] system or '''[[#Data Disk Mode|data]]''' disk-mode.
 
There are many more [[Alpine setup scripts|setup-scripts]] available. All these tools may also be run later to adjust specific configurations. For example, to set up a graphical environment as covered under [[#Post-Installation|Post-Installation]] below.
 
== Preparing for the installation ==
 
=== Downloading installation image ===
 
Installation image files are available in the '''iso''', '''tar.gz''', and '''img.gz''' formats. Download the [https://alpinelinux.org/downloads/ stable release installation image file] for the target computer's architecture with the corresponding <code>sha256</code> checksum and <code>GPG</code> signature files.
{{Tip|Only download the <code>sha256</code> checksum and <code>GPG</code> signature files from the [https://alpinelinux.org/downloads/ official site] and not from mirrors.}}
 
Now you have three files in the following format:
<pre>
alpine-standard-*.iso
alpine-standard-*.iso.sha256
alpine-standard-*.iso.asc
</pre>
 
<code>alpine-standard-{{AlpineLatest}}-x86_64.iso</code> is the '''standard''' image file for version '''{{AlpineLatest}}''' and the '''x86_64''' architecture in the '''iso''' format.
 
=== Verifying downloaded image ===
 
From Security point of view, verify the downloaded image file for both checksum and GPG signature before proceeding further. The three required utilities i.e <code>sha256</code>, <code>curl</code> and <code>gpg</code> or their equivalents are available in every operating system including Linux, windows, Mac and BSD derivaties.
 
{{Tip|Ensure that all the three downloaded files remain in the same folder. If not, adjust the commands accordingly.}}
 
The <code>sha256</code> checksum verifies the integrity of the downloaded image i.e no modifications occurred during download.
{{Cmd|sha256sum -c alpine-*.iso.'''sha256'''}}


The <code>GPG</code> signature verifies the link between the downloaded image to the individual who signed it. Signature verification involves two steps:


'''1.)''' Downloading and verifying the proper [http://alpinelinux.org/downloads stable-release ISO image] for your computer's architecture, and the corresponding <code>sha256</code> (checksum) and <code>GPG</code> (signature) files.  
Step 1. Download and import the gpg signature from official website
{{Cmd|curl https://alpinelinux.org/keys/ncopa.asc &#124; gpg --import ;}}


'''2.)''' Either burning the ISO image onto a blank CD/DVD/Blue-ray disk with your favorite disk burning software, or flashing the image onto a bootable storage device (USB-device, CF-/MMC-/SD-card, floppy, ...).
Step 2. Verify that the image signature matches with the one downloaded in Step 1.
{{Cmd|gpg --verify alpine-*.iso.'''asc''' alpine-*.'''iso'''}}


'''3.)''' Booting the computer from the prepared disk or storage device.
=== Preparing installation media  ===
{{Seealso|Burning ISOs}}


{{Warning|All data currently on the installation media will be '''erased''', when Alpine Linux installation image is written on it. Correctly identify the device name for the installation media using commands <code>lsblk</code> and <code>blkid</code>.}}
If downloaded image file is in '''img.gz''' format, unzip it using the command {{ic|gunzip alpine-rpi-{{AlpineLatest}}-aarch64.img.gz}} to {{ic|alpine-rpi-{{AlpineLatest}}-aarch64.img}} first before using with {{ic|dd}} command. In Linux {{ic|dd}} command can be used to write image files in both '''iso''' and '''img''' format to the installation media.


The boot process first copies the entire system into the RAM memory, and then runs it completely from RAM, so that the started command line environment does not depend on reading from the (slow) initial boot media anymore.
If '''tar.gz''' format image file is downloaded, follow the [[Create a Bootable Device#Manually copying Alpine files|instructions]] to create the installation media.


Log-in as the user <code>root</code> with its initially empty password.
Modify the input file('''if''')  of the {{ic|dd}} command according to the name and path to your image file and and the target device i.e output file('''of''') should be a device name '''/dev/sdX''' instead of partition like '''/dev/sdbXY''':{{Cmd|# dd if{{=}}alpine-standard-{{AlpineLatest}}-x86_64.iso of{{=}}/dev/sdX bs{{=}}4M status{{=}}progress; eject /dev/sdX}}


Now an interactive script called <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code>, as well as more specific [[Alpine_setup_scripts|setup-scripts]], the [[Alpine_Linux_package_management|apk package manager]], and all the general command line tools of course, can be used to configure the initial Alpine Linux system, to install further packages, and to prepare the system for the next boot.
If your version of <code>dd</code> does not support the option "status=progress", remove it. The <code>eject</code> command removes the target device from the system and ensures the write cache is completely flushed.


Note that <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> supports to configure the system to boot into one of three general '''Alpinelinux runtime modes''':
In Windows and Mac OS, [https://www.balena.io/etcher/  Etcher] can be used to create an installation media.


'''diskless mode''' This is the default boot mode of the .iso images. <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> configures this if selecting to install to "disk=none", and it means that the whole operating system and the applications run extremely fast from within RAM (saving unnecessary disk spin-ups, power and wear). A customized configuration and package selection may still be completely preserved on permanent storage media by using the "local backup utility" <code>[[Alpine_local_backup|lbu]]</code> and a [[Alpine_Linux_package_management#Local_Cache|local package cache]]. [Fixme: <code>setup-alpine</code> still needs [[Alpine_local_backup#Saving_and_loading_ISO_image_customizations| this detour]] to prepare a partition for this:] In setup-alpine, select to store configs and the package cache on a partition. (That mounted partition may later also be used by configuring some important applications to keep their data on it.)
=== Verifying Installation media ===


'''data mode''' This mode is still accelerated by running the system from RAM, however swap storage and the whole {{Path|/var}} directory tree gets mounted from a persistent storage device (two newly created partitions). This location holds e.g. all log files, mailspools, databases, etc., as well as <code>[[Alpine_local_backup|lbu]]</code> backup commits and the package cache. The mode is useful for having RAM accelerated servers with amounts of variable user-data that exceed the available RAM size, and to let the entire current system state (not just the boot state) survive a system crash according to the particular filesystem's guarantees. [Fixme: Storing lbu configs to disk is not auto-configured after configuring the data partition, one still has to select saving configs to "none" first (the new data partition is not listed), and to manually set e.g. LBU_MEDIA=sda2 in /etc/lbu/lbu.conf and <code>echo "/dev/sda2 /media/sda2 vfat rw 0 0" >> /etc/fstab</code> afterwards.] The boot device may remain to be the one initially used, and can even be immutable (read-only).
After detaching and re-attaching the device, a bit-wise comparison can verify the data written to the device (instead of just data buffered in RAM). If the comparison terminates with an end-of-file error on the .iso file side, all the contents from the image have been written (and re-read) successfully:


'''sys mode''' This is a traditional hard-disk install. If this mode is selected, the <code>[[setup-alpine]]</code> script defaults to create three partitions on the selected storage device, {{Path|/boot}}, {{Path|swap}} and {{Path|/}} (the filesystem root). This mode may be used for generic [[Desktops|desktop]] and development machines, for example.
{{Cmd|# cmp ~/Downloads/alpine-standard-{{AlpineLatest}}-x86_64.iso /dev/sdX
cmp: EOF on alpine-standard-{{AlpineLatest}}-x86_64.iso</Code>}}


== Questions asked by <code>setup-alpine</code> ==
=== Booting Installation Media ===


The <code>[[setup-alpine]]</code> script offers to configure:
Insert the [[#Preparing_installation_media|Installation media]] to a proper drive or port of the computer and turn the machine on, or restart it, if already running.
{{Note| To successfully boot and install Alpine Linux, disable [[UEFI#Secure boot|secure boot]] in the BIOS. Once Alpine Linux is installed, this can be [[UEFI_Secure_Boot|enabled]].}}
If the computer does not automatically boot from the desired device, one needs to bring up the boot menu and choose the media to boot from. Depending on the computer, the menu may be accessed by repeatedly pressing a key quickly when booting starts. Some computers require that you press the button ''before'' starting the computer and hold it down while the computer boots. Typical keys are:  {{key|F9}}-{{key|F12}}, sometimes {{key|F7}} or {{key|F8}}. If these don't bring up the boot menu, it may be necessary to enter the BIOS configuration and adjust the boot settings, for which typical keys are: {{key|Del}} {{key|F1}} {{key|F2}} {{key|F6}} or {{key|Esc}}.


* Keyboard map (e.g. ''us'' and variant of ''us-nodeadkeys'')
== Installation Step Details ==
* Hostname (The name for the computer.)
* Network (e.g. automatic DHCP IP address discovery)
* DNS Servers (For privacy reasons, it is NOT recommended to use servers like google's 8.8.8.8 etc.)
* Timezone
* Proxy ("None" for direct connections to the internet.)
* SSH (Openssh is part of the default images.)
* NTP (Chrony is part of the default images.)
* Runtime Mode (Select between "diskless" (disk=none), "data" or "sys", all described above.)


== Additional Details ==
=== Boot Process ===


{{Expand|  }}
The boot process of the alpine installation image first copies the entire operating system into the RAM memory, and then starts a complete Alpine Linux system from there. It will initially only provide a basic command line environment that does not depend on reading from any (possibly slow) initial boot media, anymore.


This "Additional Details" section needs to be consolidated with the work at '''[https://docs.alpinelinux.org https://docs.alpinelinux.org] (not finished)'''  
Local log-in is possible as the user <code>root</code>. Initially, the '''root''' user has no password.
(Restructuring things there, moving and linking from here or there?).  


=== Verifying the downloaded image file ===
At the command prompt, an interactive script named [[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|<code>setup-alpine</code>]] is available to configure and install Alpine Linux. The script can be customized by the optional [[Alpine_setup_scripts#Environment_Variables|environment variables]], in case of [[Installation#Data_Disk_Mode|'''"data"''']] or [[Installation#System_Disk_Mode|'''"sys"''']] mode. For e.g {{Codeline|<code>USE_EFI{{=}}1 BOOT_SIZE{{=}}512 setup-alpine</code>}}, sets the disklabel type to gpt, creates 512MB '''/boot''' partition with '''vfat''' filesystem and uses <code>grub</code> as bootloader.


{|  class="wikitable" style="width:95%; align=center"
=== Base configuration ===
|+ Commands to verify the checksum and GPG signature of a downloaded image file on different systems.
|-
! width=100px |  OS type
!  <code>sha265</code> check !! <code>sha265</code> calculation (to be compared manually) !! <code>GPG</code> signature verification
|-
! Linux
| <code>sha256sum -c alpine-*.iso.sha256</code> ||        || <code>curl https://alpinelinux.org/keys/ncopa.asc &#124; gpg --import ;</code>
<code> gpg --verify alpine-<version>.iso.asc alpine-<version>.iso</code>
|-
! Windows (PowerShell installed)
|                - ? -            || <code>Get-FileHash .\alpine-<image-version>.iso -Algorithm SHA256</code> || - ? -
|}


=== Booting from external devices ===
Launch the Alpine Linux Installation by running the [[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|<code>setup-alpine</code>]] script :


Insert the boot media to a proper drive or port of the computer and turn the machine on, or restart it, if already running.
{{Cmd|# setup-alpine}}


If the computer does not automatically boot from the desired device, one needs to bring up the boot menu selection for choosing the media to boot from. Depending on the computer the menu may be accessed by quickly (repeatedly) pressing a key when booting starts, or sometimes it is needed to press the button before starting the computer and keep holding it when it boots. Typical keys are: `F9`-`F12`, sometimes `F7` or `F8`. If these don't bring up the boot menu, it may be necessary to enter the BIOS configuration and adjust the boot settings, for which typical keys are: `Del.` `F1` `F2` `F6` or `Esc.`
The question-and-answer dialog of <code>setup-alpine</code> takes care of the base configuration. It sets up a network connection to access Internet to configure the system to boot into one of three different Alpine Linux "disk" modes:  [[Installation#Diskless_Mode|'''"diskless"'''(none)]],  [[Installation#Data_Disk_Mode|'''"data"''']]  or [[Installation#System_Disk_Mode|'''"sys"''']]. If you choose to edit any option, the relevant file is opened in [[BusyBox#vi| '''vi''' editor]] for editing.


=== Rebooting and testing the new system ===
{{Tip| If you have access to a wired network, consider using [https://docs.alpinelinux.org/user-handbook/0.1a/Installing/setup_alpine.html#_setup_alpine_q Quick Mode], to complete the base configuration quickly.}}


After the installation is completed, the system may be power-cycled or rebooted to confirm that everything is working.
[[File:Installation-alpine-alpine-setup-3-setup-scripts.png|350px|thumb|right|Example <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> session]]
If the configured runtime mode was "sys", then remove the initial installation media to boot the newly installed system.
The <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> script offers the following configuration options:


The relevant commands for this are <code>reboot</code> or  <code>poweroff</code>.
# '''Keyboard Layout''' (Local keyboard language and usage mode, e.g. ''us'' and variant of ''us-nodeadkeys''.)
# '''Hostname''' (The name for the computer.)
# '''Network ''' (Set up network connection to access Internet.)
#* Available interfaces are: '''eth0''' '''wlan0'''.(List depends on your hardware.)
#* Which one do you want to initialize? (or '?' or 'done') [eth0] (Enter 'done' after configuring '''atleast''' one interface for Internet access.)
#* Do you want to do any manual network configuration? (y/n) [n] (Default uses "DHCP".) 
# '''DNS Servers''' (If none of the interfaces configured in previous step uses dhcp, set DNS server. If unsure, leave DNS domain name blank and using <code>[https://quad9.net/ 9.9.9.9 2620:fe::fe]</code> for DNS is typically adequate.)
# '''Root password''' (the password used to login to the root account)
# '''Timezone''' (Optionally display times/dates in your local time zone)
# '''HTTP/FTP Proxy''' (Proxy server to use for accessing the web/ftp. Use "none" for direct connections to websites and FTP servers.)
# '''Mirror''' (From where to download packages. Choose the organization you trust giving your usage patterns to.)
# '''Set up a user''' (Setting up a regular user account)
# '''NTP''' (Network Time Protocol client used for keeping the system clock in sync with a time server. Default is "busybox".)
# '''SSH''' (Secure SHell remote access server. "OpenSSH" is part of the default install image. Use "none" to disable remote login, e.g. on laptops.)
# In most cases, either one of following line(s) is displayed as follows:
#: '''No disks found.''' or ''' Available disks are: sda (128.0 GB JMicron Tech )'''
# '''Disk Mode''' ( A pre-setup of the "diskless" system or base configuration is completed by answering "none" when asked for the following questions.)
#* Which disk(s) would you like to use? (or '?' for help or 'none') '''none'''
#* Enter where to store configs (/media/ or 'none') '''none'''
#* The location of the package cache '''none'''


= Further Documentation =
Base configuration is complete with the above step. Refer to the [[#Alternative courses of action|alternative courses of action]] to proceed further.


=== Installing ===
=== setup-alpine based System Disk Install ===


* [[Directly booting an ISO file]] ''(without flashing it to a disk or device)''
<code>setup-alpine</code> script based system disk installation, needs an ''' entire hard disk(s)''' for Alpine Linux and uses a partitioning layout with (/)root partition, /boot partition and a swap partition, where [[Alpine_setup_scripts#Environment_Variables|environment variables]] determine filesystem, size of the boot partition and the bootloader used.  If your use case matches the above, at the final step of [[#Base configuration|base configuration]], type the appropriate hard disk '''device name''' instead of '''none'''. If multiple disks are chosen, [[Alpine_setup_scripts#RAID|RAID]] is used.
* [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Networking|Setting up Networking]] ''(incl. non-standard configurations)''
* At the '''Disk Mode''' stage, '''sda''' or relevant disk(s) must be chosen in the below screen:
** Which disk(s) would you like to use? (or '?' for help or 'none') '''sda'''
** Confirmation for the chosen disk(s) appears. ''The following disk is selected:'' '''sda    (128.0 GB JMicron  Tech ).'''
{{Warning|Pay close attention to the disk name and size. If you enter '''sys''' in the next step, no further questions will be asked and data on the chosen disk(s) will be overwritten!. Enter {{key|Ctrl}}+{{key|c}} to abort the installation process. Proceed only if you are 100% sure.}}
* How would you like to use it? ('sys', 'data', 'lvm' or '?' for help) '''sys'''


If '''sys''' is chosen, the <code>setup-alpine</code> script will complete the traditional hard-disk installation of Alpine Linux on the chosen disk(s) without further questions.  Once the installation is complete, you can skip the next steps and proceed to [[#Reboot|reboot]] the system to boot into the newly installed Alpine Linux and [[Installation#Post-Installation|configure]] further.


=== Post-Install ===
=== Custom partitioning  ===


<!-- If you edit post-install, also consider [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Post-Install]], [[Developer_Documentation#Package_management]] and the Handbook. These are not exact duplicates. -->
[[Setting_up_disks_manually#Manual_partitioning|Manual partitioning]] of the harddisk may be needed to prepare the harddisk for "sys" mode install using [[Setting_up_disks_manually|<code>setup-disk</code>]] and for storing the config file using [[Alpine_local_backup|<code>lbu commit</code>]] and package cache for [[Diskless Mode|Diskless]] and for /var mount for [[Data Disk Mode|Data disk]] mode installs. Refer [[Setting up disks manually|Setting up disks manually]] page for specific configurations related to [[Setting_up_disks_manually#RAID|RAID]], [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Encryption|encryption]], [[Setting_up_disks_manually#LVM|LVM]], etc...


=== Preparing for the first boot ===
If [[#System_Disk_Mode|System Disk Mode]] of installation was performed, ignore this section and proceed to [[#Reboot|reboot]].


* [[Setting up a new user]]
If the new local system was configured to run in "diskless" or "data" mode, and you do not want keep booting from the initial (and possibly read-only) [[Installation#Preparing_installation_media|installation media]], create a [[Create_a_Bootable_Device|customizable boot device]]. Once everything is in place, save your customized configuration with {{ic|lbu commit}} before rebooting.


* [[Enable Community Repository]] ''(Providing additional packages)''
=== Reboot ===
* [[Alpine Linux package management|Package Management (apk)]] ''(general search/add/del packages etc.)''
* [[Alpine setup scripts#setup-xorg-base|<code>setup-xorg-base</code>]] ''(display graphics, if required)''
** [[Xfce_Setup]] / [[Desktop-notes]] / [[Xfce_Desktop]]


* [[Alpine_local_backup|Local backup utility <code>lbu</code>]] ''(persisting RAM system configurations)''
First, remove the initial installation media from the boot drive, or detach it from the port it's connected to. The system may now be power-cycled or rebooted to confirm everything is working correctly. The relevant commands for this are {{ic|poweroff}} or {{ic|reboot}}. Login into the new system with the root account.
** [[Back Up a Flash Memory Installation]] ''("diskless mode" systems)''
** [[Manually_editing_a_existing_apkovl]] ''(the stored custom configs)''
* [[Alpine Linux Init System|Init System (OpenRC)]] ''(Configure a service to automatically boot at next reboot)''
** [[Multiple Instances of Services]]
** [[Writing Init Scripts]]


* [[Hosting services on Alpine]] ''(Links to several mail/web/ssh server setup pages)''
=== Completing the installation ===
* Runnig programs and services in their own [[Firejail Security Sandbox]]


* [[Alpine_Linux_package_management#Upgrade_a_Running_System|Upgrading Alpine]] ''(checking for and installing updates)''
The installation script installs only the base operating system. '''No''' applications e.g. web server, mail server, desktop environment, or web browsers are installed.
* [[How_to_make_a_custom_ISO_image_with_mkimage]]


=== Further Help and Information ===
Please look at [[Installation#Post-Installation|Post-Installation]], for some common things to do after installation.


* [[Running glibc programs]] ''(Installation and development)''
== Custom Installation Instructions ==


<!-- * [[setup-acf]] ''(Configures ACF (webconfiguration) so you can manage your box through https)''
<!-- COMMENT FOR EDITORS
* [[Changing passwords for ACF|Changing passwords]]
Specific topics should be kept on separate pages and manageable category-pages only must get listed with direct reference on this general page.
-->
-->
* [[Installation on a headless host]]
* [[Kernels]] ''(kernel selection, e.g. for VMs or RPi)''
* [[How to make a custom ISO image with mkimage]] ''(installation media with its own configuration)''
* [[Directly booting an ISO file]] ''(without flashing it to a disk or device)''
* [[Alpine Linux in a chroot]]
* [[Netboot Alpine Linux using iPXE]]
* [[:Category:Virtualization|Virtualization]]
* [[Using an answerfile with setup-alpine]]


* [[FAQ|FAQs]]
Also see other [[:Category:Installation|Installation category]] pages.
* [[Tutorials and Howtos]]


* [[Contribute|How to Contribute]]
== Post-Installation ==
* [[Developer Documentation]]
* [[Alpine_Linux:Wiki_etiquette|Wiki etiquette]] ''to collaborate on this documentation''


{{Tip|Alpine Linux packages stay close to the upstream design. Therefore, all upstream documentation about configuring a software package, as well as good configuration guides from other distributions that stay close to upstream, e.g. those in the [https://wiki.archlinux.org/ ArchWiki], or [https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/ Gentoo wiki] are to a large degree, also applicable to configuring the software on Alpine Linux, thus can be very useful.}}


<!-- COMMENT FOR EDITORS
If you edit Post-Install,


{{Tip| Alpine linux packages stay close to the upstream design. Therefore, all upstream documentation about configuring a software package, as well as good configuration guides from other distributions that stay close to upstream, like e.g. in the [https://wiki.archlinux.org/ Arch Wiki], are to a large degree also well applicable to configure the software on alpine linux, thus can be very useful.}}
  * Consider that there are already [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Post-Install]], [[Developer_Documentation#Package_management]] [[Daily driver guide]] and the Handbook, please work towards reducing duplication and providing an overview, and maintaining topic details of considerable size on their own pages.
  * Here, only the most relevant jumping off points are listed, not exact list duplicates!!!
  * Keep short-list of links here, as overview to more detailed topic specific pages.
  * Don't aggregate different topics at yet another place.
Any topic related to configuring Alpine as Desktop workstation i.e as a daily driver must go to the [[Daily driver guide]] or [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Desktop|Desktop]]section. Links to Tutorial and How To's should be added to [[Tutorials_and_Howtos]] and not added here.
-->
* [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Desktop|Guide to daily drive]] Alpine Linux as a desktop OS
* [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Services|Hosting services]] like mail/web/ssh/Firewall/VPN servers
* [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Virtualization|Virtualization]] guide for using Alpine Linux as both guest and host
* Guide to [[OpenRC|OpenRC]] - Init system used to configure services


= See Also =
== See also ==


There may still be something useful to find and sort out of the newbie's install notes in this wiki, moving godd things into the structured handbook style documentation.
* [[Tutorials and Howtos]]
 
* [[Comparison with other distros]] ''(how common things are done on Alpine)''
# [[Newbie_Alpine_Ecosystem]]
# [[Alpine newbie install manual]]
# [[Alpine_newbie#Install|Alpine_newbie Install section]]
# [https://mckayemu.github.io/alpineinstalls/ https://mckayemu.github.io/alpineinstalls/ All informatin for Spanish users]


[[Category:Installation]]
[[Category:Installation]]

Latest revision as of 21:00, 28 August 2025


This page exists to provide a basic overview to get started. Before actually installing, it can help to skim through the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), as well as to refer to the official installation guide at docs.alpinelinux.org.

Tip: This is a wiki!

If something isn't correct, or is incomplete, you will have to figure it out, or ask for the correct solution in the community.

And then carefully edit the wiki page.

Just as those before who did it for you.

Minimal Hardware Requirements

Main article: Requirements
  • At least 128 MB of RAM. [A graphical desktop system may require up to 512 minimum.]. Note that an installation itself (from ISO) generally requires at least 320 MB during installation.
  • At least 0-700 MB space on a writable storage device. [Only required in "sys" or "data" mode installations. It is optional in "diskless" mode, where it may be used to save newer data and configurations states of a running system.]
  • A working internet connection is required to complete "sys" mode installation or use Extended image if available for your architecture.
Note: Refer custom installation instructions for headless system, virtualization etc. Most of the steps outlined on this page applies to all Architectures supported by Alpine Linux. For more specific installation instructions, refer to their respective pages.

Installation Overview

Alpine Linux can be installed and run in three modes i.e Diskless Mode, Data Disk Mode and System Disk Mode. The installation procedure for Alpine Linux requires basic understanding of the three modes explained in brief below:

Diskless Mode

Main article: Diskless Mode

In Diskless mode the entire operating system with all applications are first loaded into RAM and then only run from there. This mode is extremely fast and can save on unnecessary disk spin-ups, power, and wear. Alpine Linux uses this method to boot the .iso installation images. The setup-alpine script configures the installed system to continue to boot like this if "disk=none" is specified.

Data Disk Mode

Main article: Data Disk Mode

In Data Disk mode also the operating system runs from system RAM, thus it enjoys the same accelerated operation speed as "diskless" mode. However, swap storage and the entire /var directory tree get mounted from a persistent storage device. This mode is useful for having RAM accelerated servers with variable amounts of user-data that exceed the available RAM size.

System Disk Mode

System or sys Disk Mode is the traditional hard-disk install. Alpine Linux can be installed to an entire hard disk using setup-alpine script or to custom partitions using setup-disk. For further info, refer System Disk Mode.

General course of action

It is really helpful for many use cases to prepare and complete the installation until the base configuration step, then proceed with installation of the target system with any one of the various alternative courses of action.

Alternative courses of action

Examples of preparation options:

  • Download some specific driver to configure the hardware, and/or install some software tool that may be missing in the live system by using the Alpine package manager apk.
  • Do a manual partitioning of the hard disk that avoids overwrite of an entire disk.

Examples of such options:

There are many more setup-scripts available. All these tools may also be run later to adjust specific configurations. For example, to set up a graphical environment as covered under Post-Installation below.

Preparing for the installation

Downloading installation image

Installation image files are available in the iso, tar.gz, and img.gz formats. Download the stable release installation image file for the target computer's architecture with the corresponding sha256 checksum and GPG signature files.

Tip: Only download the sha256 checksum and GPG signature files from the official site and not from mirrors.

Now you have three files in the following format: 

alpine-standard-*.iso
alpine-standard-*.iso.sha256
alpine-standard-*.iso.asc

alpine-standard-3.22.1-x86_64.iso is the standard image file for version 3.22.1 and the x86_64 architecture in the iso format.

Verifying downloaded image

From Security point of view, verify the downloaded image file for both checksum and GPG signature before proceeding further. The three required utilities i.e sha256, curl and gpg or their equivalents are available in every operating system including Linux, windows, Mac and BSD derivaties.

Tip: Ensure that all the three downloaded files remain in the same folder. If not, adjust the commands accordingly.

The sha256 checksum verifies the integrity of the downloaded image i.e no modifications occurred during download.

sha256sum -c alpine-*.iso.sha256

The GPG signature verifies the link between the downloaded image to the individual who signed it. Signature verification involves two steps:

Step 1. Download and import the gpg signature from official website

curl https://alpinelinux.org/keys/ncopa.asc | gpg --import ;

Step 2. Verify that the image signature matches with the one downloaded in Step 1.

gpg --verify alpine-*.iso.asc alpine-*.iso

Preparing installation media

See also: Burning ISOs
Warning: All data currently on the installation media will be erased, when Alpine Linux installation image is written on it. Correctly identify the device name for the installation media using commands lsblk and blkid.


If downloaded image file is in img.gz format, unzip it using the command gunzip alpine-rpi-3.22.1-aarch64.img.gz to alpine-rpi-3.22.1-aarch64.img first before using with dd command. In Linux dd command can be used to write image files in both iso and img format to the installation media.

If tar.gz format image file is downloaded, follow the instructions to create the installation media.

Modify the input file(if) of the dd command according to the name and path to your image file and and the target device i.e output file(of) should be a device name /dev/sdX instead of partition like /dev/sdbXY:

# dd if=alpine-standard-3.22.1-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress; eject /dev/sdX

If your version of dd does not support the option "status=progress", remove it. The eject command removes the target device from the system and ensures the write cache is completely flushed.

In Windows and Mac OS, Etcher can be used to create an installation media.

Verifying Installation media

After detaching and re-attaching the device, a bit-wise comparison can verify the data written to the device (instead of just data buffered in RAM). If the comparison terminates with an end-of-file error on the .iso file side, all the contents from the image have been written (and re-read) successfully:

# cmp ~/Downloads/alpine-standard-3.22.1-x86_64.iso /dev/sdX cmp: EOF on alpine-standard-3.22.1-x86_64.iso

Booting Installation Media

Insert the Installation media to a proper drive or port of the computer and turn the machine on, or restart it, if already running.

Note: To successfully boot and install Alpine Linux, disable secure boot in the BIOS. Once Alpine Linux is installed, this can be enabled.

If the computer does not automatically boot from the desired device, one needs to bring up the boot menu and choose the media to boot from. Depending on the computer, the menu may be accessed by repeatedly pressing a key quickly when booting starts. Some computers require that you press the button before starting the computer and hold it down while the computer boots. Typical keys are: F9-F12, sometimes F7 or F8. If these don't bring up the boot menu, it may be necessary to enter the BIOS configuration and adjust the boot settings, for which typical keys are: Del F1 F2 F6 or Esc.

Installation Step Details

Boot Process

The boot process of the alpine installation image first copies the entire operating system into the RAM memory, and then starts a complete Alpine Linux system from there. It will initially only provide a basic command line environment that does not depend on reading from any (possibly slow) initial boot media, anymore.

Local log-in is possible as the user root. Initially, the root user has no password.

At the command prompt, an interactive script named setup-alpine is available to configure and install Alpine Linux. The script can be customized by the optional environment variables, in case of "data" or "sys" mode. For e.g USE_EFI=1 BOOT_SIZE=512 setup-alpine, sets the disklabel type to gpt, creates 512MB /boot partition with vfat filesystem and uses grub as bootloader.

Base configuration

Launch the Alpine Linux Installation by running the setup-alpine script :

# setup-alpine

The question-and-answer dialog of setup-alpine takes care of the base configuration. It sets up a network connection to access Internet to configure the system to boot into one of three different Alpine Linux "disk" modes: "diskless"(none), "data" or "sys". If you choose to edit any option, the relevant file is opened in vi editor for editing.

Tip: If you have access to a wired network, consider using Quick Mode, to complete the base configuration quickly.
Example setup-alpine session

The setup-alpine script offers the following configuration options:

  1. Keyboard Layout (Local keyboard language and usage mode, e.g. us and variant of us-nodeadkeys.)
  2. Hostname (The name for the computer.)
  3. Network (Set up network connection to access Internet.)
    • Available interfaces are: eth0 wlan0.(List depends on your hardware.)
    • Which one do you want to initialize? (or '?' or 'done') [eth0] (Enter 'done' after configuring atleast one interface for Internet access.)
    • Do you want to do any manual network configuration? (y/n) [n] (Default uses "DHCP".)
  4. DNS Servers (If none of the interfaces configured in previous step uses dhcp, set DNS server. If unsure, leave DNS domain name blank and using 9.9.9.9 2620:fe::fe for DNS is typically adequate.)
  5. Root password (the password used to login to the root account)
  6. Timezone (Optionally display times/dates in your local time zone)
  7. HTTP/FTP Proxy (Proxy server to use for accessing the web/ftp. Use "none" for direct connections to websites and FTP servers.)
  8. Mirror (From where to download packages. Choose the organization you trust giving your usage patterns to.)
  9. Set up a user (Setting up a regular user account)
  10. NTP (Network Time Protocol client used for keeping the system clock in sync with a time server. Default is "busybox".)
  11. SSH (Secure SHell remote access server. "OpenSSH" is part of the default install image. Use "none" to disable remote login, e.g. on laptops.)
  12. In most cases, either one of following line(s) is displayed as follows:
    No disks found. or Available disks are: sda (128.0 GB JMicron Tech )
  13. Disk Mode ( A pre-setup of the "diskless" system or base configuration is completed by answering "none" when asked for the following questions.)
    • Which disk(s) would you like to use? (or '?' for help or 'none') none
    • Enter where to store configs (/media/ or 'none') none
    • The location of the package cache none

Base configuration is complete with the above step. Refer to the alternative courses of action to proceed further.

setup-alpine based System Disk Install

setup-alpine script based system disk installation, needs an entire hard disk(s) for Alpine Linux and uses a partitioning layout with (/)root partition, /boot partition and a swap partition, where environment variables determine filesystem, size of the boot partition and the bootloader used. If your use case matches the above, at the final step of base configuration, type the appropriate hard disk device name instead of none. If multiple disks are chosen, RAID is used.

  • At the Disk Mode stage, sda or relevant disk(s) must be chosen in the below screen:
    • Which disk(s) would you like to use? (or '?' for help or 'none') sda
    • Confirmation for the chosen disk(s) appears. The following disk is selected: sda (128.0 GB JMicron Tech ).
Warning: Pay close attention to the disk name and size. If you enter sys in the next step, no further questions will be asked and data on the chosen disk(s) will be overwritten!. Enter Ctrl+c to abort the installation process. Proceed only if you are 100% sure.


  • How would you like to use it? ('sys', 'data', 'lvm' or '?' for help) sys

If sys is chosen, the setup-alpine script will complete the traditional hard-disk installation of Alpine Linux on the chosen disk(s) without further questions. Once the installation is complete, you can skip the next steps and proceed to reboot the system to boot into the newly installed Alpine Linux and configure further.

Custom partitioning

Manual partitioning of the harddisk may be needed to prepare the harddisk for "sys" mode install using setup-disk and for storing the config file using lbu commit and package cache for Diskless and for /var mount for Data disk mode installs. Refer Setting up disks manually page for specific configurations related to RAID, encryption, LVM, etc...

Preparing for the first boot

If System Disk Mode of installation was performed, ignore this section and proceed to reboot.

If the new local system was configured to run in "diskless" or "data" mode, and you do not want keep booting from the initial (and possibly read-only) installation media, create a customizable boot device. Once everything is in place, save your customized configuration with lbu commit before rebooting.

Reboot

First, remove the initial installation media from the boot drive, or detach it from the port it's connected to. The system may now be power-cycled or rebooted to confirm everything is working correctly. The relevant commands for this are poweroff or reboot. Login into the new system with the root account.

Completing the installation

The installation script installs only the base operating system. No applications e.g. web server, mail server, desktop environment, or web browsers are installed.

Please look at Post-Installation, for some common things to do after installation.

Custom Installation Instructions

Also see other Installation category pages.

Post-Installation

Tip: Alpine Linux packages stay close to the upstream design. Therefore, all upstream documentation about configuring a software package, as well as good configuration guides from other distributions that stay close to upstream, e.g. those in the ArchWiki, or Gentoo wiki are to a large degree, also applicable to configuring the software on Alpine Linux, thus can be very useful.

See also

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