Installation: Difference between revisions

From Alpine Linux
(brief introduction and explanation)
m (rephrased bootable medium to customizable boot media)
 
(499 intermediate revisions by 35 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Installation It means use as main system in physical machine''', bare metal or embebed device. Unless Alpine Linux are most used inside docker and containers.. '''this document will described how Alpine Linux could be also put over a hardware to use as main operating system'''.[[Image:hdd_mount.png|right|link=]]
[[Image:hdd_mount.png|left|link=]]
<br />


By example as do in smartphones by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostmarketOS PostmarketOS system] (an operatiing system for smartphones based on Alpine Linux) or as [https://www.adelielinux.org/ Desktop over a computer like Adelie Linux]. In fact, '''Alpine Linux are already installed in your media dumped, it means downloadble media files of Alpine Linux are already the system ready to use (live system)''' directly from the media where are dumped!
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].
__TOC__
__FORCETOC__


= Quick Requirements =
{{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].


This is a simple and quick reference list, nowadays any hardware is supported for Alpine Linux:
And then carefully edit the wiki page.


* At least 128 Megs of RAM for server without graphical GUI, or at least 1.6 Gigs for graphical desktop
Just as those before who did it for you.}}
* At least 1 Gigs storage device for server without graphical GUI, or at least 10 Gigs for graphical desktop with web browsing


Highly '''recommended if you do not have great knowledge, to read [[Requirements|wiki page for requirements]]''': [[Requirements]]!
== Minimal Hardware Requirements ==
{{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.


= Installation Overview =
{{Note| Most of the steps outlined on this page applies to all [[:Category:Architectures|Architectures]] supported by Alpine Linux. For more specific installation instructions, refer to their respective pages. Refer [[#Custom Installation Instructions|custom installation instructions]] for headless system, virtualization etc.}}


If you have special or different requirements please check [https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Category:Installation Installation Category] wiki pages. More methods/architectures/devices (e.g. ARM, RPi, etc) are defined in [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Installation:_Use_cases|Installation:_Use_cases]] wiki page.
== Installation Overview ==


== 1. Download the media source ==
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:


'''Just grab from [http://alpinelinux.org/downloads stable-release ISO image]'''. Take note of architectures in green buttons.
====Diskless Mode====
In Diskless mode the entire operating system with all applications are first loaded into RAM and then only run from there. Alpine Linux uses this method to boot the .iso installation images. The <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> script configures the installed system to continue to boot like this if "disk=none" is specified. The mode is extremely fast and can save on unnecessary disk spin-ups, power, and wear. For further info, refer [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Diskless_Mode| Diskless Mode]].


== 2. Dump, burn or flash the image ==
====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. For further info, refer [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Data_Disk_Mode| Data Disk Mode]].


'''Dump the ISO image onto a media source like USB/SD flashing; or CD/DVD/BR disk with burning''' software. For more detailed on this topic check [[Installation#Additional Details| Additional Details section]]
====System Disk Mode====


== 3. Boot and install process ==
System or '''sys''' Disk Mode is the traditional hard-disk install. <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> script based [[#setup-alpine based System Disk Install|install]] supports only [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Default_Layout|default layout]]. For further info, refer [[Setting_up_disks_manually#System_Disk_Mode|System Disk Mode]].


'''Log-in as the user <code>root</code> with its initially empty password. Then execute the script called <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code>'''
=== General course of action ===


=== Run <code>setup-alpine</code> ===
{{Note| 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 [[#Alternate courses of action|alternate]] courses of action.}}


The <code>[[setup-alpine]]</code> script offers to configure pre-install setup and install process, here you can perform that questions and hit ''enter'' on each answer:
=== Alternate courses of action ===


* '''1. Keyboard map''': Let you to perform the keyborad layout, this is really two cuestions:
Examples of preparation options:
** The first ante the general map: e.g. ''us'' or ''es''
* Download and install some specific driver or software tool.
** And second the variant of e.g. ''us-nodeadkeys'' or ''es-winkeys'' respectively
* Do a [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Manual_partitioning|Manual partitioning]] of the harddisk that avoids overwrite of an entire disk.
* '''2. Hostname''' this is the name of computer, mostly knowed as the human name, in Linux this are default to "localhost" if not configured.
* Installing something that may be missing in the live system to configure the hardware, e.g. by using the alpine package manager <code>[[Alpine_Package_Keeper|apk]]</code>.
* '''3 Network''' (e.g. automatic DHCP IP address discovery)
* Use more specific [[Alpine_setup_scripts|setup-scripts]] in order to proceed with the final installation in a custom way.
* '''4. DNS''' Servers
* '''5. Timezone'''
* '''6. Proxy''' ("None" for direct connections to the internet.)
* '''7. SSH''' (Openssh is part of the default images.)
* '''8. NTP''' (Chrony is part of the default images.)
* '''9. Runtime Mode''' (Select between "diskless" (disk=none), "data" or "sys")


== 4. Rebooting to the new system ==
Examples of proceeding options:


After the installation is completed, the system may be power-cycled or rebooted to confirm that everything is working.
* To install Alpine Linux on an '''entire hard disk''' with [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Default_Layout|default layout]] proceed with [[#setup-alpine_based_System_Disk_Install|setup-alpine based System Disk Install]]
* Use <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-lbu|setup-lbu]]</code> to configure a "local backup" location for the [[#Diskless Mode|diskless]] system, and <code>[[Alpine_local_backup|lbu commit]]</code> to then save the local configuration state.
* Use <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-apkcache|setup-apkcache]]</code> to configure a local package cache storage location.
* Use <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-disk|setup-disk]]</code> to add a [[#Data Disk Mode|"data"]] mode partition
* Use <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-disk|setup-disk]]</code> to complete a [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Custom_Layout|traditional hard-disk installation]] 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 both [[#Data Disk Mode|"data"]] disk and  [[#System_Disk_Mode|"system"]] disk mode or to use [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Environment_variables|environment variables]].
* Use <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-bootable|setup-bootable]]</code> to create a [[Create_a_Bootable_Device#Using_setup-bootable|customizable boot media]] for '''[[Installation#Diskless_Mode|diskless]]''' or '''[[Installation#Data_Disk_Mode|data]]''' disk-mode i.e a boot device with a writable filesystem.  


* If the configured [[Alpine_setup_scripts#sys_mode|runtime mode was "sys"]], then remove the initial installation media to boot the newly installed system.
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 [[Installation#Post-Installation|Post-Installation]] below.
* If the configured [[Alpine_setup_scripts#diskless_mode|runtime mode was "data"]], then keep installation media to boot the newly installed system.


The relevant commands for this are <code>reboot</code> or  <code>poweroff</code>, after exits from <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> process.
== Preparing for the installation ==
<!--
{{Note|This "Additional Details" section needs to be consolidated with the work at '''[https://docs.alpinelinux.org https://docs.alpinelinux.org] (not finished)'''
(Restructuring things there, moving and linking from here or there?).}}
-->


== Additional Details ==
=== Downloading installation image ===


{{Box BLUE|'''1. About Media download of image sources:'''|Take note of the "architecture" namestring in each green button. Most common cases just download '''x86''' or '''x86_64''' types.. for further information check [[Requirements#Architectures|Architectures section]] and then [[Requirements#Media|Media Downloadable section]] of requirements wiki page. Optionally you can perform a '''''sha256'' checksum''' as described in [[Requirements#Checksum|Checksum section of Requirements]] wiki page but is not necessary in general cases.}}
Download the [https://alpinelinux.org/downloads/ stable-release installation image-file] for the target computer's architecture with their corresponding <code>sha256</code> (checksum) and <code>GPG</code> (signature) files.  


{{Box BLUE|'''2. About Media sources to dump image sources:'''|This depends of your hardware, for some like ARM or PowerPC you could check [[Alpine_newbie_install_manual#Ways_to_install_Alpine_listed_by_architectures|Ways_to_install_Alpine_listed_by_architectures]] wiki page if you have special cases like ARM, PPC or s390 machines.}}
{{Note|Download <code>sha256</code> (checksum) and <code>GPG</code> (signature) files only from [https://alpinelinux.org/downloads/ official] site and not from mirrors.}}


{{Box BLUE|'''3. About boot install process:'''|The boot process depends on each computer device, mostly need to specify wicht device to boot, for that check [[Requirements#Booting|Booting section]] wiki page. Boot process 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. After that a prompt for "login" are displayed, input the "root" as user and just enter. So there's no need to ask for password at first boot. Then the script called <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code>, can be used to configure the pre-install and installation, next section will explain each question.}}
Now you have three files of the following format..  


{{Box GREEN|'''4. About running mode of the media source:'''|However, even though it is not installed on your device it is working as if it were, all the [[Alpine_setup_scripts|setup-scripts]] and the [[Alpine_Linux_package_management|apk package manager]] are available to direct use, and all the general command line tools. All of this is from the media you boot, this mode is called "diskless mode", for further information check [[Alpine_setup_scripts#Setup_modes|Setup_modes section]] for "alpine running modes". '''All the media Alpine images are already Alpine running live systems'''}}
<pre>
alpine-standard-*.iso
alpine-standard-*.iso.sha256
alpine-standard-*.iso.asc
</pre>
''alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso'' is the '''3.20.3''' version '''Standard''' image file in '''iso''' format for '''x86_64''' architecture. Image file can also be '''gz''' for certain cases.


= Further Documentation =
=== Verifying downloaded image ===


After the system has been installed, it has only placed the operating system, but things like internet browser or movie viewer are not yet installed, things like web server or mail server neither much less. For that you must check [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Post-Install|Tutorials_and_Howtos Post-Install section]]
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:
 
Step 1. Download and import the gpg signature from official website
{{Cmd|curl https://alpinelinux.org/keys/ncopa.asc &#124; gpg --import ;}}
 
Step 2. Verify that the image signature matches with the one downloded in Step 1.
{{Cmd|gpg --verify alpine-*.iso.'''asc''' alpine-*.'''iso'''}}
 
=== Preparing installation media  ===
{{Seealso|Burning ISOs}}
 
{{Note|These instructions are exclusively for x86_64 and x86. For ARM boards, see [[Alpine on ARM#Preparing installation media|Alpine on ARM]].}}
 
All data currently on the installation media will be '''lost''', when the Alpine Linux image is written on it. Be extremely careful to correctly identify the device name for the installation media.
 
In Linux, <code>dd</code> command can write the downloaded image file to the installation media i.e target device. To identify the target device, all connected "bulk storage devices" can be listed with <code><nowiki>lsblk</nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki>blkid</nowiki></code>.
<pre>
# lsblk
NAME            MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINT
sdX              0:0    0  64,0G  0 disk 
├─sdX1            0:1    0    2G  0 part 
└─sdX2            0:2    0    30G  0 part  /mnt/sdX2
# blkid
/dev/sdX1: LABEL="some" UUID="..." TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sdX2: LABEL="other" UUID="..." TYPE="ext4"
</pre>
 
For example, if /dev/sdX is the desired target device, ensure that all mounted partitions of the target device are un-mounted first. In the above case, for device sdX with partitions sdX1 and sdX2, the partition sdX2 needs to be unmounted:
{{Cmd|# umount /dev/sdX2}}
 
{{Note| In <code>dd</code> command, do not specify partition number for target device i.e use '''/dev/sdX''' and not '''/dev/sdX1'''}} 
 
The syntax for <code>dd</code> command is as follows:
{{Cmd|# dd if{{=}}<iso-image-file> of{{=}}<target-device> bs{{=}}4M status{{=}}progress; eject <target-device>}}
 
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.
 
A complete example for <code>dd</code> command with image file ''alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso'' and target device '''/dev/sdd''' is shown below:
 
{{Warning|Below command will overwrite data on target device '''/dev/sdd'''. Modify '''if''' and '''of''' according to the name of your image file and target device}}
 
{{Cmd|# dd if{{=}}~/Downloads/alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso of{{=}}/dev/sdd bs{{=}}4M status{{=}}progress; eject /dev/sdd}}
 
In Windows, [https://rufus.ie/ Rufus] has been tested to create bootable USB flash drives and worked for Alpine Linux 3.12.x with the following settings:
* '''Partition scheme''': <code>MBR</code>  '''Target system''': <code>BIOS or UEFI</code>
* '''File system''': <code>FAT32</code>      '''Cluster size''': <code>4096 bytes (default)</code>
 
===  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:
<pre>
# cmp ~/Downloads/alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso /dev/sdX
cmp: EOF on alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso
</pre>
 
=== Booting Installation Media ===
 
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 [[Alpine_and_UEFI#How_to_boot_unsigned_code?|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}}.
 
== 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 already 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 <code>root</code>. Initially, the '''root''' user has no password.
 
At the command prompt, an interactive script named <code>setup-alpine</code> is available to configure and install the initial Alpine Linux system. Using [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Environment_variables|environment variables]] at this stage is optional. Launch the Alpine Linux Installation by running the <code>setup-alpine</code> script :
 
{{Cmd| #setup-alpine}}
 
=== Base configuration ===
The question-and-answer dialog of <code>setup-alpine</code> takes care of the base configuration.
 
It allows 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"''']].
 
[[File:Installation-alpine-alpine-setup-3-setup-scripts.png|350px|thumb|right|Example <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> session]]
 
The <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> script offers the following configuration options:
 
* '''Keyboard Layout''' (Local keyboard language and usage mode, e.g. ''us'' and variant of ''us-nodeadkeys''.)
* '''Hostname''' (The name for the computer.)
* '''Network''' (For example, automatic IP address discovery with the "DHCP" protocol.) 
* '''DNS Servers''' (Domain Name Servers to query. 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.)
* '''Setup 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. Package "chrony" is part of the default install image.)
* '''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'''
 
Base configuration is complete with the above step. Refer to the [[#Alternate courses of action|alternate courses of action]] to proceed further.
 
=== setup-alpine based System Disk Install === 
 
If you have ''' entire hard disk(s)''' for Alpine Linux and [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Default_Layout|default layout]] is acceptable to you, at the final step of [[#Base configuration|base configuration]] do not choose '''none''' for the prompts in the '''Disk Mode'''.
* 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 ).'''
* For automatic RAID configuration, you can select multiple disks as explained in [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Default_Layout|default layout]] section.
* Pay close attention and verify that the disk(s) matches your requirement. Answering '''none''' in the next step or pressing '''Ctrl+c''' will exit/abort the installation process.
<br>
{{Warning| If you enter '''sys''' in the next step, data on the chosen disk(s) will be overwritten! No further questions will be asked. 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 as per [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Default_Layout|default layout]].  Once the installation is complete, you can skip the next steps and proceed to [[#Reboot|reboot]] the system to [[#Completing_the_installation|complete the installation]].
 
=== Custom partitioning  ===
 
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. as well as to [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Manual_partitioning|manually partition]] the harddisk for "sys" mode install using [[Setting_up_disks_manually#Custom_Layout|custom layout]].
 
For "diskless" or "data disk" mode installs, manual partitioning may be needed to prepare the harddisk for committing local backups of the system state with <code>[[Alpine_local_backup|lbu commit]]</code>, to have a place for a package cache, or to use it for a /var mount.
 
=== Preparing for the first boot ===
If [[#System_Disk_Mode|System Disk Mode]] of installation was performed, ignore this section and proceed to [[#Reboot|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, the boot system needs to be copied to another device or partition.
 
The target partition may be identified using {{ic|lsblk}} (after installing it with {{ic|apk add {{pkg|lsblk}}}}) and/or {{ic|blkid}}, similar to previously identifying the initial installation media device.
 
The procedure to copy the boot system is explained at [[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-bootable|setup-bootable]].
 
Once everything is in place, save your customized configuration with {{ic|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 {{ic|poweroff}} or {{ic|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 under [[Installation#Post-Installation|Post-Installation]] below, for some common things to do after installation.
 
== Custom Installation Instructions ==
 
<!-- This has to be moved to headless installation page -->
Custom-made headless apkovl can be done by first booting the install media on some computer with a display and keyboard attached, or in a virtual machine, and doing an intermediate "diskless" setup of just the boot media (more details below), i.e. using the offical <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code> to configure the system's network, possibly for dhcp if needed, a ssh server, and a login user. Choosing "disks=none" for now, yet, configure to store configs on the boot media (if it is writable, otherwise on a separate storage media). And afterwards calling <code>[[Alpine_local_backup|lbu commit]]</code> to store the configs as local backup. Then your completed setup, including its securely created own private keys, will readily get (re)loaded on every subsequent (headless) boot from your custom-build <code><hostname>.apkovl.tar.gz</code> stored on the boot media (or on an auxilary media or server location, in case the boot media is read-only).
 
<!-- COMMENT FOR EDITORS
Specific topics should be kept on separate pages and manageable category-pages only must get listed with direct reference on this general page.
-->
 
* [https://github.com/macmpi/alpine-linux-headless-bootstrap/ Bootstrap Alpine Linux on a headless system] using pre-built <code>apkovl</code> overlay file.
* [[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)''
* [[Netboot Alpine Linux using iPXE]]
* [[:Category:Virtualization|Virtualization]]
 
Also see other [[:Category:Installation|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 [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,
 
  * 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.
 
-->
=== Daily driver guide  ===
<!-- COMMENT FOR EDITORS
Any topic related to configuring Alpine as Desktop workstation i.e as a daily driver must go to the [[Daily driver guide]] which is called below. Tutorial and How To should go to [[Tutorials_and_Howtos]].
-->
{{:Daily driver guide}}
 
=== Other topics ===
 
Topics not strictly related to using Alpine Linux as desktop are listed below:
 
<!-- COMMENT FOR EDITORS
  * This section is meant to cover topics not related to Using Alpine as daily driver or as desktop workstation as there is already [[Daily driver guide]] and the Handbook. Please refer to the comment at the beginning of this wiki [[#Post-Installation]].
-->
* [[Upgrading Alpine|Upgrade your OS]], when a new version is [https://www.alpinelinux.org/releases/ released].
* [[Change default shell]]
* [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Networking_2|Setting up Networking]] ''(including non-standard configurations)''
* [[Alpine_local_backup|Local backup utility <code>lbu</code>]] ''(persisting RAM system configurations)''
** [[Back Up a Flash Memory Installation]] ''("diskless mode" systems)''
** [[Manually editing a existing apkovl]] ''(the stored custom configs)''
* [[OpenRC|Init System (OpenRC)]] ''(configure a service to automatically boot at next reboot)''
** [[Writing Init Scripts]]
** [[Multiple Instances of Services]]
* [[Hosting services on Alpine]] ''(links to several mail/web/ssh server setup pages)''
 
== See also ==


* [[FAQ|FAQs]]
* [[Tutorials and Howtos]]
* [[Tutorials and Howtos]]
* [[Contribute|How to Contribute]]
* [[Alpine_Linux:FAQ|FAQs]]
* [[Developer Documentation]]
* [[Comparison with other distros]] ''(how common things are done on Alpine)''
* [[Newbie Alpine Ecosystem]]
* [[Alpine_Linux:Wiki_etiquette|Wiki etiquette]] ''(to collaborate on this documentation)''
* [https://mckayemu.github.io/alpineinstalls/ https://mckayemu.github.io/alpineinstalls/ All informatin for Spanish users]
----
 
[[Category:Installation]]
[[Category:Installation]]

Latest revision as of 05:01, 24 October 2024


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.
Note: 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. Refer custom installation instructions for headless system, virtualization etc.

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

In Diskless mode the entire operating system with all applications are first loaded into RAM and then only run from there. 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. The mode is extremely fast and can save on unnecessary disk spin-ups, power, and wear. For further info, refer Diskless Mode.

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. For further info, refer Data Disk Mode.

System Disk Mode

System or sys Disk Mode is the traditional hard-disk install. setup-alpine script based install supports only default layout. For further info, refer System Disk Mode.

General course of action

Note: 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 alternate courses of action.

Alternate courses of action

Examples of preparation options:

  • Download and install some specific driver or software tool.
  • Do a Manual partitioning of the harddisk that avoids overwrite of an entire disk.
  • Installing something that may be missing in the live system to configure the hardware, e.g. by using the alpine package manager apk.
  • Use more specific setup-scripts in order to proceed with the final installation in a custom way.

Examples of proceeding 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

Download the stable-release installation image-file for the target computer's architecture with their corresponding sha256 (checksum) and GPG (signature) files.

Note: Download sha256 (checksum) and GPG (signature) files only from official site and not from mirrors.

Now you have three files of the following format.. 

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

alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso is the 3.20.3 version Standard image file in iso format for x86_64 architecture. Image file can also be gz for certain cases.

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 downloded in Step 1.

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

Preparing installation media

See also: Burning ISOs
Note: These instructions are exclusively for x86_64 and x86. For ARM boards, see Alpine on ARM.

All data currently on the installation media will be lost, when the Alpine Linux image is written on it. Be extremely careful to correctly identify the device name for the installation media.

In Linux, dd command can write the downloaded image file to the installation media i.e target device. To identify the target device, all connected "bulk storage devices" can be listed with lsblk and blkid. 

 # lsblk
 NAME            MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINT
 sdX               0:0    0  64,0G  0 disk  
 ├─sdX1            0:1    0     2G  0 part  
 └─sdX2            0:2    0    30G  0 part  /mnt/sdX2
 
 # blkid
 /dev/sdX1: LABEL="some" UUID="..." TYPE="vfat"
 /dev/sdX2: LABEL="other" UUID="..." TYPE="ext4"

For example, if /dev/sdX is the desired target device, ensure that all mounted partitions of the target device are un-mounted first. In the above case, for device sdX with partitions sdX1 and sdX2, the partition sdX2 needs to be unmounted:

# umount /dev/sdX2

Note: In dd command, do not specify partition number for target device i.e use /dev/sdX and not /dev/sdX1

The syntax for dd command is as follows:

# dd if=<iso-image-file> of=<target-device> bs=4M status=progress; eject <target-device>

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.

A complete example for dd command with image file alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso and target device /dev/sdd is shown below:

Warning: Below command will overwrite data on target device /dev/sdd. Modify if and of according to the name of your image file and target device


# dd if=~/Downloads/alpine-standard-3.20.3-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=4M status=progress; eject /dev/sdd

In Windows, Rufus has been tested to create bootable USB flash drives and worked for Alpine Linux 3.12.x with the following settings:

  • Partition scheme: MBR Target system: BIOS or UEFI
  • File system: FAT32 Cluster size: 4096 bytes (default)

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-3.20.3-x86_64.iso /dev/sdX
 cmp: EOF on alpine-standard-3.20.3-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 already 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 the initial Alpine Linux system. Using environment variables at this stage is optional. Launch the Alpine Linux Installation by running the setup-alpine script :

#setup-alpine

Base configuration

The question-and-answer dialog of setup-alpine takes care of the base configuration.

It allows to configure the system to boot into one of three different Alpine Linux "disk" modes: "diskless"(none), "data" or "sys".

Example setup-alpine session

The setup-alpine script offers the following configuration options:

  • Keyboard Layout (Local keyboard language and usage mode, e.g. us and variant of us-nodeadkeys.)
  • Hostname (The name for the computer.)
  • Network (For example, automatic IP address discovery with the "DHCP" protocol.)
  • DNS Servers (Domain Name Servers to query. If unsure, leave DNS domain name blank and using 9.9.9.9 2620:fe::fe 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.)
  • Setup 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. Package "chrony" is part of the default install image.)
  • 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

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

setup-alpine based System Disk Install

If you have entire hard disk(s) for Alpine Linux and default layout is acceptable to you, at the final step of base configuration do not choose none for the prompts in the Disk Mode.

  • 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 ).
  • For automatic RAID configuration, you can select multiple disks as explained in default layout section.
  • Pay close attention and verify that the disk(s) matches your requirement. Answering none in the next step or pressing Ctrl+c will exit/abort the installation process.


Warning: If you enter sys in the next step, data on the chosen disk(s) will be overwritten! No further questions will be asked. 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 as per default layout. Once the installation is complete, you can skip the next steps and proceed to reboot the system to complete the installation.

Custom partitioning

Refer Setting up disks manually page for specific configurations related to RAID, encryption, LVM, etc. as well as to manually partition the harddisk for "sys" mode install using custom layout.

For "diskless" or "data disk" mode installs, manual partitioning may be needed to prepare the harddisk for committing local backups of the system state with lbu commit, to have a place for a package cache, or to use it for a /var mount.

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, the boot system needs to be copied to another device or partition.

The target partition may be identified using lsblk (after installing it with apk add lsblk) and/or blkid, similar to previously identifying the initial installation media device.

The procedure to copy the boot system is explained at setup-bootable.

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 under Post-Installation below, for some common things to do after installation.

Custom Installation Instructions

Custom-made headless apkovl can be done by first booting the install media on some computer with a display and keyboard attached, or in a virtual machine, and doing an intermediate "diskless" setup of just the boot media (more details below), i.e. using the offical setup-alpine to configure the system's network, possibly for dhcp if needed, a ssh server, and a login user. Choosing "disks=none" for now, yet, configure to store configs on the boot media (if it is writable, otherwise on a separate storage media). And afterwards calling lbu commit to store the configs as local backup. Then your completed setup, including its securely created own private keys, will readily get (re)loaded on every subsequent (headless) boot from your custom-build <hostname>.apkovl.tar.gz stored on the boot media (or on an auxilary media or server location, in case the boot media is read-only).


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.

Daily driver guide

Many people think that Alpine is only made for containers and servers, but it is actually a general purpose distro which can definitely be used as a daily driver.

Alpine is extremely small, simple and resource-efficient, making it easy to customize.

Note: This guide assumes you have already installed a minimal Alpine system by following the Installation guide

Basics

Advanced

Other topics

Topics not strictly related to using Alpine Linux as desktop are listed below:

See also

Retrieved from "https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/w/index.php?title=Installation&oldid=27627"