Revision as of 05:20, 28 July 2020

Alpine Linux can be installed as the main operating system on a physical machine ("bare metal"), including on embedded devices. For example, PostmarketOS is a smartphone operating system based on Alpine, and Adélie Linux is a complete end-user distribution based on Alpine Linux. While this use case is less common than Alpine Linux's main use as a base system for container images in systems like Docker, this document describes how Alpine can be installed as the primary operating system for a computer.

Alpine also works as a live system—any install disk of Alpine can also be run without installing to local storage of the machine it's booted on, running directly from the install media!

Quick Requirements

Nearly any hardware should run Alpine Linux but the following basic requirements are recommended:

At least 128MB of RAM for server without GUI, or at least 1.6GB for graphical desktop
At least 1GB storage device for server without GUI, or at least 10GB for graphical desktop with web browsing

For more information, see Requirements.

Installation : setup-alpine : booting process until login prompt

Installation Overview

The following steps are brief and intended for the common case; for complete info and other architectures, please consult the Alpine newbie install manual.

1. Download the media source

Just grab an ISO from [1]. Take note of architectures in green buttons.

2. Dump, burn or flash the image

Dump the ISO image onto a media source like USB/SD flashing; or CD/DVD/BR disk with burning software. In Linux, you can use dd to flash a USB drive or SD card:

   dd if=<your iso> of=<your disk> bs=1M; sync

3. Boot and install process

Log in as the user root by typing root and hitting enter. Then execute setup-alpine, answering the questions and hitting enter after each:

Installation : setup-alpine : complete process single install

Select keyboard layout: Choose your keyboard layout, e.g. us or es.
- Select variant: Choose your keyboard layout variant, e.g. us-nodeadkeys or es-winkeys. Use the same answer that you entered above for no variant.
Enter system hostname: Choose the name of your computer; localhost is good enough and recommended for starting.
Initialize network cards: Here most people can just go with the default (just press enter).
- Any manual configuration: Perform other configuration if needed, otherwise just type "no" and hit enter.
- Select domain name: This is not commonly asked, you can just hit enter.
DNS nameservers?: If asked, 8.8.8.8 is a recommended default that will be good for most people.
Changing password for root: Next a root password must be defined. Input a passphrase; what you type won't be shown on the screen.
- Retype password: Type the same passphrase to confirm the root password; what you type won't be shown on the screen.
Which timezone to choose?: Set it to your local time zone or hit enter for UTC.
Proxy chooser: Type none and hit enter if you're not using a proxy.
Which NTP client to run?: This is for keeping the system clock in sync. The default is good enough for most people.
Enter mirror number: 1 is a good choice for most people.
Which SSH server?: An SSH server allows you to remotely manage your machine. The default is good enough for most people.
Disk Setup Choose how to set up your disks.
- Which disks would you like to use?: Choose the disk where files will be installed. Usually sda is the hard disk and sdb is the USB boot or CD/DVD image.
- How would you like to use it?: Type "sys" and then press enter. This will cause the OS to be installed to the chosen disk—similar to how other distributions work.

Take care that all data on your chosen disk will be erased. A final question will prompt you to continue. After confirming by typing 'y' and hitting enter, you cannot turn back.

After the script finishes installing the system, it will tell you to reboot. Note that:

If the configured runtime mode was "sys", then remove the initial installation media to boot the newly installed system.
If the configured runtime mode was "data", then keep the installation media inserted to boot the newly installed system.

To reboot, type reboot and hit enter. If you just wish to turn off the machine after installing, type poweroff instead.

Further Documentation

The installation script only installs the base operating system. Applications such as a web server, mail server, desktop environment, or web browser are not installed and root is the only normal user. For instructions on proceeding after installation, please see Tutorials_and_Howtos Post-Install section.

More specific instructions and instructions for other architectures or machines (e.g. ARM, RPi, etc) are defined in Installation:_Use_cases. Also see the following wiki pages for more information:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Alpine Linux can be installed as the main operating system on a physical machine ("bare metal"), including on embedded devices. For example, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostmarketOS PostmarketOS] is a smartphone operating system based on Alpine, and [https://www.adelielinux.org/ Adélie Linux] is a complete end-user distribution based on Alpine Linux. While this use is less common than Alpine Linux's main use as a base system for container images in systems like Docker, this document describes how Alpine can be installed as the primary operating system for a computer.
+Alpine Linux can be installed as the main operating system on a physical machine ("bare metal"), including on embedded devices. For example, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostmarketOS PostmarketOS] is a smartphone operating system based on Alpine, and [https://www.adelielinux.org/ Adélie Linux] is a complete end-user distribution based on Alpine Linux. While this use case is less common than Alpine Linux's main use as a base system for container images in systems like Docker, this document describes how Alpine can be installed as the primary operating system for a computer.
-Alpine also works as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_USB live system]&mdash;Any install disk of Alpine can also be run without installing to local storage of the machine it's booted on, running directly from the install media!
+Alpine also works as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_USB live system]&mdash;any install disk of Alpine can also be run without installing to local storage of the machine it's booted on, running directly from the install media!
 __TOC__
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 = Quick Requirements =
-Nearly any hardware should run Alpine Linux:
+Nearly any hardware should run Alpine Linux but the following basic requirements are recommended:
 * At least 128MB of RAM for server without GUI, or at least 1.6GB for graphical desktop
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 = Installation Overview =
-Those steps are brief and intended for the common case; for complete info and other architectures, please consult the [[Alpine newbie install manual]].
+The following steps are brief and intended for the common case; for complete info and other architectures, please consult the [[Alpine newbie install manual]].
 == 1. Download the media source ==
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 == 3. Boot and install process ==
-Log in as the user <code>root</code> with its initially empty password. Then execute <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code>, answering the questions and hitting ''enter'' after each:
+Log in as the user <code>root</code> by typing <code>root</code> and hitting ''enter''. Then execute <code>[[Alpine_setup_scripts#setup-alpine|setup-alpine]]</code>, answering the questions and hitting ''enter'' after each:
 [[File:Installation-alpine-alpine-setup-3-setup-scripts.png|350px|thumb|right|Installation : setup-alpine : complete process single install]]
-* '''Select keyboard layout''': Let you to perform the keyborad layout, e.g. ''us'' or ''es''
+* '''Select keyboard layout''': Choose your keyboard layout, e.g. ''us'' or ''es''.
-** '''Select keyboard variant''': Choose your keyboard variant,  e.g. ''us-nodeadkeys'' or ''es-winkeys'' respectively
+** '''Select variant''': Choose your keyboard layout variant,  e.g. ''us-nodeadkeys'' or ''es-winkeys''. Use the same answer that you entered above for no variant.
-* '''Host name''', which will be the name of your computer; '''localhost''' are enough and recommended for starting.
+* '''Enter system hostname''': Choose the name of your computer; '''localhost''' is good enough and recommended for starting.
-* '''Initialize network cards''': here most people can just go with the default (just press enter).
+* '''Initialize network cards''': Here most people can just go with the default (just press enter).
-** '''Any other configuration''': about any other configuration, just type "no" and hit enter
+** '''Any manual configuration''': Perform other configuration if needed, otherwise just type "no" and hit enter.
-** '''Select domain name''': if asked this are not commonly asked.. just hit enter.
+** '''Select domain name''': This is not commonly asked, you can just hit enter.
-* '''DNS nameservers?''': if asked just type <code>8.8.8.8</code> and hit enter.
+* '''DNS nameservers?''': If asked, <code>8.8.8.8</code> is a recommended default that will be good for most people.
-* '''Changing password for root''': Next a root password must be defined, input a pass phrase, chars will not be show.
+* '''Changing password for root''': Next a root password must be defined. Input a passphrase; what you type won't be shown on the screen.
-** '''retype password''', input twice for confirmation, when typed no chars will be show.
+** '''Retype password''': Type the same passphrase to confirm the root password; what you type won't be shown on the screen.
-* '''Which timezone to choose?''': just hit enter to use <code>UTC</code> when perform a single installation.
+* '''Which timezone to choose?''': Set it to your local time zone or hit enter for <code>UTC</code>.
-* '''Proxy chooser''': just type <code>none</code> and hit enter if you have direct internet connection.
+* '''Proxy chooser''': Type <code>none</code> and hit enter if you're not using a proxy.
-* '''Enter mirror repository''': .. just type <code>1</code> and then press enter
+* '''Which NTP client to run?''': This is for keeping the system clock in sync. The default is good enough for most people.
-* '''Which ssh server?''': Choose an SSH server allows you to remotely manage your machine. Just type enter.
+* '''Enter mirror number''': <code>1</code> is a good choice for most people.
-* '''Which NTP client to run?''' This is for time sync, just press enter to use default.
+* '''Which SSH server?''': An SSH server allows you to remotely manage your machine. The default is good enough for most people.
-* '''Setup Disk''' This will setup the destination usage of the files
+* '''Disk Setup''' Choose how to set up your disks.
-** '''Which disk choose to use?''': To choose the disk destination .. commonly sda are the hard disk cos sdb the USB boot or CD/DVD image
+** '''Which disks would you like to use?''': Choose the disk where files will be installed. Usually <code>sda</code> is the hard disk and <code>sdb</code> is the USB boot or CD/DVD image.
-** '''How would be used?''': just type "sys" and then press enter, is the familiar install to disk for usage as main OS to computers.
+** '''How would you like to use it?''': Type "sys" and then press enter. This will cause the OS to be installed to the chosen disk&mdash;similar to how other distributions work.
-Take care that all data on your disk will be erased.. a last question will prompt and by type "y" and hit enter no turn back will be allowed.
+Take care that '''all data on your chosen disk will be erased'''. A final question will prompt you to continue. After confirming by typing 'y' and hitting enter, you cannot turn back.
-After all the scripts setup ends, a "reboot" will be offered:
+After the script finishes installing the system, it will tell you to reboot. Note that:
 * If the configured [[Alpine_setup_scripts#sys_mode|runtime mode was "sys"]], then remove the initial installation media to boot the newly installed system.
-* If the configured [[Alpine_setup_scripts#diskless_mode|runtime mode was "data"]], then keep installation media to boot the newly installed system.
+* If the configured [[Alpine_setup_scripts#diskless_mode|runtime mode was "data"]], then keep the installation media inserted 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.
+To reboot, type <code>reboot</code> and hit enter. If you just wish to turn off the machine after installing, type <code>poweroff</code> instead.
 = Further Documentation =
-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]]
+The installation script only installs the base operating system. Applications such as a web server, mail server, desktop environment, or web browser are not installed and <code>root</code> is the only normal user. For instructions on proceeding after installation, please see [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Post-Install|Tutorials_and_Howtos Post-Install section]].
-More specific or other architecture or machines (e.g. ARM, RPi, etc) are defined in [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Installation:_Use_cases|Installation:_Use_cases]]''' wiki pages
+More specific instructions and instructions for other architectures or machines (e.g. ARM, RPi, etc) are defined in [[Tutorials_and_Howtos#Installation:_Use_cases|Installation:_Use_cases]]. Also see the following wiki pages for more information:
 * [[FAQ|FAQs]]