Install Alpine on a btrfs filesystem with refind as boot manager: Difference between revisions
Prabuanand (talk | contribs) (Created page with " It is assumed that your other OS is already installed and working with <code>rEFInd</code> as boot manager. Currently it is part of [https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/packages?name=refind&branch=edge&repo=&arch=x86_64&maintainer= Testing] repository. Boot your PC from the Alpine Linux USB. Once booted, log in as root (no password required). Identify your partitions by using the command. {{cmd|# blkid}} <pre> /dev/nvme0n1p1: UUID="55C3-8AB4" TYPE="vfat" /dev/n...") |
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Revision as of 05:45, 29 July 2024
It is assumed that your other OS is already installed and working with rEFInd
as boot manager. Currently it is part of Testing repository.
Boot your PC from the Alpine Linux USB. Once booted, log in as root (no password required). Identify your partitions by using the command.
# blkid
/dev/nvme0n1p1: UUID="55C3-8AB4" TYPE="vfat" /dev/nvme0n1p2: UUID="dab64e31-fb89-4364-b90f-b79400f73304" TYPE="swap" /dev/nvme0n1p3: LABEL="BTRFSVOL" UUID="823a3283-30a7-4fef-b50b-8a2230c71b5b" TYPE="btrfs"
Mount the btrfs partition to /mnt
# mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt -t btrfs
Run the setup script:
# setup-alpine
This will guide you through basic system configuration. Follow the prompts to:
- Select keyboard layout
- Set hostname
- Configure network (choose your WiFi interface and enter your WiFi credentials)
- Set root password
- Choose timezone
- Choose NTP client (chronyd)
- Choose a mirror for packages
- Create a new user (optional but recommended)
- After this accept the remaining choices.
Once basic setup is complete, prepare your disk for installation: Create a new Btrfs subvolume for Alpine and you need btrfs-progs package
# apk add btrfs-progs
Create a new Btrfs subvolume for Alpine:
# btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@alpine
# umount /mnt
Mount the new subvolume and other necessary partitions:
# mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt -t btrfs
# mkdir /mnt/os
# mount -o subvol=@alpine /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt/os
Install the base system using the below command:
# setup-disk -m sys /mnt/os
This will install the base system to the mounted subvolume. Once the base system is installed, chroot into the new system:
# chroot /mnt/os
Edit /etc/fstab to use the correct subvolume. Ensure the root entry looks like this:
/dev/nvme0n1p3 / btrfs subvol=@alpine,rw,relatime 0 1
Also verify linux kernel and firmware are installed successfully.
# apk list --installed
If your other OS is already installed and working with refind as boot manager, then there is no need to install refind here.
You may want to remove the grub and grub-efi packages
# apk del grub grub-efi
Exit the chroot:
# exit
Mount the EFI partition to edit the refind.conf file
# mkdir /mnt/os/boot/efi
# mount dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/os/boot/efi
Edit /mnt/os/boot/efi/EFI/refind/refind.conf to boot alpine:
Add an entry for Alpine:
menuentry "Alpine Linux" {
volume "BTRFSVOL" loader @alpine/boot/vmlinuz-lts initrd @alpine/boot/initramfs-lts options "root=UUID=823a3283-30a7-4fef-b50b-8a2230c71b5b rw rootflags=subvol=@alpine rootfstype=btrfs" # PARTUUID not working for alpine unlike arch
}
Save and exit the editor.
Unmount everything:
# umount -R /mnt
Reboot your system.
# reboot
Now, you should now see an option to boot into Alpine Linux in the rEFInd boot menu.