The following information will assist you with the installation of Alpine Linux.

Installation Quick-Start in 3 Easy Steps

1st

Download one of the latest stable-release ISOs. Then compare the image's checksum to the one in the corresponding checksum file (*.sha256) and verify its GPG signature.

2nd

If you have a CD drive from which you can boot, then burn the ISO onto a blank CD using your favorite CD burning software. Else create a bootable USB drive.

3rd

Boot from the CD or USB drive, login as root with no password, and voilà! Enjoy Alpine Linux!

Now Alpine are complete running from the media source, you can install it by running the setup-alpine command.

Before runs setup-alpine there's many ways and use cases in the Alpine install manual for beginners

Installation Handbook

Alpine can be booted or not, just use it. Alpine Linux installation process are so flexible that indeed can just boot up inside other broken Linux. You believe that every system needs a DVD disc, or a USB to install it?, but Alpine may not even need it, so much so that it can even boot from its phone memory. Obviously the more exquisite the more complicated method.

A proper setup of your system are need, but if you deploy all of an ecosystems in your own home and job.. in your only machine... you will need a proper guide to setup your main system (or maybe a parallel system?).

As any Linux installation, Alpine start process by booting from an external device (CD/DVD, USB Drive, etc...).

As Alpine uses Linux kernel, start step of collecting information to initialize a minimum system, the setup-alpine will copy files. This minimun system started before proceed to property install are a diskless mode started from the orig medium.

The post installation step provides the way to choose the root password, and eventually boot up the new installed system.

Overview of run modes for Alpine system

Alpine can be used in any of three modes respected the install process:

diskless mode

You'll boot from a read-only medium such as the installation CD, a USB drive, or a Compact Flash card.

Tip: To prepare either a USB or Compact Flash card, you can use the setup-bootable script; see the pages linked above for details.

When you use Alpine in this mode, you need to use Alpine Local Backup (lbu) to save your modifications between reboots. That requires some writable medium, usually removable. If your boot medium is, for example, a USB drive, you can save modifications there; you don't need a separate partition or drive. See also Local APK cache.

Note: When the setup-alpine script asks for a disk, say "none". It will then prompt whether you'd like to preserve modifications on any writable medium.

data mode

As in diskless mode, your OS is run from a read-only medium. However, here a writable partition (usually on a hard disk) is used to store the data in /var. That partition is accessed directly, rather than copied into a tmpfs; so this is better-suited to uses where large amounts of data need to be preserved between reboots.

Note: The setup-alpine script handles installing Alpine in this mode, too, when you supply a writable partition instead of "none", and request mode "data".

This mode may be used for mailspools, database and log servers, and so on.

sys mode

This is a traditional hard-disk install (see link for details). Both the boot system and your modifications are written to the hard disk in a standard Linux hierarchy.

Note: The setup-alpine script handles installing Alpine in this mode, too, when you supply a writable partition instead of "none", and request mode "sys". By default, it will create three partions on your disk for /boot, /, and swap; however you can also partition your disk manually.

This mode may be used for desktops, development boxes, and virtual servers.

Further Documentation

Post-Install

Alpine post install packages and setup configurations for new users
Setting up Networking
Package Management (apk) (How to add/remove packages on your Alpine)
Alpine local backup (lbu) (Permanently store your modifications in case your box needs reboot)
- Back Up a Flash Memory ("diskless mode") Installation
- Manually editing a existing apkovl
Init System (OpenRC) (Configure a service to automatically boot at next reboot)
- Multiple Instances of Services
Setting up Xorg

Upgrading Alpine

Setting up a ssh-server (Using ssh is a good way to administer your box remotely)
setup-acf (Configures ACF (webconfiguration) so you can manage your box through https)
Hosting services on Alpine(Links to several mail/web/ssh server setup pages)
Changing passwords

Setting the timezone (Not needed for the default musl- or uClibc-based installs)

Setting up a new user

Installation