Archinstall 2.8 Further Refines The Easy Arch Linux Installation Experience

[bug77]

Hm, still unusable for anything but a standard installation. :/

Having just broken my Arch install, I found archinstall to dramatically cut down the time to install everything again. Manual partitioning and everything.

It's hopeless when things go wrong (gives you unusable error messages), but I've given Manjaro/Calamares a try and found Calamares to offer less options than archinstall for some things (e.g. no sound server option).

And the usual disclaimer: it's a tool, use it if it fits your needs, otherwise don't.

[schmidtbag]

What uses so much space in the EFI partition? From what I recall, every system I installed never used more than 5MB, let alone 500MB.

[Anux]

I think that's because of how many ways there are to do encryption. Is everything going to be in a LUKS container? Will it be using LVM volumes with LUKS as necessary? Will it be using a file system and the file system's encryption tools? Will it be doing a combination of those?

Probably, but then why give the user the possibility for manual partitioning without any hint what is supported or expected?

The packages were just standard repro but a custom DE with many programs. To bad there were no clear errors what might have been the problematic package.

That's the point of the install script. It makes easier for people who come in and want to do a simple standard installation. If you really have special needs, then such a tool shouldn't automate or do it for you without understanding what is happening. I think the install script with this narrow focus is inline with the values of Archlinux. At least this is how I see it.

Strange, the std install is also super easy without the script and for noobs the problems don't end after installation. Wouldn't it be nice if the script makes your highly custom setup easier? Or how it is seemingly intended, give you the possibility to do some complex stuff manually and let the script take over for the rest?

[Anux]

What uses so much space in the EFI partition? From what I recall, every system I installed never used more than 5MB, let alone 500MB.

With systemd-boot you can put your initramfs in the uefi-partition. Then there is multi distro and dual boot with Win.

And the usual disclaimer: it's a tool, use it if it fits your needs, otherwise don't.

The thing is, it looks like it should fit my needs but in the end is too buggy.

[byteabit]

Strange, the std install is also super easy without the script and for noobs the problems don't end after installation. Wouldn't it be nice if the script makes your highly custom setup easier? Or how it is seemingly intended, give you the possibility to do some complex stuff manually and let the script take over for the rest?

"It makes easier" does not mean "it solves all problems after the install". The point is, that the install script takes away some standard installation procedures and helps those who are new and want a quick and dirty install. Off course there is work left over, but that is not what the script tries to solve, neither should it (to be inline with the Archlinux approach). And I don't agree that the standard slash manual install of Archlinux is "super easy without the script", within context to noobs.

The problem with an install script that tries too much on Archlinux is, that there is nothing set in stone beforehand or afterwards. Its like having an install script for "Linux from scratch" (not literally!), which defeats the purpose. On distributions like Ubuntu, many things are set in stone, including the desktop environment on the disk you are installing from. Archlinux tries to be less opinionated and does not try to guess much on installation. The more you automate beyond the absolute basics, the less it is manual Archlinux. I am not an elitist, but think that's the identity of Archlinux.

Butt, and this is a big one to me, I would not be against an installation script that does automate a lot of things. I would not mind changing the current identity of Archlinux, at least with this script in mind. But wouldn't it be then something like EndeavourOS? I mean if that is what you want and need, isn't such a distribution the right place instead stock Archlinux?

[bug77]

The thing is, it looks like it should fit my needs but in the end is too buggy.

Ah, buggy software. Yes, those should be retired.

[bachchain]

With systemd-boot you can put your initramfs in the uefi-partition.

Even then, both the initramfs and fallback combined take up less than 300MB, and that's without removing busybox which cuts the image down to less than 15.

[Anux]

And I don't agree that the standard slash manual install of Archlinux is "super easy without the script", within context to noobs.

You only need to exactly follow the instruction from a web page, if you can't do that you will fail with arch anyway. It just becomes a real mess when you do a lot of customization (you ultimately will miss or mess up a config and then you need to troubleshoot), that's why I would like to use something like this tool.

The problem with an install script that tries too much on Archlinux is, that there is nothing set in stone beforehand or afterwards. Its like having an install script for "Linux from scratch" (not literally!), which defeats the purpose.

No it's more like an old school debian net-install and that worked pretty well, you don't have to offer all possible options and the archinstall already does this. But if you give users the possibility to do manual partitioning it should at least give you a hint what is supported and not just fail without any clues why.

But wouldn't it be then something like EndeavourOS? I mean if that is what you want and need, isn't such a distribution the right place instead stock Archlinux?

Exactly.

In the end I'm doing it manually like always but I might check the script every now and then. I have no need for an install currently.

[Vistaus]

"It makes easier" does not mean "it solves all problems after the install". The point is, that the install script takes away some standard installation procedures and helps those who are new and want a quick and dirty install. Off course there is work left over, but that is not what the script tries to solve, neither should it (to be inline with the Archlinux approach).

Exactly. This is more like a training day at college/university: you can try some of the things that your study will offer you to see if you like it and then when you choose to take it, you'll learn the more advanced stuff. Archinstall is just like that: it will give you an easier way to see if you like it and if you do, you'll learn the more advanced stuff.

[dylanmtaylor]

Doing manual partitioning and encryption or installing special packages (tested with 2.7 but no mentioning in the change log).

Manual partitioning and encryption are both possible and you can provide it with an arbitrary list of packages to install.