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Version: 0.0.18 | Tested: 2025-12-12 13:58:47 | Size: 2.4GiB
Releases
A testing suite to run VMs and development platform to perform Archlinux system installations.
Made to be able to test future installs without going into BIOS. Without a USB or without an ISO. Or test other distros from Arch without learning all the QEMU docs.
Written in bash and python.
Installs 6-13x faster than any other distro with KDE, thanks to simply caching files overlayed onto the ISO. And also due to tools made by the release engineering teams at Arch.
CURRENT BEST TIME: 1m54s
This works from official arch ISO (using mirrors slower, depending on internet speed) or the one built here (faster, using cached files). This also works from an existing ArchLinux based installation. where you can skip ISOs (mirrors only).
At our compute cost of having to do more frequent builds whenever something is borken. Or at major releases of upstream sources which we have to track closely.
Do note the dates of ISO as public releases are at the beginning of each month
Note
The twist: A fork of archinstall that builds itself and creates, signs ISOs, and can test them directly with post-install utilities and VM testing.
You can use rufus for Winslows or KDEImageWriter from Linux (or dd)
Select mbr/gpt according to your hardware (usually gpt) And then when pressing "start" use dd mode for full copy.
Warning
This is a dev fork that has been completly stripped of a lot of things and altered. Expect bugs and little sanity. Mainly made to test major changes safely. I send my patches here: https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall
And you can try it out:
pacman-key --init
pacman -Sy git
git clone https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall
cd archinstall
python -m archinstall $@
Tip
By default you are already root in the ISO env. You can use args: -h --help you can for example use: --debug --verbose for dev.
You can also obviously try other contributors' forks
And do some testing by git clone -b branch_name !
/ allows you to search
CTRL + C allows you to clear a field
hjkl also allow you to move around (just like arrow keys)
CTRL + H shows the full help
Please refer to archinstall and archwiki. This is the safe way do not continue this guide.
$ pacman-key --init && pacman -Sy git
$ git clone https://github.com/h8d13/Vase
$ ./main -u Pulls in submodules
Tip
In the ISO you are root by default. Use sudo if running from an existing system.
$ ./main -t : Launch TUI forked archinstall
In the TUI: Some critical sections include disk setup, hardware profiles, applications, network manager.
Go grab some coffee during installation (it'll be done when you come back).
After initial install pick Reboot and switch to hard disk in BIOS.
Note: I recommend only plugging-in one screen at this step. you can then add as many as you want later.
After login in with your user through SDDM or GDM or LIGHTDM:
Open a terminal and type: (Dev branch clones to SUDO_USER0's home automatically you can skip this.)
$ sudo pacman -Sy git
$ git clone https://github.com/h8d13/Vase
$ cd Vase
$ ./main -u
Then sudo ./main -pe plasma to edit desired values.
Then sudo ./main -p plasma when ready. You would use arg gnome or xfce4 for respective DE.
Using vim you can use insert to edit, ESC to enter command mode and :wq to write changes. You can also go through some of the rest of the code as there might be some programs you want to add/remove.
See an example installation on YouTube here.
If this helped you earn you some time to touch grass (or you even just learned things), please consider sharing the project, open a pull request, or even just a star ⭐.
We also have a discussions tab for any general purposes questions, ideas, etc...
Hardware Compat README
Modified archinstall hardware.py detection logic, but is only a recommendation. You are free to select the drivers you want to try. See a full table of supported stuff in the link above.
Generally AMD/Intel stuff will be straight-forward.
Before running the post install script you can uncomment any of these lines for extended support:
#LG_PACKS+=" noto-fonts-cjk" # Chinese, Japanese, Korean
#LG_PACKS+=" noto-fonts-extra" # Full extended symbols
You can also install in place/removable media (For installing with only one USB: min 8GiB, use newer ones or it will take ages)
This works because everything is loaded in RAM so you can safely install directly onto the same drive where you put the ISO. Careful that if you do fail the install for some reason you'll have to flash it again...
We believe builds should receive almost daily updates (we are currently building one ISO per day or two), proactively fixing issues that others have overlooked for too long, in an idempotent and perennial way. This does incur some compute costs at the advantage of being 100% brickable 🧱
Making it all open so people can edit anything they desire from the flow, while reducing the scope of archinstall, which is impossible to maintain.
Idea was simple: Faster testing/installs, fixing host to target installs, saving mirror providers TBs in bandwith and less choices to break something in TUI (kind of work for all scenario) testing on weird/old hardware like Hybrid Nvidia/Intel setups or more recent desktops too.
For Devs README
Made specially for my friend Klagan who likes runit and minimalist installs. Supports the post-install script, GUI and VMs. The installer is much more manual. More advanced involved setup.
Bootstrap Artix Linux with desired init system. From any existing Linux install to a live disk. Should be appreciated by purists and elitists of the community.
See an example Klartix install here.
Run in project root: sudo ./main -u or --update this pulls in the submodules and checks for updates.
Or better yet, fork all the repos and send me patches.
| Components | Desc | Docs |
|---|---|---|
| hade_box | Installer fork - Modified TUI for Arch Linux installation | REPO |
| kaes_arch | Post-install - System config and package installation | README |
| pacto_pac | GUI - Pacman common operations Gtk/Adw app | README |
| zazu_lago | Testing suite - VM menu QEMU/KVM testing | README |
| klar_tix | Artix bootstrap - Init system compatible installer | REPO |
Please see archinstall Also do some stuff on gitlab like my attempt at an International ISO.
Basically I was just sick of distro-hopping. Thought how can I create my next build in minutes not hours. First tried on alpine and gave up at hardware drivers so here we are.
It is also largely frustration-driven: Both with how newer users struggle (usually in forums) and what I wish I had when I first started using Arch. Shout to Bringus Studios on YT too for the inspiration with the many weird build gaming systems and videos. Perhaps this project can also serve for others who want to create their own systems?
I dont know what I'm lookign for:
pacman -Qi pkg
# pacman -Ql pkg
pacman -Q | grep <pkg>
I want to learn about something:
sudo pacman -S man
man <pkg>
I want to have a clean system:
pacman -S pacman-contrib
paccache -r
checkupdates
bash-completion 2.17.0-1 -> 2.17.0-2
mkinitcpio 40-3 -> 40-4
# visit archlinux.org/news
# limit AUR usage to strictly necessary
I have slow mirrors:
sudo reflector --protocol https --latest 20 --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
sudo pacman -Sy