alpine-persistent-usb

Guide for making an Alpine Linux USB with persistence

Note: Replace all instances of {?X} (including the braces) with the proper value

Preparation

1. Download the latest version of Alpline Standard x86_64
2. Write it to a USB using dd or rufus and leave a shared or unallocated partition to use later for your /home directory
3. Reboot to your boot menu and boot to Alpine on the USB

Setup Root Partition

1. Login using login: root, password: (none)
2. Run mkdir /media/trueroot
3. Run setup-alpine

• Diskless install
• Store configs in trueroot
• Store cache in /media/trueroot/cache

4. Run the following commands

• apk add util-linux nano (nano is optional if you're comfortable with vi)
• lsblk and note what partition (usually /media/usb) the usb is running from on your USB
• blkid | grep /dev/{?0} >> /etc/fstab where {?0} is the currently booted partition,

4. Change your fstab to use the uuid and mount it to /media/trueroot

• Run nano /etc/fstab
• Replace the line that contains your root partition with the UUID at the bottom line to creating the following: UUID={?m1-own-uu1d} /media/trueroot vfat defaults,noatime 0 0 where {?m1-own-uu1d} is the UUID for your root partition on the last line (added with grep)
• Press ctrl+o, followed by ctrl+x to save and exit

5. Partition your USB

• Run fdisk /dev/{?sd} where {?sd} is the USB
• Create home partition (can also create a shared partition to act like a regular USB`
• Set home partition of type Linux home
• Select Write
• Select Yes
• Exit

6. Run the following commands to save and reboot:

• lbu ci
• reboot

Setup Home Partition

1. Update your repositories and apkcache

• Run apk add nano e2fsprogs f2fs-tools dosfstools util-linux
• Run nano /etc/apk/repositories
• Change top line to /media/trueroot/apks
• Uncomment edge/main and edge/community by removing the #
• Comment out everything else by addting a # at the beginning of the line
• Press ctrl+o, followed by ctrl+x to save and exit

2. Format your partitions

• Run mkfs.f2fs /dev/{?sd} where {?sd} is the home partition
• (OPTIONAL, shared partition only) Run mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/{?sd} where {?sd} is the shared partition

3. Update your fstab to mount your home partition to /home

• Run blkid | grep /dev/{?sd} >> /etc/fstab where {?sd} is your home partition created above
• Run nano /etc/fstab
• Change the bottom line to the following: UUID={?m1-h0m3-uu1d} /home f2fs defaults,noatime 0 0 where {?m1-h0m3-uu1d} is the UUID for your home partition at the last line (added from grep)
• Press ctrl+o, followed by ctrl+x to save and exit

4. Update lbu and apkcache

• Run setup-lbu
• Type trueroot
• Run setup-apkcache
• Type /media/trueroot/cache

5. Run the following commands to save and reboot:

• lbu ci
• reboot

User Configuration

1. Run the following commands for a simple dwm setup

• setup-xorg-base
• apk add sudo dmenu st dwm font-fira-mono-nerd firefox
• sed -i '/%wheel all=(all) all/s/^#//g' /etc/sudoers or simply uncomment %wheel all=(all) all in /etc/sudoers
• adduser user -G wheel
• groupadd user input,tty,video,wheel
• su user
• echo 'exec dwm' >> ~/.xinitrc
• echo 'startx' >> ~/.profile
• sudo lbu ci
• startx

2. Follow this guide for audio

• https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Sound_Setup

3. Follow this guide for flatpak

• Install flatpaks with --user since root (system) installs will not save, but user saves in /home partition
• https://gist.github.com/IronOxidizer/06bd98459e9bb0b9d2de3b76fa0ca421

4. Reduce drive writes

• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Install_Arch_Linux_on_a_removable_medium#Tips
• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Improving_performance#Reduce_disk_reads/writes
• https://foxutech.com/how-to-disable-enable-journaling/
• libeatmydata eatmydata firefox https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/1qligk

5. Config npm if necessary

• npm config set prefix '~/.local'

6. Config inittab (reduce ttys)

• nano /etc/inittab

7. Config OpenRc for faster boot times

• nano /etc/rc.conf
• uncomment rc_parallel="YES"

8. lbu ci