Arch Linux

eeried1

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Registered: 2011-05-03

Posts: 2

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[Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

Hello,

I have tried installing ArchLinux with the Beginners' Guide under my eyes. What has stuck me is the way the installer presents the file you need to configure.

For each file you choose to edit the installer opens  nano and a new file /mnt/etc/file (file standing for any config file in the installer menu). Yet a /etc/file  exists on the system. Most of them aren't empty, so it's easier to edit them. Also, if you want to fill in the /etc/fstab file I don't know how to do it in another way than, in tty2

ls -lF /dev/disk/by-uuid >> /etc/fstab

because it is quite impossible for me to copy the uuid for each partition. Then I edited the new /etc/fstab as shown in the guide.

So my config files were saved as /etc/file

I probably missed something there since I was unable to set a password for root using the installer menu. The output was an error about chroot.

Probably you need to understand everything about chroot before you can think of installing ArchLinux.

:oops:

Last edited by eeried1 (2011-05-03 14:41:47)

vileperson

Member

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 59

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

I had no idea what chroot even was the first few times I installed Arch. To be honest, I don't think I've ever even had to use it in arch. In crux you have to chroot into your new file system when compiling your kernel during installation, but arch handles all of that magic for you.

[edit] please don't take this as a trolling post. I simply meant to offer encouragement in the fact that having the first clue about things such as "chroot" is not a pre-req. for completing a succesfull Arch install. As you said, you probably just missed something. I suggest following side by side (with discretion of coarse) the begginners guide AND the official instalation guide, as some points may be clearer in one than the other.

Last edited by vileperson (2011-05-03 15:13:21)

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jac

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From: /home/jac

Registered: 2009-05-19

Posts: 431

Website

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

I'm not sure exactly what problem you ran into, but I can offer some explanation on the /mnt/etc versus /etc issue.
The currently running Arch (the one the installer is running on) has it's root in, well / . The place you're installing to is mounted on /mnt, so /mnt/ext is the /ext directory of your new install.
If you edit files from the running live CD, I do not know what will happen.
You're still free to edit the files in tty2, as long as you edit the ones in /mnt/*

eeried1

Member

Registered: 2011-05-03

Posts: 2

Website

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

Many thanks for clearing things up a bit vileperson and jac. I'll give it another try but I seem to remember nano didn't want to save the rc.conf as /mnt/etc/rc.conf and I'm sure I wasn't able to

ls -lF /dev/disk/by-uuid >> mnt/etc/fstab

The output was "mnt/etc/fstab" doesn't exist.

vileperson

Member

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 59

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

If this is a fresh installation using the installer, the locations of the files to be saved should be pre-defined by the installer when attempting to "write out".

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The more I know...
The more I know that I don't know.

ANOKNUSA

Member

Registered: 2010-10-22

Posts: 2,141

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

Are you using pre-defined partitions, or restoring a backup after installation or something?  The Arch installer will automatically configure fstab for you based on your input during the "Configure Block Devices" stage. There's no need to do it manually from another tty while the installer is running.  If you're trying to do something like a bare-metal restore from a separate drive for your /home partition (or some such), just copy down the original UUID and place it in fstab after the installation is finished.

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Linux != Windows  ::  Ask Questions the Smart Way  ::  Configs

hauzer

Member

From: Belgrade, Serbia

Registered: 2010-11-17

Posts: 279

Website

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

Many thanks for clearing things up a bit vileperson and jac. I'll give it another try but I seem to remember nano didn't want to save the rc.conf as /mnt/etc/rc.conf and I'm sure I wasn't able to

ls -lF /dev/disk/by-uuid >> mnt/etc/fstab

The output was "mnt/etc/fstab" doesn't exist.

Shouldn't you add a / before that mnt?

ls -lF /dev/disk/by-uuid >> /mnt/etc/fstab

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frank604

Member

From: BC, Canada

Registered: 2011-04-20

Posts: 1,212

Re: [Installation] config /etc/rc.conf and the like

Hi, I'm a newbie speaking here.  I've never had to create the fstab file as it was auto filled.  On that section of the installer, the only thing I really edit is hostname and go default with the rest.  I just manually edit them once the system reboots though but you should be able to get arch installed and booted up with default init setup.