Arch Linux

ExoticCandy

Member

Registered: 2021-06-24

Posts: 13

[SOLVED] Trying to create an offline installer/image

(I tried my best to find the best category in the forum, if it doesn't belong here, please tell me and ill delete/move asap)

Greetings everyone!
I installed arch for the first time yesterday (was reading the documentations and wiki for almost a week) and managed to get my arch up and  running, and did all the customization i needed. (including packages, themes, network setting)

Im a windows maintainer IRL and there, i have the habit of getting custom images from my installations so i can reinstall using my custom image and jump right into my environment with my customization. And also im not alien to setting up boot loaders and such. (i maintain windows for my clients, but run my own devices on linux)

I tried to find an already made solution on the wiki and reddit and google in general, the only things i found were:
1) remote installation on network, using a pacman cache from another computer. (the most relevant thing i found, but it is not what i need)
2) loading installation iso into swap and installing without a USB pen drive. (which is not my case)
3) and other guides related to installation that all of  them required internet connection.

Basically what I need to do is to make an image file from my root directory, and save that image. then for future installations, load that image on the hard disk and install the boot loader again.
I can write a c++ program to do the imaging process (if tar -zcvf or getting an .iso doesn't do the trick) and the boot loader can be managed with the installer iso

My question:
Is there any solution i have missed on the wiki? if so, i will highly appreciate it if you give me a link so i can read further into the matter.
If there is no solutions already, how should i load my c++ program? and from which stage should i run it? pre chroot or post chroot? (im afraid chroot would lock some system files and i can't open them in read mode anymore)

Any suggestions are welcome! I dont mind writing the script/program myself if necessary, i just need more info on the matter and a bit of guidance

Last edited by ExoticCandy (2021-06-25 14:21:43)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,087

Re: [SOLVED] Trying to create an offline installer/image

Welcome to the boards, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Archiso should be used as the starting point here and be able to be used to do everything you mention here.

ExoticCandy

Member

Registered: 2021-06-24

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] Trying to create an offline installer/image

Thanks!! Youre a life savor, i have no idea why it didn't show up on my google and wiki searchs at all.
Ill read it throughly, try it on virtualbox, and mark this topic as solved if i could do it