Arch Linux

Ishrak

Member

Registered: 2024-04-09

Posts: 6

Install Arch on another partition to use it as an isolated environment

Greetings.

I want to install arch in another partition on the same disk I have my real Arch system, basically to try apps in it through arch-chroot, so that I have an isolated environment to work with and not breaking my system.

I've already tried it, it works. But what packages are necessary to install there. Do I have to install firmware or the kernel, as I've read that arch-chroot uses the same kernel as the main system.

As I can repartition the partition I want to install the testing os, if anything breaks there, I can just do that.

As a young lad, any help would be wonderful...

jonno2002

Member

Registered: 2016-11-21

Posts: 855

Re: Install Arch on another partition to use it as an isolated environment

try systemd nspawn
its what i use for anything using wine or anything i want seperate from my main system , works really well when setup correctly, uses the host systems kernel and Xorg (dont use wayland but assume that will work too).
i can play games using bluetooth controller no problems

here are my configs so you can get an idea of whats going on:
/etc/systemd/nspawn/container.nspawn

[Exec]
Boot=1
PrivateUsers=no

[Files]
BindReadOnly=/tmp/.X11-unix
Bind=/dev/dri
Bind=/dev/shm

# input
Bind=/dev/input

# pulseaudio
Bind=/run/user/1000/pulse:/run/user/host/pulse

# alsa
Bind=/dev/snd
Bind=/dev/dsp

BindReadOnly=/home/User/Downloads
BindReadOnly=/home/User/games
BindReadOnly=/var/cache/pacman/pkg

[Network]
VirtualEthernet=no

/etc/systemd/system/systemd-nspawn\@.service.d/override.conf

[Service]
DeviceAllow=/dev/dri/card0 rw
DeviceAllow=/dev/dri/renderD128 rw
DeviceAllow=char-usb_device rwm 
DeviceAllow=char-input rwm 
DeviceAllow=char-alsa rwm 

and an example of a game launcher script which launches the conatiner, kills picom, starts the game, waits for it to finish then stops the container and starts picom, this could be used for any program or game.

#!/bin/bash
xhost +local:
sudo machinectl start container
sleep 2
pkill picom
sudo machinectl shell user@container ~/game.sh
wait
picom -b
sudo machinectl poweroff container
xhost -local:
exit 0

i have other scripts for launching/closing the container too if your interested.