Universal Arch Linux KDE?

bivan · Yesterday 21:49:25

Is it possible to install the universal Arch Linux KDE that can run on every x86-64 PCs? With some packages?

Yes there's archlinux-x86_64.iso but it's only CLI, for installing.

Last edited by bivan (Yesterday 23:24:33)

5hridhyan · Yesterday 22:05:13

So you are asking about a portable persistent Arch installation...?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?ti … ble_medium
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Migrat … w_hardware

and yeah, it should work on most x86-64 PCs, but not literally every machine, like moving the same installation between machines can require adjustments for things like GPUs, networking, audio, boot/UEFI configuration, etc...

cryptearth · Yesterday 22:22:09

the question hint towards some form of adapter - like some card reader or usb drive enclosure
although possible i'd recommend against such - and for sd specifically cause of a DE puts quite a heavy load - even good usb3.0 thumbdrives can struggle to keep up
as for external drive enclosures: i wouldn't trust them any further than i could throw them

does it work? yes, i have such a thumbdrive - but it's performance is quite sluggish, although it's a flash storage and hence should somewhat compare to a ssd - the bottleneck is usb which is likely true for most setups - unless one uses a directly exposed pci-e link for a nvme and not rely on any usb in between

bivan · Yesterday 23:32:02

Well forgive "removable drive", I edited my 1st post, e.g. the SSD can be soldered on the motherboard & you can change e.g. the GPU.

Last edited by bivan (Today 08:10:43)

cryptearth · Today 00:07:38

to quote a mod of another forum, many years ago

don't edit your post after people have replied to it - it makes thier replies look stupid

to reiterate what was OPs initial question: it was phrased in a "portable" way - the os installed on removable media
the now edited version no longer contains this point - which now makes the previous replies look out of place

@mods: if possible please restore the original wording or at least add it as quote so the original question and the given replies make sense again

but even then the initial question is still way to broad - and the new one no longer fits it
with the intent of the original question about how to setup a portable os that works both on legacy bios and uefi the way the install iso works: you have to setup a bootloader for each option, like grub or syslinux

as for the new question about changing hardware: as long as you don't disturb the boot mechanism changing hardware shouldn't (tm) affect the os (most common error is the boot sequence somehow gets disturbed and hence the boot either fails at switch root or not even able to start the bootloader)

also: KDE is just ONE of possible MANY DEs - and in fact are detached from the base os and hardware

however: you very well can run into issues if you configure the os hardware specific like installing some specific version of nvidia drivers only supporting a narrow range of nvid gpus
such likely won't stop the os from booting but would likely cause "no image"

tl;dr: both the original and the new question are broad and ambigous hardly able to answer other than "in general, yes" or "it depends"

seth · Today 08:06:11

I assume this is either about https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … ble_medium or https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Archiso
Have you read those?

bivan · Today 08:33:08

cryptearth sorry... But editing my 1st post, now it's both soldered SSD & removable drive, no matter.

UEFI & Legacy: indeed I had a now defunct old HP x86-64 laptop Legacy BIOS: MBR & only max 4 partitions... So is it possible both UEFI (using a ESP) & Legacy, with GPT so not limited to 4 partitions? I googled without finding, maybe I should create a new topic. btw I use an UKI: efi/boot/bootx64.efi .

KDE is historically the 1st Linux DE, & imo the best, fully configurable, contrary to that ignoble GNOME, but ok why not Xfce etc.

seth yes I read.

E.g. the GPU: my universal Arch Linux KDE, I change the GPU from Nvidia to AMD: so both installing nvidia-open & linux-firmware-amdgpu , is it possible?

Last edited by bivan (Today 09:02:04)

GerBra · Today 08:48:44

What is your ultimate goal with this kind of setup?
Describe a few situations in which you want to use it.

Is this just for you?

bivan · Today 09:01:36

Instead of installing Arch Linux KDE on different PCs, just unplug the SSD with the universal Arch Linux KDE from a PC to plug to another, or if soldered SSD: just copy-paste.

I travel around the world: instead of carrying a laptop with Arch Linux KDE, I can just carrying a SD card with the universal Arch Linux KDE, to plug to any PC.

GerBra · Today 09:48:01

The main problem with this approach is probably not knowing what to expect.

Nvidia GPUs come to mind first and foremost. Different models require different driver versions (nvidia|nvidia-open; older models need versions from the AUR).
I would therefore recommend using `nouveau` for these GPUs in the Travel installation (so that this kernel module is used when an Nvidia GPU is detected). And only install the `nvidia-XYZ` driver that matches the hardware on-site in specific cases, if needed—either temporarily on your Travel installation or on the target device.

UEFI/BIOS: I'm not sure I'd spend time on that. Most systems are likely to be UEFI; for all others, there's simply the Arch Linux installation/repair media, for example, or another bootable ISO like grml, etc.

//Edit: also keep relying on the linux-firmware meta-package, also both intel and amd microcode microcode packages. Install also the lts-kernel as a alternative boot kernel.
Test it!!!! On different hardware...

> Just copy and paste.
"Paste" isn't a way to "clone" a system in any way. Only "copy" is relevant, either at the file level or at the partition/hard drive level.
To "clone" your "setup," the easier way might be:
- Install all the packages you explicitly installed on Travel on the target device (i.e., a “clean install”)
- Then copy the relevant parts from /etc on Travel (handle items like fstab separately due to UUIDs, etc.)
- Copy the /home/youruser directory from Travel to the new installation

> I travel around the world ... to plug into any PC.
If you can find people who’ll willingly let you use their computer—whether it’s with an external boot device or even a screwdriver—then have fun...
If your travels ever brought you to my house, you wouldn’t be able to get access to my PCs... <g>

//Edit2: Check out the two links that 5hridhyan already shared with you in Post #2 and learn from them.

//Edit3 (LAST edit): Keep in mind that your Travel installation will get modified on each different hardware. Also your $HOME configurations. Therefor most universal boot media are on an non-volatile medium, like DVDs.
If I were you i would use a setup on travel where i would be able to restore my travel installation to the same state before plugging it to any other device. Something like taking snapshots or backup/restore procedures. For the system level and your $HOME level.

Last edited by GerBra (Today 10:22:16)

seth · Today 10:24:07

So https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … ble_medium

You can of course install (almost) all drivers an firmwares you want, this is even kinda common for hybrid GPU systems, part of every iso so I'm not sure why you'd even ask.
Ultimately it's just files lying around untill they're loaded (what you can impact at boot time)
The biggest obstacle indeed being the different versions of the nvidia ones that are mutually exclusive and cover different hardware.
But you can still install one and then dynamically deactivate it in favor of the parallel existing nouveau if need be.

Fwiw, MBR is NOT limited to 4 partitions, but 4 primary partitions - you can use an extended one to overcome that.

About the proposed scenario, that's not necessarily part of my reality either…

bivan · Today 11:22:12

Oh why don't you want I use your PCs? Villains

archlinux-x86_64.iso , I did pacman -Q nvidia-open then linux-firmware-amdgpu : only the latter installed.

Yes now in 2026 the old x86-64 PCs Legacy BIOS are likely destroyed, recycled to new better PCs...

About microcodes: e.g. my PC the microcode can be updated by BIOS update, so no need amd-ucode package (I've AMD CPU).

Indeed e.g. https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-430xx dependencies: nvidia-430xx-utils etc, https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-430xx-utils conflicts: nvidia-utils etc but https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x8 … idia-open/ dependencies: nvidia-utils etc so conflict, so it can be conflicts about drivers, argh, so adios the universal Arch Linux KDE...
Or the max to do is to install, pacstrap all the drivers packages without conflicting each others, & save the conflicting drivers packages .pkg.tar.zst to a folder, then if new PC needing a conflicting driver: I uninstall such driver package then I install such driver package.

When I was on Debian, I used nouveau: a disaster, I can try https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x8 … n-nouveau/ but I'm afraid...

Last edited by bivan (Today 11:28:20)

GerBra · Today 12:20:09

> argh, so adios the universal Arch Linux KDE...

Why give up so easily? As others have already mentioned, you can always install (or reinstall) special (“accelerated”) NVIDIA drivers if you need them.

Another approach (which is why I’m adding this) would be:
A virtual machine image(and the config of this machine) containing “your” Arch Linux.
Advantages:
- Works on any hardware
- Can be used on any system where a virtualization solution is installed or can be installed. VirtualBox, for example, works with many different operating systems.
- Having your Linux as an “image” with you on the go also eliminates the need to worry about “changes” to the setup. You always have the original image, and most virtualization solutions offer their own non-volatile snapshots.

cryptearth · Today 12:30:37

well ... you do you ... to me this topic: yes, it can be done with a usb thumbdrive - but not in the way you want to - mostly because of nvidia gpus and laptops with gpu switching - which i can't think of an "universal" "in-place portable" setup
overall this has XY written all over: you have some problem - somehow came up with a honestly not ao good idea - and now try to force your way throught it no matter what
this topic isn't really about the IF or HOW - but rather "help me implement MY idea" - and as of now the only honest answer one should give you: just don't - there simply just is no such thing as a "universal working everywhere oneshot solution" just because of the vast number of different hardware produced since the iconic amd athlon 64
personal i recommend you either seek some small and cheap laptop - or at the very least some small form factor mini pc - and use that instead - because it's way easier to get a set of peripherals (keyboard, screen) instead of someone willing to allow you to use thier hardware with an external boot medium
with that idea i wouldn't let you near my hardware

but, ok, from how this started and where we are now i'm likely talking to a brick wall

5hridhyan · Today 12:44:40

Have you used NixOS or at least heard about its philosophy?

You could make a script that detects the machine's hardware and installs/removes the appropriate drivers accordingly, same as installing and configuring your dots, envs, software, etc. I assume you're not expecting to literally boot the same setup on every x86-64 machine that happens to exist, but on PCs you actually own or have permission to use. That narrows the hardware configurations to a finite set, and you can maintain a separate configuration/setup for each one.

As cryptearth pointed out earlier, running a full-blown DE from an SD card or thumb drive probably isn't going to be worth the performance trade-off anyway.
I'd carry the OS configuration/recipe rather than the OS itself, and build the installation on the target machine.

bivan · Today 13:43:32

Strange, I don't receive email notification for the last 2 posts.

I asked Gemini my principal question: https://share.gemini.google/z3CpPpPhQOQP it say yes, "mkinitcpio uses a feature called autodetect. This intentionally shrinks the boot image by only including the specific drivers needed for the PC you are currently installing from..." interesting.

Oh: I checked the microcode version https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Microc … ode_update : I've 0x800820e , https://gitlab.com/kernel-firmware/linu … ode/README it's 0x0800820d , not up to date...

I don't like VM, I prefer native, more efficient.

I haven't used NixOS, because of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NixOS#Rep … igurations ? It's not rolling release, Arch is the best no? https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_is_the_best

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=149391 still not?

I said SD card as example, maybe better external USB-C SSD ok...

Arch Linux

#1 Yesterday 21:49:25

Universal Arch Linux KDE?

#2 Yesterday 22:05:13

Re: Universal Arch Linux KDE?

#3 Yesterday 22:22:09

Re: Universal Arch Linux KDE?

#4 Yesterday 23:32:02

Re: Universal Arch Linux KDE?

#5 Today 00:07:38

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#6 Today 08:06:11

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#7 Today 08:33:08

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#8 Today 08:48:44

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#9 Today 09:01:36

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#10 Today 09:48:01

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#11 Today 10:24:07

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#12 Today 11:22:12

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#13 Today 12:20:09

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#14 Today 12:30:37

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