Partition Disk and Install 32bit Arch Linux

1. Create usb install key:

   $ dd bs=4M if=warez/archlinux-2014.04.01-dual.iso of=/dev/sdb && sync

2. Startup laptop with usb key and select "Boot Arch Linux (i686)";

3. Connect wifi:

   wpa_supplicant -B -i wlp5s0 -c <(wpa_passphrase TP-LINK_PocketAP_8344C2 py25)

   dhcpcd wlp5s0

4. Partition disk:

   sgdisk --zap-all /dev/sda

   cgdisk /dev/sda // create 20G, 50G, 20G, 50G, 20G, 50G, 20G, 50G, 105G, totally 9 partitions

   // This is a gpt partition, where can't install Windows, because Windows only support MBR partition

   parted /dev/sda print // print the partition tables

   mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1

   mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2

   lsblk -f // display the current partition layout

5. Mount partition:

   mount /dev/sda1 /mnt

   mkdir /mnt/home

   mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/home

6. Select a mirror:

   vi /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

7. Install the base system: (so cool~)

   pacstrap -i /mnt base

8. Create fstab and chroot:

   genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

   arch-chroot /mnt /bin/bash

9. Set locale:

   vi /etc/locale.gen // uncomment en_US.UTF-8 & zh_CN.UTF-8

   locale-gen

   echo LANG=en_US.UTF-8 > /etc/locale.conf

   export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

   setfont Lat2-Terminus16 (optional)

10. Set time zone:

    ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/Hongkong /etc/localtime // now date command will give corrent time

    hwclock --systohc --utc

11. Set hostname:

    echo blackpad > /etc/hostname

    vi /etc/hosts

12. Config wireless (modify the wireless name based on your machine):

    pacman -S iw wpa_supplicant dialog wpa_actiond

    systemctl enable netctl-auto@wlp5s0.service

13. Set root passwd:

    passwd

14. Install and configure a bootloader:

    pacman -S gptfdisk

    pacman -S syslinux // install syslinux boot loader because we create gpt partition earlier. Install grub will produce an error.

    syslinux-install_update -i -a -m

    vi /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg // modify "APPEND root=/dev/sda1 rw" in "LABEL arch" section

15. Shutdown, unplugged usb key and restart laptop;

16. Start wifi connection:

    wifi-menu wlp5s0 // get interface name with iw dev

Choose a SSID, enter the key, press "OK", then you can see "Interface wlp5s0 is controlled by netctl-auto", use ip addr or ping ... to verify network.

1. Install SSH service:

   pacman -Syu openssh

   systemctl start sshd

   systemctl enable sshd.service

Install the second System

1. Start laptop with YUMI usb key;

2. Startup a openSUSE 13.1 live dvd, install system on /dev/sda3 and /dev/sda4, reboot;

3. startup laptop, it prints: multiple active partitions, start failed;

4. Startup labtop with Arch USB key, delete openSUSE partitions, reboot, Arch is back;

5. Startup a CentOS live DVD, install system on /dev/sda3 and /dev/sda4, rebuild boot loader, reboot;

6. Startup laptop, only CentOS can start, it print "boot error" when choose "Arch Linux" to start;

7. Startup labtop with Arch USB key, delete CentOS partitions, reboot, only a GNU Grub command line;

This experiment failed.

Install i3

# useradd -m -s /usr/bin/bash chad
# pacman -S xorg-server xorg-server-utils xorg-xinit
# pacman -S dmenu i3
# pacman -S gnome     // this big one (almost 1GB) is necessary, only gnome-shell can't work
# pacman -S xf86-video-intel xf86-input-synaptics
// video and touchpad driver, there will be a "could not open module intel" error without them
// they take effect after installation without reboot
# su - chad
$ echo "exec i3" >  ~/.xinitrc
$ startx

Install Chinese IM

# pacman -S ibus-libpinyin
# su - chad
$ ibus-setup

Then select "Chinese - Intelligent Pinyin" under "Input Method" tab, and click "Preferences" to customize it. The package "ibus-sunpinyin" is OK, too. "ibus-pinyin" can't work properly. "ibus-rime" can only input traditional Chinese.