Artix re−installation

Last updated : 29/11/2025 (Initial commit − seems like author's not dropping stubs for once)

− Introduction −

− Installation −
Pre−chroot
Basic configurations
Bootloader (Limine / efibootmgr)
base−devel, but doas instead of sudo
Post−chroot
Post install setup
Conclusion − entering the graphical environment
− Known issues −

Introduction

News flash − my Artix installation was FUBAR at the start of November, causing me to reinstall it from scratch. However, this reinstallation also came with some changes, most of which can be nutshelled as the Chapman excuse (simplify and add lightness?).

Replaced sudo with opendoas.
Replaced GRUB with Limine.
LightDM replaced by LXDM. I could've spun the Chapman excuse but lightdm decided to not boot (leaving me in tty to startx every time) and I couldn't be bothered to debug it so... yeah. pacman −R lightdm−openrc lightdm−gtk−greeter.

And while I'm at it, I also recorded the installation notes so I get to spin this newsflash thing as a guide for how I (re−)installed Artix. Though you may also want to read this alongside Artix's installation guide (and ArchWiki as well, even if few are relevant here) for more references.

For some additional references:

Commands get bolded, simply because I couldn't bother myself to make dedicated boxes for commands.
Italics applied to stuff you get to freely name.
This install guide is aimed at my T470, which is on UEFI. Secure Boot is also disabled as I couldn't bother dealing with it.

Base installation

To start, I go from the base image, mostly because it gives me the most control over what I install and the dependencies I needed to install, freeing me from having to debloat and wasting more time with everything. Unfortunately, this approach requires internet access (though the workplace had a free ethernet setup that I used, alongside what little downtime I had to input things.).

After downloading and verifying the base image, I used Rufus to write it (the base image) into a USB drive in DD mode (from my Windows installation up in the abode; other methods are available for those refusing Windows). From there (and in the workplace), well... I plug that USB drive (and ethernet) up my T470 and booted that base image.

Pre−chroot

Partitioning a 256GB (238.5GB) NVME stick (skip if already done, or if you have your own partitioning setup)

lsblk

cfdisk /dev/nvme0n1 (cfdisk can be replaced with fdisk or some other partitioning tool)

nvme0n1p1 − 512M (boot)
nvme0n1p2 − 8G (swap)
nvme0n1p3 − 30G (/)
nvme0n1p4 − 200G (home)

Formatting partitions

mkfs.fat −F 32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
fatlabel /dev/nvme0n1p1 ESP
mkswap −L SWAP /dev/nvme0n1p2
mkfs.ext4 −L ROOT /dev/nvme0n1p3
mkfs.ext4 −L HOME /dev/nvme0n1p4
This part should've been saved for disk encryptions (dm−crypt), but as I haven't got time to encrypt on my reinstallation (and I haven't learned it yet) I skipped it.

Mounting stuff

swapon /dev/nvme0n1p2
mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot
mkdir /mnt/home
mount /dev/nvme0n1p4 /mnt/home
If done following this guide, lsblk on nvme0n1 should look a bit like this:

nvme0n1p1 − 512M /boot
nvme0n1p2 − 8G [SWAP]
nvme0n1p3 − 30G /
nvme0n1p4 − 200G /home

Basestrap (installing base system, kernel, firmware, and tty text editor)

basestrap /mnt base elogind−$init intel−ucode linux−firmware linux−zen nano

elogind−$init

With elogind insisting on being installed before init, installing base without elogind enforces a random init to be installed alongside elogind. The last time it happened, I am stuck with dinit (which apparently is the lightest init system)
As for the init, I settled on OpenRC out of familiarity (and the added possibility of finding fixes from Gentoo). Artix Wiki has resources for the other 3 provided init tools (dinit, runit, s6).

intel−ucode

linux−zen

Generate fstab (make sure to check it and note your root UUID for later)

fstabgen −U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

chrooting (a.k.a. moving on to the next sections)

artix−chroot /mnt

Basic configurations

For everything else that is not as relevant as doas & Limine (at least when it comes to my priorities, because configs are smooth sailing after those 2... or before.)

Locale

nano /etc/locale.gen
Uncomment your desired locales
Generate your uncommented locales

locale−gen

Networking

pacman −S connman−openrc dhcpcd−openrc wpa_supplicant
rc−update add connmand
nano /etc/hostname

hostname

nano /etc/hosts

hostname

Because I used OpenRC, I should add hostname to /etc/conf.d/hostname

hostname

Time setup

ln −sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/region/city /etc/localtime
hwclock −−systohc
(insert something about network time setup?)

Passwording root account and adding new basic user account (that you will use daily)

passwd
useradd −m username
passwd username

Bootloader (Limine / efibootmgr)

For the bootloader, I originally tried rEFInd out; but I didn't have any luck booting into the system (it always ended with the system stuck in emergency shell, forcing me to manually shutdown the computer) and I didn't really like the splash screen (bright white as default?). So I ended up fucking around with Limine (and eventually succeeded in booting into system, freeing me from the bloat GRUB could've brought).

pacman −S limine efibootmgr
nano /etc/fstab (check fstab, note down root UUID)
mkdir −p /boot/EFI/artixlimine
cp /usr/share/limine/BOOTX64.EFI /boot/EFI/artixlimine
Create a limine.conf file

nano /boot/EFI/artixlimine/limine.conf

personal limine.conf sample with some added notes

(optional) Make a pacman hook to redeploy Limine after it is updated

mkdir −p /etc/pacman.d/hooks
nano /etc/pacman.d/hooks/99−limine.hook (sample)

Use efibootmgr to create an entry in NVRAM and allow system to boot, as Limine does not automatically do so.

efibootmgr −−create −−disk /dev/nvme0n1 −−part 1 −−label "Artix Limine" −−loader '\EFI\artixlimine\BOOTX64.EFI' −−unicode

Additional notes

I am aware that Limine also comes with its own limine−install command, though ArchWiki only recommends it for non−compliant UEFI boards that don't work with efibootmgr.

base−devel, but doas instead of sudo

pacman −S opendoas autoconf automake bison debugedit fakeroot flex gcc git groff libtool m4 make patch pkgconf texinfo which

Everything else aside from opendoas are basically base−devel, except we do not install base−devel because it forces sudo in.

Set up makepkg so it asks for doas instead of the absent sudo or using su (and using the root account password instead of your user password)

nano /etc/makepkg.conf

Configure doas.conf for username (sample .conf)

nano /etc/doas.conf

Post−chroot

At this point, Artix is configured and installed so you can enter your new system.

exit
umount −R /mnt
reboot

Post install setup

In the new system, you can log in as the user account, if you made them.

X(libre) and its accompanying drivers

# pacman −S xlibre $video_drivers

XFCE

# pacman −S xfce4 $favorite_fonts $favorite_themes

file management

$ nano .xinitrc

LXDM

# pacman −S lxdm−openrc
# rc−update add lxdm
# nano /etc/lxdm/lxdm.conf (list of relevant changes)

File management

# pacman −S gvfs thunar−archive˒plugins xarchiver $archive_file

Core (important) applications / apps / programs

Geany, GIMP, Parole, Ristretto (all of which are in Artix repositories)

# pacman −S geany gimp parole ristretto

Pale Moon (gtk3−bin)
As for anything else... the ones on Arch repo but not Artix can be dealt with after setting up artix−archlinux−support.

Audio (well, Pulseaudio for now since I haven't figured the others out)

# pacman −S pulseaudio xfce4−pulseaudio−plugin
PulseAudio configuration (sample)

nano ~/.config/pulse/daemon.conf

Kernel hardening? (sample sysctl.conf)

Conclusion − entering the graphical environment

With all basic configurations done, now we boot to our graphical environment.

$ startx

And that's about it. If everything is done rightly, we're in the desktop, ready to tamper it to our specifications. And/or restore the old configurations copied over from the old installation if you had a copy.

Known issues

Limine issues?

Not much... aside from several instances of M.S.I., such as kernel panics (typos in limine.conf) or system not booting (I pointed efibootmgr to wrong directories); all of which is my fault.

Issues with doas replacing sudo

"Authorization is required but no authorization protocol specified" (or some similar−sounding report)

source

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