path: root/content/guide/artixinstall.md

---
title: Artixinstall
date: 2025-10-31T09:36:25+01:00
icon: artix.svg.png
---

> I install Artix Linux with french settings in this guide.

## What is Artix Linux ?

[Artix Linux](https://artixlinux.org/) is a GNU/Linux distribution based on [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/), the key difference between the two distros is the [init system](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Init) you want to use.

Arch Linux only has official support for `systemd`. Artix officially supports `dinit`, `openrc`, `runit`, and `s6`. Of course, the [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/) is still accessible from Artix Linux.

[_Artix Linux uses real init systems, because PID1 must be simple, secure and stable._](https://unixdigest.com/articles/the-real-motivation-behind-systemd.html)

Also, their logo looks really cool.

If you don't know what you are doing when installing Arch or Artix, I recommend you watching/reading other guides too.

[Artix Linux's official installation guide](https://wiki.artixlinux.org/Main/Installation)

## Setup ~optional~ things

### Keymap

If the keymap is wrong, you can change it with the `loadkeys` command.

```sh
loadkeys fr
```

### Connect to Wi-Fi

#### Connmanctl

You first have to unblock wifi and enable the wifi card. Replace `wlan0` with the name of your interface, list them with `ip a`

```sh
rfkill unblock wifi
ip link set wlan0 up
```

Then run `connmanctl` in interactive mode :

```sh
connmanctl
```

Replace `id` with the id of your Wi-Fi

```sh
scan wifi
services
agent on
connect id
```

You can then exit connmanctl, try to ping some website to make sure you're connected to the internet.

#### NetworkManager

To scan the networks around you :

```sh
nmcli device wifi rescan
```

List them :

```sh
nmcli device wifi list
```

Connect to one :

```sh
nmcli device wifi connect SSID --ask
```

(SSID = the name of the Wi-Fi you want to connect to)

## Setup your disk

> The commands in this section will destroy all the data of your disk.

### Make partitions

I like to make a 1G partition for the EFI system and give the rest to the Linux Filesystem. You can use cfdisk instead of fdisk.

My disk name is `nvme0n1`, but you should use `lsblk` to get the name of the disk you want to install Artix Linux on.

```sh
(
echo g
echo n 
echo 1
echo
echo +1G
echo t
echo 1
echo 1
echo n
echo 2
echo
echo
echo w
) | fdisk "/dev/nvme0n1" &> /dev/null
```

Now we must format our partitions

```sh
mkfs.fat -F 32 -n ESP /dev/nvme0n1p1
```

```sh
mkfs.ext4 -L ROOT /dev/nvme0n1p2
```

### Mount the partitions

Now we can mount our partitions to install Artix Linux on the disk.

**It is really important to mount the ROOT partition first and then the ESP partition.**


```sh
mount /dev/disk/by-label/ROOT /mnt
```

```sh
mount --mkdir /dev/disk/by-label/ESP /mnt/boot
```

## Installing Linux

### Basestrap

Use `basestrap` to install linux to your disk. Choose which kernel you want, I chosed `linux` but there is alternatives such as `linux-lts`, `linux-hardened` and others.

I also chose to use `GRUB` for the bootloader and `runit` as my init system.

Replace `neovim` with your favorite, terminal-based text editor.

```sh
basestrap /mnt linux linux-firmware base base-devel grub efibootmgr runit elogind-runit networkmanager-runit git neovim
```

### Fstab

Generate the fstab to tell your system how to mount the disk when your computer boots.

Fstab copies the order in which you mounted your partitions earlier.

```sh
fstabgen -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
```

**You must have all the partitions you configured for Artix Linux in that file !!**

## Artix Chrooting

You can now chroot into your future system.

```sh
artix-chroot /mnt
```

### Basic french config

```sh
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc
echo 'en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8' >> /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen
echo 'LANG=en_US.UTF-8' > /etc/locale.conf
echo -e 'KEYMAP=fr-latin1\nXKBLAYOUT=fr\n' > /etc/vconsole.conf
```

### Setup user and hostname

Give a hostname to your computer (replace `artix` with your hostname) :

```sh
echo 'artix' > /etc/hostname
```

Setup root password :

```sh
passwd
```

Setup user and user password (replace `billy` with your username) :

```sh
useradd -m -G wheel billy
passwd billy
```

### Install GRUB

```sh
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
```

### Reboot

Now you're done, you can `control-d` or `exit` to quit the chrooting and you can then reboot the system.


## Post reboot

### Sudo

First of all, log in as root and uncomment the line starting with `%wheel`. Replace the value of `EDITOR` with the text editor you installed.

```sh
EDITOR=nvim visudo
```

Now you can save and exit, log out, and log in as your user.

### NetworkManager

You lost your Wi-Fi connection if you didn't noticed, you must enable it again.

On `runit` first link the file :

```sh
sudo ln -s /etc/runit/sv/NetworkManager /run/runit/service/
```

You can then start the service :

```sh
sudo sv start NetworkManager
```

To list available Wi-Fi :

```sh
nmcli device wifi list
```

To connect to Wi-Fi : (replace `SSID` with the name of your Wi-Fi)

```sh
nmcli device wifi connect SSID --ask
```

### Brightnessctl

Install the `brightnessctl` package to adjust the screen's brightness (only on laptop, on a desktop you change the brightness of the screen in the screen's settings).

Just in case also add your user to the `video` group.

```sh
sudo usermod -aG video $(whoami)
```

You might be able to change the backlight of your keyboard.

## Repositories

### Omniverse

Artix Linux has special packages like `ungoogled-chromium` in the `omniverse` repository.

Append these lines to `/etc/pacman.conf` if you want to use the `omniverse` repo.

```ini
[omniverse]
Server = https://omniverse.artixlinux.org/$arch
```

### Arch's extra

If you need the `extra` repo from Arch Linux, you can add it too.

First install the support :

```sh
sudo pacman -S artix-archlinux-support
```

Then append these lines to the `/etc/pacman.conf` file :

```ini
[extra]
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist-arch

#[multilib-testing]
#Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist-arch

#[multilib]
#Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist-arch
```

And run

```sh
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux
sudo pacman -Syu
```

~~\~

You might want to uncomment the `Color` and `ParallelDownloads` lines in `/etc/pacman.conf` for a better `pacman` experience overall.

## More ?

For people that use runit : if an app you want to install doesn't come with a `*-runit` package (for example `pipewire`), you can easily write an init script like [zacoons for the `blocky` program](https://codeberg.org/zacoons/dots/src/branch/master/etc/runit/sv/blocky/run).

Links :

- [Luke Smith installing Artix with encryption](https://youtu.be/dI3bGeT31Bo?si=yLPKfu7wPdrk-Z3V)
- [The Runit page in Artix Wiki (learn how to use it)](https://wiki.artixlinux.org/Main/Runit)
- [Artix Linux really cool website again](https://artixlinux.org/)
- [Linux kernels](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel)

You can easily have informations about your kernel like so :

```sh
uname -mrs
```