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This document is a WORK IN PROGRESS.
This is just a quick personal cheat sheet: treat its contents with caution!

This document does not replace the official NixOS installation guide

NixOS installation

TODO

Note

In this cheat sheet, one or multiple Linux distributions (distros) can already be installed on other partitions: they will be preserved and still available through grub.

Note

In this cheat sheet, the installation process is compatible with a virtual machine (VM). In this case, you might be interested in those cheat sheets:

Note

In this cheat sheet, UEFI won't be used as a bootloader, like described here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EFISTUB, the bootloader used here is GRUB2 (or grub for short) but it could be anything else you want.

Reference(s)

Table of contents

1.0 Prerequisites

Tip

After booting on the USB drive, you can easily get an Ethernet connection to internet, but don't forget to setup a proxy if needed, e.g. $ export http_proxy="http://10.100.6.193:8080" and $ export https_proxy="http://10.100.6.193:8080". Remember that in this case: ping may not work!

Tip

If the keyboard layout feels wrong, it can be changed like so: 

# loadkeys fr # e.g. switch the keyboard layout to French (or any other language) if needed

Tip

If you want to resize a partition in order to make some place for another partition (e.g. to install NixOS in dual-boot with another distro), then you can refer to this cheat sheet about partitioning with gnome-parted after booting on the USB drive.

Useful documentations for the installation

Tip

The NixOS manual is available by running $ nixos-help.

Tip

You are logged-in automatically as NixOS. The NixOS user account has an empty password so you can use sudo without a password: $ sudo -i.

Tip

If you downloaded the graphical ISO image, you can run $ systemctl start display-manager to start the desktop environment. If the text is too small to be legible, try $ setfont ter-v32n to increase the font size.

2.0 Preparing the disks: partitioning, formatting and mounting

Here you have a choice to make: either go GPT+(U)EFI or go MBR+BIOS.

What I recommend is to go MBR+BIOS only if you have a very old computer (in this case make sure it is not UEFI compatible) or if you use a virtual machine (VM). Else go GPT+(U)EFI.

Warning

You might already have a Linux distro installed on another partition, in this case make sure to NOT override it when partitioning. As described at the end of this cheat sheet, the os-prober tool will find this partition and make it also available through grub.

GPT (not MBR) and (U)EFI (not BIOS) partitioning, formatting and mounting

Here, the tool used to partition the disks is gdisk:

Check which disk to partition with the # lsblk command. Here, the disk to partition will be called /dev/sdx.

Two or three partitions will be created on sdx:

  • sdx1 : UEFI ESP boot (512 Mo)

  • sdx2 : Linux Swap (OPTIONAL when ram > 8-16 Go, but necessary to hibernate, in this case you need as much swap as ram)

  • sdx3 : Linux File system main (home + root)

But first, backup your partition table: 

# sfdisk -d /dev/disk > disk.dump

Tip

If you want to restore your partition table later, run: # sfdisk /dev/disk < disk.dump

Then proceed: 

# gdisk /dev/sdx # gpt partitioning (alternative : parted)
    > ? # list all commands
    > p # list all partitions
    > d # delete a partition

    > o # create a new empty GPT partition table
        > Y # validate new empty GPT (⚠️ delete all pre-existing partitions)

    > n # create a new partition (boot partition)
        > # enter to leave default part number (1 for sdx1)
        > # enter to leave default first sector
        > +512M # specify a 512Mo partition size
        > ef00 # specify an EFI System boot partition type

    > n # create new partition (optional swap)
        > # enter to leave default part number (2 for sdx2)
        > # enter to leave default first sector
        > +16384M # specify a 16Go (ram size) partition size
        > 8200 # specify a Linux Swap partition type

    > n # create new partition
        > # enter to leave default part number (3 for sdx3)
        > # enter to leave default first sector
        > # enter to get all the space left
        > 8300 #specify a Linux Filesystem partition type

    > p # print the table to ensure that it is correct

    > w # write the table, validate all previous actions and quit
        > Y # validate new table

Format and mount the partitions: 

# mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/sdx1          # fat32 for EFI System boot
# mkfs.ext4 -L MAIN /dev/sdx3       # ext4 for Linux Filesystem

# mkswap -L SWAP /dev/sdx2          # ONLY IF a swap partion has been previously created
# swapon /dev/sdx2                  # mount swap

# mkdir -p /mnt/artix
# mount /dev/sdx3 /mnt/artix        # mount main partition

# mkdir -p /mnt/artix/boot
# mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt/artix/boot   # mount boot partition

MBR (not GPT) and BIOS (not (U)EFI) partitioning, formatting and mounting

Here, the tool used to partition the disks is fdisk:

Check which disk to partition with the # lsblk command (for a virtual machine it will probably be /dev/sda, or /dev/vda), here the disk to partition will be called /dev/sdx.

One or two partitions will be created on sdx:

  • sdx1 : Linux Swap (OPTIONAL when ram > 8-16 Go, but necessary to hibernate, in this case you need as much swap as ram)

  • sdx2 : Linux File system main (home + root)

But first, backup your partition table: 

# sfdisk -d /dev/disk > disk.dump

Tip

If you want to restore your partition table later, run: # sfdisk /dev/disk < disk.dump

Then proceed: 

# fdisk /dev/sdx
    > m # help screen

    > o # create a new empty MBR partition table

    > n # create a new partition: the Linux Filesystem main partition
        > # press enter to leave default partition type: primary
        > # press enter to leave default partition number: 1
        > # press enter to leave default first sector: 2048
        > -8G # OPTIONAL leave 8Go for the SWAP or just press enter to leave default last sector
        > Y # remove signature if any

    > a # toogle the bootable flag
        > # press enter to leave default bootable partition: 1

    > n # [OPTIONAL] create a new partition: the SWAP partition
        > # press enter to leave default partition type: primary
        > # press enter to leave default partition number: 2
        > # press enter to leave default first sector
        > # press enter to leave default last sector

        > t # change the partition type of the SWAP from default "Linux" to "Linux swap / Solaris"
        > 2 # select the partition number of the SWAP
        > 82 # enter the hex code of the "Linux swap / Solaris"

    > w # write the table to the disk and exit

Format and mount the partitions: 

# mkfs.ext4 -L MAIN /dev/sdx1 # ext4 for Linux Filesystem

# mkswap -L SWAP /dev/sdx2    # optional: ONLY IF a swap partion has been previously created
# swapon /dev/sdx2            # optional: ONLY IF a swap partion has been previously created

# mkdir -p /mnt/artix
# mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt/artix  # mount main partition


$ nixos-help

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