Ben's notes

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
{{tag>[archlinux gpt lvm raid1]}}

=====Archlinux - Install using GPT, LVM and RAID1=====

====Boot and remove old partitions, LVM and RAID config====
  * Boot from ISO
  * Remove previous LVM and RAID config.
    * Unmount used filesystems (and swap).
    * Deactivate volume group:<code>vgchange -a n rootvg</code>
    * Remove volume group: <code>vgremove rootvg</code>
    * Remove previous RAID array:<code>
mdadm --zero-superblock /dev/sda
mdadm --zero-superblock /dev/sdb</code>

====Configure network====
  * Configure static networking. Edit /etc/netctl/ethernet-wired, 
  * Start network:<code>netctl start ethernet-static</code>
  * Edit mirrorlist /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.
  * Update package manager database: <code>pacman -Syy</code>

====Create partitions====
When replacing a failed disk of a RAID, the new disk has to be exactly the same size as the failed disk or bigger — otherwise the array recreation process will not work. Even hard drives of the same manufacturer and model can have small size differences. By leaving a little space at the end of the disk unallocated one can compensate for the size differences between drives, which makes choosing a replacement drive model easier. Therefore, it is good practice to leave about 100 MB of unallocated space at the end of the disk.

On a BIOS/GPT configuration a BIOS boot partition is required. GRUB embeds its core.img into this partition. 

  * Install gptfdisk:<code>pacman -S gptfdisk</code>
  * Create a mebibyte {+1MiB with gdisk) BIOS boot partition on both disks with no file system and type ef02. <code>gdisk /dev/sda
o     #create empty new GUID partition table.
n     #add new partition.
1     #partition number 1.
2048  #default first sector.
+1MiB #BIOS boot partition size.
ef02  #partition type.
w     #write changes and exit.</code>
  * Create a partition for software RAID on both disks, leave approx 100MB at end of disk: <code>gdisk /dev/sda
n     #add new partition.
2     #partition number 2.
4096  #default next sector.
+59GB #Partition size.
fd00  #partition type.
w     #write changes and exit.</code>
====Create RAID1 array====

  * Build two device array: <code>mdadm --create --verbose --level=1 --metadata=1.2 --raid-devices=2 /dev/md0 /dev/sda2 /dev/sdb21</code>
  * Monitor status: <code>cat /proc/mdstat</code>
  * Copy array config to config file:<code>mdadm --detail --scan >> /etc/mdadm.conf</code>
  * Assemble the array: <code>mdadm --assemble --scan</code>

====Partition, create VG, LVs and format the filesystem device====
  * Create LVM partition on RAID1 device<code>gdisk /dev/md0
o      #create empty new GUID partition table.
n      #add new partition.
1      #partition number 1.
2048   #default first sector.
<last> #LVM partition size.
8e00   #LVM partition type.
w      #write changes and exit.</code>
  * Install lvm2: <code>pacman -S lvm2</code>
  * Create LVM physical volume: <code>lvmdiskscan
pvcreate /dev/md0p1
pvdisplay</code>
  * Create volume group:<code>vgcreate vg_raid /dev/md0p1
vgdisplay</code>
  * Create logical volumes:<code>lvcreate -L 8G vg_raid -n lv_root
lvcreate -L 1G vg_raid -n lv_home
lvcreate -L 4G vg_raid -n lv_var
lvcreate -L 500M vg_raid -n lv_boot
lvcreate -L 2G vg_raid -n lv_swap</code>
  * Enable swap: <code>mkswap /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_swap
swapon /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_swap
free</code>
  * Format filesystems:<code>mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_root
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_home
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_var
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_boot

</code>


====Mount partitions====
  * Mount partitions: <code>mount /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_root /mnt
mkdir -p /mnt/{home,var,boot}
mount /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_home /mnt/home
mount /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_var /mnt/var
mount /dev/mapper/vg_raid-lv_boot /mnt/boot</code>

====Start installation====
  * Install Archlinux! <code>pacstrap /mnt base</code>


====Configure the system====
  * Create fstab: <code>genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab</code>
  * Copy RAID config: <code>mdadm --detail --scan >> /mnt/etc/mdadm.conf</code>
  * Copy network config: <code>cp /etc/netctl/ethernet-static /mnt/etc/netctl</code>
  * Chroot: <code>arch-chroot /mnt</code>
  * Configure network:<code>netctl enable ethernet-static</code>
  * Set hostname: <code>echo computer_name > /etc/hostname</code>
  * Link correct time zone: <code>ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/zone/subzone /etc/localtime</code>
  * Uncomment locales in /etc/locale.gen, then run: <code>locale-gen</code>
  * Configure locale: <code>echo LANG=your_locale > /etc/locale.conf</code>
  * Edit /etc/mkinitcpio.conf:<code> HOOKS="base udev autodetect block mdadm_udev lvm2 filesystems usbinput fsck"</code>
  * Create a new initial RAM disk: <code>mkinitcpio -p linux</code>
  * Set root password:<code>passwd root</code>
  * Install additional tools: <code>pacman -S gdisk</code>

====Install boot loader=====
Make sure you have chrooted into the installed system before installing grub.
  * Install grub: <code>pacman -S grub
grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck --debug /dev/sda
grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck --debug /dev/sdb
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg</code>


====Reboot====
  * Exit chroot, unmount filesystem:<code>exit
umount -R /mnt</code>
  * Reboot.

====Post install====
  * Install OpenSSH:<code>pacman -S openssh
systemctl enable sshd.service
systemctl start sshd.service
useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash benst
passwd <localuser></code>
  * Disable SSH root login, edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and restart sshd.
  * Install additional packages:<code>pacman -S dnsutils hdparm smartmontools htop</code>
  * Enable TRIM for SSDs
    * LVM: set issue_discards option from 0 to 1 in /etc/lvm/lvm.conf.
    * Filesystem: Add 'discard' option in /etc/fstab.
  * Check SSD firmware voor Crucial M4: <code> smartctl --all /dev/sda
</code>
  * Install and configure mail forwarder: <code>pacman -S ssmtp
# vi /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf
# chmod 640 /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf
# chown root:mail /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf
# gpasswd -a <mainuser> mail

# # Test
# echo test | mail -v -s "testing ssmtp setup" tousername@somedomain.com</code>
  * RAID monitoring: <code># vi /etc/mdadm.conf #add email address
mdadm --monitor --scan -1 --test # test email
systemctl start mdmonitor.service</code>
  * Install and configure NTP:<code>pacman -S ntp
vi /etc/ntp.conf
systemctl enable ntpd.service
systemctl start ntpd.service
ntpq -p</code>
  * Configure firewall.
  * Disable IPv6 if not needed.