Pre-req

apt-get install debootstrap arch-install-scripts

arch-install-scripts is optional and from Vanir, useful for getting all mounts setup before chrooting in.

If you’re going to make an encrypted setup, you’ll also need cryptsetup-bin and lvm2

Do any partitioning, should be easy with gparted.

debootstrapping

Create the mountpoint.

mkdir /target

Mount the partition we intend to be root.

mount /dev/sda1 /target

Debootstrap, enabling all repository components.

debootstrap --components=main,restricted,universe,multiverse xenial /target

The rest of these are helpers from arch-install-scripts. First we generate a basic fstab. we may need to tweak it some, adding errors=remount-ro for your rootfs.

genfstab /target > /target/etc/fstab

Then we chroot into the system, bind mounting /sys, /proc, /dev, etc, etc.

arch-chroot /target bash

chrooted

Install the basics

We now install tasks for the base system, standard system, the desktop (or core if available) task for the desired flavor, then install a kernel and grub2.

In this example we use xubuntu-core, but the choices are varied.

apt-get install minimal^ standard^ xubuntu-core^ linux-generic grub2

This should prompt for you to install grub to the MBR.

Add your admin account

Next up, add your user account.

adduser USER

Then add it to the sudo group if you wish to make it an admin (which you should.)

adduser USER sudo

Apt sources

This is the same sources.list as you’d see in an installed system, sans comments.


/etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial partner

At this point you can do whatever other changes you may want, and should be ready to boot into the new system.

Unit 193 would run his standard bootstrap.sh script to add the Vanir repo and install a few packages.

Now exit the chroot with exit or Ctrl+d

References