Archlinux32 specific installation notes

abaumann · 2020-02-28 16:28:46

* On machine with little memory, set iommu=off in your kernel boot parameters to get some extra 64 MB RAM back.
* When creating an ext4-filesystem switch off the 64-bit option if you don't have big harddisks (which you usually don't
have on those machines anyway): mkfs.ext4 -O ^64bit /dev/sda1

levi · 2020-02-28 20:40:54

What is the partition limit for 32-bit ext4? I should probably remake my partitions when I jiggle them about to get my /usr off this 7.9GB disc, but I'm wondering about my 105GB /home/ partition

abaumann · 2020-02-29 13:34:17

The limit is aro0und 15 TB, what I read. And it seems only have been added to make some old boot loaders compatible with ext4.
I can't say I saw some differences in speed.

egils · 2020-08-31 21:59:17

abaumann wrote:

* When creating an ext4-filesystem switch off the 64-bit option if you don't have big harddisks (which you usually don't
have on those machines anyway): mkfs.ext4 -O ^64bit /dev/sda1

Can this be done after creating the partition with tune2fs also? What difference does it make? I think these notes should be included in the top of https://archlinux32.org/download/ as well.

Last edited by egils (2020-08-31 22:15:27)

levi · 2020-09-01 05:13:47

Yes, according to tune2fs's man page, the 64bit FS option can be cleared using it on a pre-formatted ext filesystem. It doesn't say to use fsck after setting it, but I'd be tempted to. It should only save you a couple of bytes of directory info per file, but with computers these days having tens of thousands of files on them that's 20kib saved, which is better than a poke in the eye.

atg · 2020-11-05 21:34:44

abaumann wrote:

* On machine with little memory, set iommu=off in your kernel boot parameters to get some extra 64 MB RAM back.

The official arch linux installation guide claims 512M as the minimum memory requirement for a system, with "more memory ... needed to boot the live system for installation". Is this any lower for ArchLinux 32?

levi · 2020-11-05 22:08:38

I originally installed Archlinux back when it still had a 32bit variant on a machine with from memory no more than 64MB of RAM. That was, I suspect in 2015 and software has grown over time, but I'd be surprised in archlinux32 needs 512MB to boot the live media. Unfortunately in terms of testing, all I've got here is a machine with 2048MB of RAM, but I'd guess anyone here using the i486 variant build has much less ram.

abaumann · 2020-11-06 13:05:18

The standard ISO (with ramdisk) showed the following behaviour:

64MB KASLR error message, then hangs
128MB failed to execute /init
256MB Mounting archiso ARCH_201804, then hangs
272MB Initramfs unpacking failed: write error
288MB boots
320MB boots
384MB boots
512MB boots

Note that you have to set up a swap as very first action before using pacstrap (as pacman uses more memory).

If you use the "external pacstrap method" (installing from another machine and make rootfs bootable) from another machine, I'm running Archlinux32 with 128MB, see https://bbs.archlinux32.org/viewtopic.php?id=2876, text mode should be doable starting with 64MB.

I had an old i486 boot ISO (not using RAMdisks at all), but it's completly outdated now (so I removed it), had issues with missing keyrings and missing
compression algorithms. But I didn't have time to make a new one yet..

esuhl · 2021-01-23 12:41:39

abaumann wrote:

* When creating an ext4-filesystem switch off the 64-bit option if you don't have big harddisks (which you usually don't
have on those machines anyway): mkfs.ext4 -O ^64bit /dev/sda1

I just tried this, and discovered that the option needs too be put in quotes, like this:

mkfs.ext4 -O '^64bit' /dev/sda1

Hope that helps someone :-)

Last edited by esuhl (2021-01-23 12:41:55)

mchobby · 2021-09-28 01:26:57

64MB KASLR error message, then hangs
128MB failed to execute /init
256MB Mounting archiso ARCH_201804, then hangs
272MB Initramfs unpacking failed: write error
288MB boots
320MB boots
384MB boots
512MB boots

This sept. 28, 2021, I did tested on a Dell Optiplex G260 with 256 Mb of RAM ==> Failed "Initramfs unpacking failed: write error"
I did configure the AGP Memory at the minimum (32 MB) within the Bios Setup.
I did started from USB Boot with iommu=off (pressing TAB key when seeing first linux boot message to add extra parameter).

I will try later with bigger RAM.

Dominique

abaumann · 2021-09-28 04:28:22

Hi, try the i486 ISO, it has much less requirements.

There might be some other things you have to set, see:
https://git.archlinux32.org/archi486/tree/motd

You can set the Architecture=pentium4 before doing the pacstrap
when installing.

Mr Green · 2022-10-15 19:40:56

What does it mean by mounting swap partition in i486 version? Mounting /tmp to /mnt/tmp will not work on a read only system.

I have created a swap partition on local drive ;-)

Create und mount swap

Should that be 'and' ....

abaumann · 2022-10-15 20:08:22

Ah. Thanks, yes, my "Germanisms" are sometimes creeping in.
Yes, Swap and /tmp have both to be mounted directly on the destination partition(s),
as there is no writeable root partition on the ramdisk or on the iso.

I should mention that the 486 ISO is still very alpha. :-)

Mr Green · 2022-10-15 21:26:02

I love alpha software ;-) can see installing archlinux32 i486 is going to be a challenge. Let me do some testing see if I can install anything!

Am cheating a little as I am running it in a VM, do not have an old thinkpad laying around....

Mr Green · 2022-10-16 08:08:57

Ok so I tried to mount swap partition ans was getting errors, so I mounted second partition /dev/sda2 [ext4] to /tmp/mnt. Pacman would not work so went with pacstrap and it ran and installed packages to /tmp/mnt. Of course this does not allow syslinux to install/run under chroot as it is not / device. Will try again later.. with mounting to /tmp.

Interesting

abaumann · 2022-10-16 09:28:09

You may also need to bind mount /var/tmp to /tmp (for instance for a vi to work).
The 486 ISO should have a small writeable overlay probably..

Mr Green · 2022-10-16 10:22:08

Did a normal install with /dev/sda2 mounted on /mnt ... got network up and then used pacstrap to install system, genfstab .... arch-chroot /mnt mkinitcpio -P blah blah blah....

Forgot dhcpcd ;-( and got lazy did not set timezone/locales... so could not log in.

Syslinux was not happy so ended up with grub.

Guess I am cheating a little as I have nearly 4Gb of ram attached to VM...

Let me load/fix networking then I will try to install X

Mr Green · 2022-10-16 11:23:20

Running i3 ... seems to be working.

Patricia · 2023-10-27 06:47:31

Thanks, I thought I'd try making a partition to give it a try.

harrypotter69 · 2023-12-25 16:22:53

abaumann wrote:

* On machine with little memory, set iommu=off in your kernel boot parameters to get some extra 64 MB RAM back.
* When creating an ext4-filesystem switch off the 64-bit option if you don't have big harddisks (which you usually don't
have on those machines anyway): mkfs.ext4 -O ^64bit /dev/sda1

can you make a step by step info im not getting it?/

Arch Linux

#1 2020-02-28 16:28:46

Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#2 2020-02-28 20:40:54

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#3 2020-02-29 13:34:17

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#4 2020-08-31 21:59:17

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#5 2020-09-01 05:13:47

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#6 2020-11-05 21:34:44

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#7 2020-11-05 22:08:38

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#8 2020-11-06 13:05:18

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#9 2021-01-23 12:41:39

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#10 2021-09-28 01:26:57

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#11 2021-09-28 04:28:22

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#12 2022-10-15 19:40:56

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#13 2022-10-15 20:08:22

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#14 2022-10-15 21:26:02

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#15 2022-10-16 08:08:57

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#16 2022-10-16 09:28:09

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#17 2022-10-16 10:22:08

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#18 2022-10-16 11:23:20

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#19 2023-10-27 06:47:31

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

#20 2023-12-25 16:22:53

Re: Archlinux32 specific installation notes

Board footer