Hello Arch lovers!
28 November 2025: build » setup, Makefile updated, README.md updated according to Makefile, .gitignore updated.
sudo bash build/setup.sh # This script will automatically detect if you are root or not, your machine have arch based distro or not and if it is not; then it will download tarball too.
or
bash setup/compile
# MAKE SURE YOUR DISTRO IS ARCH/ARCH BASED. And i would not recommend it. It uses g++ directly and would be slower.
or, 3rd and last option Using Make.
make --makefile setup/Makefile -j$(nproc) # For normal compiling.
make --makefile setup/Makefile fast -j$(nproc) # For optimized code. A bit faster.
make --makefile setup/Makefile faster -j$(nproc) # For more optimized code. However, it can be a little tracky because of more optimization.
make --makefile setup/Makefile fastest -j$(nproc) # For most optimized code. This is most dangerous and fastest working code.
make --makefile setup/Makefile clang -j$(nproc) # For normal compiling with clang++ instead of g++. I would recommend g++ ones bcz well... I love GNU.
make --makefile setup/Makefile cfast -j$(nproc) # Normal fast but with clang++.
make --makefile setup/Makefile cfaster -j$(nproc) # Normal faster but with clang++.
make --makefile setup/Makefile cfastest -j$(nproc) # Normal fastest but with clang++.
# MAKE SURE YOUR DISTRO IS ARCH/ARCH BASED. This can be faster than build/setup.sh. Because it just calls make, not an entire script. But this is not user-friendly if you are a beginner.
sudo ./pacostrap --stage=1 / -S=1 # For first stage
./pacostrap --stage=2 / -S=2 # For second stage
sudo ./pacostrap -S=1 --pass=format / -P=F # For first stage and skipping formatting.
sudo ./pacostrap -S=1 --pass=mount / -P=M # For first stage and skipping formatting with mounting.
./pacostrap -S=2 --pass=mount / -P=M # For second stage and skipping disk mount.
If you asking, Why using sudo in first stage but not in the second? Answer is: You will be root in archiso(so in the second stage) but you will probably non-root in normal destkop using.
You can check here if Arch developers add this software to ArchISO. (For normal usage, you probably won’t need this.)
pacostrap # For normal customized second stage
pacostrap --pass=usbmount / -P=U-M # For skipping USB mounting and doing mounting disk with installing packages.
pacostrap --pass=diskmount / -P=D-M # For skipping disk mounting and doing USB mounting with installing packages.
pacostrap --pass=diskmount,usbmount / --pass=usbmount,diskmount / -P=D,U-M / -P=U,D-M # For skipping both USB and disk mounting with doing only installing packages.
Where is --stage / -S argumant? Answer is: Because you don't need first stage in archiso.
- At second stage, you need to mount USB at /usbmnt .
- And you need to enter /usbmnt/pacostrap/ and then you can run pacostrap in second stage.
- In 1'st stage ---skipping format---> USB needs to be in a FS that Linux can recognize(exFAT, ext4, BTRFS, NTFS(Maybe. Sometimes it needs extra packages.)) ----
-----> USB needs to mounted at /mnt <-----------------------skipping both format and mounting---------------------------------------------------/ - In 2'nd stage ---Skipping disk mounting---> Disk should be mounted at /mnt and you need to make directory at /mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg.
Formatting USB as ext4 ---> Mounting USB at /mnt ---> Makes Directory /mnt/pacostrap ---> Copies itself to /mnt/pacostrap/ ---> Installing your selected packages to USB ---> First stage ends.
If you are using vanilla ArchISO, Firstly, you need to make directory at /usbmnt then mount the USB at /usbmnt. You can do these steps by just running these following commands:
mkdir /usbmnt
mount /dev/your-usb /usbmnt # You can learn your-usb by running lsblk
cd /usbmnt/pacostrap
Then, Mounts your disk at /mnt ---> Makes /mnt/var/cache/pacman/ directory ---> Copies your packages to /mnt/var/cache/pacman/ ---> Calls pacstrap to Install your packages ---> Completes offline installation.
Else if you are using My OwN sUpEr DuPeR custom ArchISO, then **Mounts your USB with installed packages on it at /usbmnt ---> And same steps up above.
- 1st Making second stage Archinstall compatible.
- 2nd Prepare all the other documents. CHANGELOG.md etc.
- 3rd Make you able to install packages by your own in first stage.
- 4th Use json to store installed packages.
- 1st command - A safe way to execute system commands for UNIX-based/Unix-like OS'ses link
- 2nd animatel - '.' or string animation function link
- 3rd archstrap - Archlinux's bootstrap tarball image link
Every source code of this project (All .cpp/.hpp source codes, all bash scripts, Makefiles and .md files) licensed by GNU General Public License version 3(GPLv3). LICENSE file pacostrap.png, logo is licensed by V-Pi-Lv1. Logos LICENSE file