void-pi

Void Linux installer implemented in GNU Prolog.

Description

Overview

void-pi is a Void Linux installer similar to void-installer.

It extends void-installer in several ways:

• provides predefined templates for LVM, and LUKS.
• provides predefined partitioning templates for block devices and BTRFS and ZFS.
• supports rEFInd, Limine, Syslinux, Gummiboot, and ZFSBootMenu boot managers
• supports EFISTUB boot loader
• supports multi-device configurations.
• supports either BIOS or UEFI, or both boot modes.
• installs and configures additional boot manager and file system related software.

void-pi works on Void with Intel or AMD x86 CPU. It wasn't tested with ARM CPUs.

How to run

Run installer from another computer.

• Boot from an installation ISO.
• Run ip a to get an IP address.
• From another computer run:
  • ssh anon@ip_address
  • sudo bash
  • Run void-pi.

Run precompiled executable.

sudo xbps-install -Suy xbps wget
wget https://github.com/sdbtools/void-pi/releases/latest/download/void-pi.x86_64.tgz
tar -xzf void-pi.x86_64.tgz
./void-pi

Run as script.

sudo xbps-install gprolog git
git clone https://github.com/sdbtools/void-pi.git
cd void-pi
./void-pi.pl
# or
gprolog --consult-file void-pi.pl

Compile Prolog code locally and run it.

sudo xbps-install gprolog gcc git
git clone https://github.com/sdbtools/void-pi.git
cd void-pi
gplc --min-size void-pi.pl
./void-pi

Manually run btrbk

• sudo btrbk run

Manually run grub-btrfs

• grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

ZFS Install media

mklive.sh

This option is to build a custom Void Linux image from the official void-mklive repository.

$ git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/void-linux/void-mklive.git
$ cd void-mklive
$ make
$ sudo ./build-x86-images.sh -- -p zfs

hrmpf image

Download a pre-built hrmpf image.

Bcachefs Install media

mklive.sh

This option is to build a custom Void Linux image from the official void-mklive repository.

$ git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/void-linux/void-mklive.git
$ cd void-mklive
$ make
$ sudo ./build-x86-images.sh -- -v linux6.7

Features

• completely emulates void-installer.
• install from Void ISO or network.
• predefined templates for LVM, LUKS, and combinations of them.
• predefined partitioning templates.
• selected devices will be automatically cleaned up.
• TUI for setting up of file system features and options.
• TUI for setting up of mount options.
• TUI dynamically changes depending on selected template.
• uses /mnt for chroot by default.
• allows to use an alternative rootdir via --rootdir command line argument.
• all settings can be saved in a file and loaded on startup. File name is controlled via --config command line argument.
• passwords are never saved in files even temporarily.
• max password length is limited to 1024 charaters.
• Boot modes
  • UEFI
  • BIOS
  • both
• Boot managers
  • Uses GRUB, rEFInd, Limine, Syslnux, or Gummiboot as a boot manager.
  • Uses EFISTUB as a boot loader.
  • rEFInd is configured to use kernel auto detection.
  • Only GRUB can have /boot on LVM or LUKS.
  • ZFSBootMenu is enabled only with the "GPT. Basic" template at this time.
  • If a boot manager doesn't support a file system (or LVM, or LUKS), then installer will create an ext4 /boot partition.

Boot manager	Supported /boot filesystems
GRUB	fat, btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, xfs, nilfs2, and zfs (zfs has limited support)
Gummiboot	fat, ext2, ext3, ext4, xfs, nilfs2, and f2fs (btrfs is not supported at this time)
rEFInd	fat, btrfs, ext2, ext3, and ext4
Limine	fat, (Support of ext2, ext3, and ext4 was disabled in Limine version 6.20231210.0)
Syslinux	fat, ext2, ext3, and ext4, and xfs (btrfs is not supported at this time)
EFISTUB	fat, ext2, ext3, ext4, f2fs, and xfs (btrfs is not supported at this time)
ZFSBootMenu	zfs

• ZFS
  • Requires a ZFS install media.
  • Supported by GRUB and ZFSBootMenu bootmanagers.
  • In case of GRUB only "GPT. Basic" template is supported at this time.
  • Encryption can be enabled via "FS Settings".
  • In case of GRUB encryption shouldn't be used because GRUB doesn't support it.
• Bcachefs
  • Requires a Bcachefs install media.
• Syslinux
  • In case of UEFI the kernel and initramfs files are located in the EFI system partition (aka ESP), as Syslinux does not (currently) have the ability to access files outside its own partition.
  • IA32 (32-bit) is currently unsupported.
• EFISTUB
  • The kernel and initramfs files are located in the EFI system partition (aka ESP).
  • btrfs is not supported.
• Gummiboot
  • The kernel and initramfs files are located in the EFI system partition (aka ESP).
  • btrfs is not supported.
• ZFSBootMenu
  • Only direct EFI booting is supported at this time.
  • Enabled only with "Manual" and "GPT. Basic" templates at this time.
• LUKS
  • LUKS can be used with GRUB, rEFInd, Limine, and Syslinux.
  • Only GRUB can have /boot on LUKS.
  • In case of GRUB whole system is located on LUKS, including encrypted /boot. LUKS1 is used because GRUB2 doesn't support LUKS2.
  • In case of rEFInd and Limine installer will create an unencrypted ext4 /boot partition. LUKS2 is used.
• LVM
  • Only GRUB can have /boot on LVM.
• Multi-device support
  • Multi-device configurations are available with BTRFS and LVM.
• Additional software
  • snooze - run a command at a particular time.
  • btrbk - Tool for creating snapshots and remote backups of btrfs subvolumes.
  • grub-btrfs - improves the grub bootloader by adding a btrfs snapshots sub-menu, allowing the user to boot into snapshots.

Last tested	ISO	Result
2024-06-08	void-live-x86_64-20240229-base.iso	PASS
2023-06-29	void-live-x86_64-musl-20221001-base.iso	PASS
2023-10-21	void-live-i686-20230628-base.iso	PASS
2023-06-29	void-live-i686-20221001-base.iso	N/A
2023-06-29	void-live-i686-20210930.iso	PASS
2023-10-14	hrmpf-x86_64-6.1.3_1-20230105.iso	PASS
2023-11-19	hrmpf-x86_64-6.5.9_1-20231102.iso	PASS
2023-08-22	void-live-lxqt-unofficial-x86_64-6.3.13_1-20230821.iso	PASS
2023-12-17	void-live-kde-unofficial-x86_64-6.5.13_1-20231217.iso	PASS

Templates

• Manual configuration of everything
• GPT. Basic
• GPT. LVM
• GPT. LVM. LUKS
• GPT. LUKS. One device
• GPT. LUKS. LVM. One device

Partitioning Templates

BTRFS

void-pi creates the following Btrfs subvolumes with a flat layout:

• root

Subvolume name	Mounting point	Mount options
@	/
@snapshots	/.snapshots	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow

• root_home

Subvolume name	Mounting point	Mount options
@	/
@home	/home	nodev,nosuid
@snapshots	/.snapshots	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow

• max

Subvolume name	Mounting point	Mount options
@	/
@home	/home	nodev,nosuid
@opt	/opt	nodev
@srv	/srv	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow
@var	/var	nodev,noexec,nosuid
@var-cache-xbps	/var/cache/xbps	nodev,noexec,nosuid
@var-lib-ex	/var/lib/ex	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow
@var-log	/var/log	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow
@var-opt	/var/opt	nodev,noexec,nosuid
@var-spool	/var/spool	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow
@var-tmp	/var/tmp	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow
@snapshots	/.snapshots	nodev,noexec,nosuid + nodatacow

ZFS

• root

Dataset name	Mounting point	Options
/ROOT/void	/	canmount=noauto, atime=off

• root_home

Dataset name	Mounting point	Options
/ROOT/void	/	canmount=noauto, atime=off
/home	/home	atime=off

• max

Dataset name	Mounting point	Options
/ROOT/void	/	canmount=noauto, atime=off
/home	/home	atime=off
/opt	/opt	atime=off
/srv	/srv	atime=off
/tmp	/tmp	com.sun:auto-snapshot=false, atime=off
/var	/var	canmount=off, atime=off
/var-lib	/var/lib	canmount=off, atime=off
/var-cache-xbps	/var/cache/xbps	com.sun:auto-snapshot=false, atime=off
/var-lib-ex	/var/lib/ex	atime=off
/var-log	/var/log	atime=off
/var-opt	/var/opt	atime=off
/var-spool	/var/spool	atime=off
/var-tmp	/var/tmp	com.sun:auto-snapshot=false, atime=off

All other

• root
  • / (size: whole device)
• root_home
  • / (size: 20GB)
  • /home (size: remainder)

Default settings

All default settings can be changed via Common Attrs sub-menu.

• host-only: no
• installation source: local
• host name: voidpp
• user name: void
• keymap: us
• locale: en_US.UTF-8
• timezone: America/New_York
• LUKS mapping name: crypt
• MBR size: 1M
• ESP size: 550M
• Boot partition size: 1G
• btrbk: /mnt/btr_pool
  • snapshots are created for @, @opt, @var, @srv, and @home subvolumes.
  • btrbk is scheduled to run every day

Partitioning

BIOS boot mode

• Limine and Syslinux
  • /dev/sdX1 is the root filesystem (size: whole device)
• Grub
  • /dev/sdX1 is the BIOS boot sector (size: 1M)
  • /dev/sdX2 is the root filesystem (size: remainder)

UEFI boot mode

• /dev/sdX1 is the EFI system partition (size: 550M)
• /dev/sdX2 is the root filesystem (size: remainder)

F2FS options

• extra_attr,inode_checksum,sb_checksum,compression,encrypt

Dependencies

Name	Provides	Included in Void ISO?
dialog	ncurses user input menu	Y
gptfdisk	GPT disk partitioning with sgdisk	N
lz4	Extremely Fast Compression algorithm	N
snooze	cron replacement	N
btrbk	Tool for creating snapshots	N
grub-btrfs	Add a btrfs snapshots sub-menu to GRUB	N
zfs	ZFS filesystem	N

Licensing

This software is released under the GNU GPLv2 license.

Credits

• Void Linux
• Voidvault