Install + Config for Arch on a Thinkpad X1 (6th) WQHD

In case of a fire, lost computer or a new machine, I saved the steps and dotfiles to be able to quickly reproduce my setup.

Copied a fair share from @ejmg and @yoshuawuyts

Install Arch

Part 1 - Preperation

1. Download arch .iso from https://www.archlinux.org/download
2. Create a bootable USB (depending on your OS)
   • lsblk to list your drives
   • unmount /dev/sdb (instead of sdb use your drive)
   • dd bs=4M if=/path/to/iso of=/path/to/usb status=progress oflag=sync
3. Disable Safe Boot on Thinkpad
   • Turn on Laptop, press Enter to interrupt boot sequence
   • When BIOS is loaded, navigate to Security and turn off Safe Boot
4. Move USB up in Boot order
   • Still in BIOS, navigate to Startup > Boot
   • Use - and + to move USB to first position
5. Exit BIOS and reboot
   • Hit either F10 to save and exit, or
   • Hit ESC and navigate to reboot + save menu option

Part 2 - Setup to Install Arch

1. Put USB Drive with Arch ISO in Thinkpad
2. Reboot Thinkpad
3. Select "USB" or "Arch" from boot menu

Configure WiFi Setup

1. Navigate to /etc/pacman.d/
2. Open mirrorlist and move your country entry on first position (via vi or nano)
3. Refresh mirrorlist: pacman -Syu
4. Find the name of your WiFi card: ip link (wlp2s0)
5. Set up wpa:
   • cp /etc/netctl/examples/wireless-wpa /etc/netctl/<NAME_OF_WIFI_PROFILE>
   • vi /etc/netctl/<NAME_OF_WIFI_PROFILE>

   Description='A simple WPA encrypted wireless connection'
   Interface=wlp2s0
   Connection=wireless
   
   Security=wpa
   IP=dhcp
   
   ESSID='YOUR_WIFI_NAME'
   # Prepend hexadecimal keys with \"
   # If your key starts with ", write it as '""<key>"'
   # See also: the section on special quoting rules in netctl.profile(5)
   Key='YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD'
   # Uncomment this if your ssid is hidden
   #Hidden=yes
   # Set a priority for automatic profile selection
   #Priority=10
   

   • Save and exit
   • Connect: netctl start <NAME_OF_WIFI_PROFILE>
   • Test: ping 8.8.8.8

Partitioning Hard Drive

1. Figure out name of hard drive: lsblk (nvme0n1)
2. Format: gdisk /dev/nvme0n1
   • o, answer with Y
   • n (new partition)
   • Enter
   • Enter
   • +512MB (EFI spec for the size)
   • EF00 (EFI partition)
   • n (make another partition)
   • Enter
   • Enter
   • Enter
   • 8E00
   • w (write to disk)
   • YES (exit)

Encrypt the hard drive

1. cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/nvme0n1p2
2. cryptsetup open --type luks /dev/nvme0n1p2 main_part (use our second partition here)
3. Create a physical volume inside our just created LVM partition: pvcreate /dev/mapper/main_part
4. Create a volume group: vgcreate main_group /dev/mapper/main_part
5. Create SWAP lvcreate -L8G main_group -n swap
6. Create ROOT lvcreate -L16G main_group -n root
7. Create HOME lvcreate -l 100%FREE main_group -n home

Format and Mount

1. Root: mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/main_group-root
2. Home: mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/main_group-home
3. Swap: mkswap /dev/mapper/main_group-swap
4. Mount Root mount /dev/mapper/main_group-root /mnt/
5. Mount Home:

   mkdir /mnt/home
   mount /dev/mapper/main_group-home /mnt/home
   

6. Create Swap: swapon /dev/mapper/main_group-swap
7. Mount bootloader

   mkdir /mnt/boot/
   mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot
   

Part 3 - Install Arch

1. pacstrap /mnt/ base
2. genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

Part 4 - Setup Arch

Bootloader

We are now moving from the LiveUSB to the hard drive

1. arch-chroot /mnt

2. pacman -S wpa_supplicant networkmanager network-manager-applet dialog

3. Uncomment two lines in /etc/pacman.conf

   [multilib]
   Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
   

4. Install Intel Microcode pacman -Sy intel-ucode

5. Install the kernel as a backup pacman -S linux-headers linux-lts linux-lts-headers

6. Install NEOVIM for comfort pacman -S neovim

7. Enable encryption

   • Modify nvim /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

   HOOKS=(base udev autodetect keyboard keymap modconf block encrypt lvm2 filesystems fsck)
   

   • Regenerate mkinitcpio -p linux
   • Regenerate for linux-lts mkinitcpio -p linux-lts

8. Setup the bootloader

   • Create the loader with bootctl

   bootctl --path=/boot/ install
   

   • Create the Arch entry nvim /boot/loader/loader.conf

   default arch
   timeout 3
   editor 0
   auto-entries 0
   

9. Create arch.conf

   • nvim
   • :r !blkid
   • Copy UUID from entry:

   /dev/nvme0n1p2: UUID="really-long-string-of-alphanumericals" TYPE="crypto_LUKS" PARTLABEL="Linux LVM" PARTUUID="another-long-string-of-alphanumericals"
   

   • Create arch.conf: nvim /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf

   title Arch Linux
   linux /vmlinuz-linux
   initrd /intel-ucode.img
   initrd /initramfs-linux.img
   options cryptdevice=UUID=long-alphanumerica-string-WITHOUT-QUOTES:cryptlvm root=/dev/mapper/main_group-root quiet rw
   

10. Reboot and start Arch via

    • exit
    • reboot now
    • Remove USB drive
    • Select Arch in Boot Menu

Drivers, WiFi, Sudo, User

WiFi

• Same as above:
  • Reconfigure mirrorlist nvim /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
  • cp /etc/netctl/examples/wireless-wpa /etc/netctl/<NAME_OF_WIFI_PROFILE>
  • nvm /etc/netctl/<NAME_OF_WIFI_PROFILE>
  • Fill in information, save and exit
  • `netctl start <NAME_OF_WIFI_PROFILE>
  • Test: ping 8.8.8.8

Locale

1. /etc/locale.gen
2. locale-gen
3. localectl set-locale LANG="en_US.UTF8"
4. hwclock --systohc --utc
5. timedatectl set-ntp true

Change Password

• passwd

Environment, Drivers

• Touchpad: pacman -S xf86-input-libinput
• xorg: pacman -S xorg-server xorg-xinit xorg-apps mesa xterm
• Intel Drivers: pacman -S xf86-video-intel lib32-intel-dri lib32-mesa lib32-libgl

Sudo, User, Root

1. Sudo: pacman -S sudo
2. Enable sudo:
   • EDITOR=nvim visudo
   • visudo
   • Uncomment:

   ## Uncomment to allow members of group wheel to execute any command
   # %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL # <-- this line if its now clear enough, fam
   

3. Create a new User: useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash <NAME>
4. Set Password: passwd <NAME>
5. sudo reboot now to check if everything worked

Desktop

1. pacman -S i3-vm

2. pacman -S base-devel

3. pacman -S openssh

4. pacman -S git

5. Setup SSH

mkdir ~/.ssh
cp <private key> ~/.ssh/<private key>
cp <public key> ~/.ssh/<public key>.pub
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/<private key>
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/<public key>.pub

6. yay

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 specifics

• CPU Throttling

  ay -S lenovo-throttling-fix-git
  udo systemctl enable --now lenovo_fix.service
  

• BIOS update
  • sudo pacman -S fwupd
  • fwupdmgr refresh
  • fwupdmgr get-updates
  • Hook up Thinkpad to power
  • fwupdmgr update
• Trimming SSD systemctl enable fstrim.timer
• Hibernate support
  • Update HOOKS nvim /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

  OOKS=(base udev autodetect keyboard keymap modconf block encrypt lvm2 resume filesystems fsck)
  

  • Regenerate initramfs

  kinitcpio -p linux
  kinitcpio -p linux-lts
  

  • Update arch.conf

  itle Arch Linux
  linux /vmlinuz-linux
  initrd /intel-ucode.img
  initrd /initramfs-linux.img
  options cryptdevice=UUID=<LONG-ALPHANUM-STRING>:cryptlvm root=/dev/mapper/main_group-root resume=/dev/mapper/main_group-swap quiet rw
  

• Suspend Support
  • !!Bios has to be >= 1.30!!
  • Reboot to Bios and change Config > Power > Sleep State > Linux
  • Save and Reboot