archinstall-rs v0.2.0

Release date: 2025-10-14

Highlights

Optional LUKS encryption for the root partition
Info popup rendering supports multi-line messages (line breaks are preserved), improving readability of longer messages.

New

Optional LUKS encryption for the root partition; opens as cryptroot when enabled.
Info popup rendering supports multi-line messages (line breaks are preserved), improving readability of longer messages.

Improvements

Safer bootloader setup flows:
- Systemd-boot: installs via bootctl, writes loader.conf, and creates standard arch.conf and fallback entries
- GRUB: supports both UEFI and BIOS installs
More robust handling of device names such as NVMe (/dev/nvme0n1pX) during mounting.
Clearer live logging throughout install sections and better debug messages.

Breaking changes

None.

Known limitations

Advanced storage layouts (LVM/RAID, complex Btrfs subvolumes) are not yet implemented in the automatic partitioner.

Thanks

Thanks to everyone testing early builds and reporting issues—your feedback directly shaped this release.

Release Notes - archinstall-rs v0.1.0

Release Date: 19.09.2025
Version: 0.1.0
Status: MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

🎉 What's New

This is the first major release of archinstall-rs, a modern TUI installer for Arch Linux written in Rust. This MVP release provides a solid foundation for Arch Linux installation with an intuitive terminal interface.

✨ Key Features

🖥️ Modern TUI Interface

Built with ratatui for responsive terminal interface
Intuitive navigation with arrow keys and keyboard shortcuts
Real-time configuration preview and validation

🔧 Core Installation Features

Configuration Management: Save and load installation configurations in TOML format
Disk Management: Automatic best-effort partitioning with GPT layout
Bootloader Support: systemd-boot (UEFI) and GRUB (UEFI/BIOS)
Package Management: Mirror configuration with reflector integration
System Configuration: Locale, timezone, hostname, and keyboard layout setup
User Management: Root password and user account creation with sudo privileges

🛡️ Safety Features

Dry-run Mode: Preview all installation commands before execution
Safety Checks: Abort if target disk has mounted partitions
Confirmation Dialogs: Wipe confirmation for already partitioned devices
Installation Progress: Real-time progress tracking and log viewer

📦 Partitioning Strategy

GPT Layout: Modern partitioning with GUID Partition Table
EFI System Partition: 512MiB for UEFI systems
BIOS Boot Partition: 1MiB for GRUB on BIOS systems
Swap Partition: 4GiB automatic sizing (configurable)
Root Filesystem: Btrfs for modern filesystem features
Optional LUKS: Disk encryption support (planned for future releases)

📋 System Requirements

Build Requirements

Rust 1.70 or later (2024 edition)
Cargo package manager

Runtime Requirements

Arch Linux live environment (USB/ISO)
UEFI or BIOS system
Internet connection for package downloads
Minimum 512MB RAM (1GB+ recommended)
Minimum 2GB disk space (20GB+ recommended)

⚠️ Current Limitations

What Works

✅ 64-bit systems
✅ UEFI systems
✅ Best-effort partitioning only
✅ GRUB and systemd-boot bootloaders
✅ NetworkManager for networking
✅ Desktop Environment experience mode

Known Issues

⚠️ View may appear stuck at the end, but installation completes successfully
⚠️ Installation progress view needs improvement
⚠️ Manual partitioning partially implemented. Simple partitioning possible.

Not Yet Implemented

❌ Disk encryption/LUKS (planned for v0.2.0)
❌ Custom server/repository configuration
❌ Unified Kernel Images (Secure Boot support)
❌ RAID and LVM support
❌ Advanced bootloader options (EFISTUB, Limine)

🎮 Usage

Basic Installation Flow

Boot into Arch Linux live environment
Ensure internet connection
Download via curl -LO https://github.com/Firstp1ck/archinstall-rs/releases/download/v0.1.0/archinstall-rs
Check ShaSum:

github_sha_full="<Insert copied sha from the binary>"
echo "${github_sha_full#sha256:} archinstall-rs" | sha256sum -c - >/dev/null && echo "Checksums match!" || echo "Checksums do not match!"

Make executable with chmod +x archinstall-rs
Run ./archinstall-rs
Navigate through configuration sections
Review your setup
Start installation

Navigation

Arrow Keys: Navigate menu and content
Enter: Select/Confirm/Run actions
Esc/q: Close popups or return to menu
Ctrl-C: Quit application

🔧 Configuration

The installer supports saving configurations in TOML format for reproducible installations:

[users]
users = []
additional_packages = []

[locales]
keyboard_layout = "us"
locale_language = "en_US.UTF-8"

[mirrors]
regions = ["United States"]
optional_repos = ["multilib"]

[disks]
mode = "Best-effort partition layout"

[bootloader]
kind = "systemd-boot"

[system]
hostname = "archlinux"
automatic_time_sync = true
timezone = "Europe/London"

🛠️ Technical Details

Architecture

Language: Rust (2024 edition)
TUI Framework: ratatui
Configuration: TOML format
Partitioning: parted, mkfs, cryptsetup
Package Management: pacstrap, pacman

Project Structure

Modular design with separate modules for each installation section
Clear separation between UI, logic, and data layers
Type-safe configuration management
Comprehensive error handling

🐛 Bug Reports

If you encounter any issues, please report them on GitHub Issues with:

Clear description of the problem
Steps to reproduce
System information
Relevant configuration files
Error messages or logs

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

The Arch Linux community for excellent documentation
The ratatui team for the TUI framework
The original archinstall Python project for inspiration
All contributors who help improve this project

⚠️ Disclaimer

This installer modifies disk partitions and system configurations. Always backup important data before using. The developers are not responsible for any data loss or system damage that may occur.

Made with ❤️ and 🦀 for the Arch Linux community

Releases: Firstp1ck/archinstall-rs

v0.2.0