Install Void Linux on VirtualBox

Sources

https://linuxiac.com/void-linux-installation/

https://techviewleo.com/install-void-linux-on-virtualbox-vmware-workstation/

https://docs.voidlinux.org/installation/guides/chroot.html

Goals

  • Host OS: Windows

  • Virtualization software: VirtualBox

  • Guest OS: Void Linux

    • Hostname: vivo

    • One non-root user with sudo rights, named me

    • Network access through the host system

    • A tiling window manager: dwm

    • Development tools: python, nodejs, gcc, clang, neovim

    • Webservers etc running in the VM are reachable from the host system

Prerequisites

  1. VirtualBox: https://www.virtualbox.org/

  2. A Linux live .iso file, like for instance the ``Void Linux libc base'' one: https://repo-default.voidlinux.org/live/current/void-live-x86_64-20230628-base.iso

If the .iso file has been replaced by a new release, see: https://repo-default.voidlinux.org/live/current/

Disable notification sidebar in Virtualbox VMs

In a Windows command prompt, run the following

"c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage" setextradata global GUI/SuppressMessages confirmGoingFullscreen,remindAboutMouseIntegration,remindAboutAutoCapture

Disable mini toolbar in Virtualbox VMs

In a Windows command prompt, run the following

"c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage" setextradata global GUI/ShowMiniToolBar false

Create the VM

Create dialog

Click New'', and in the Create Virtual Machine'' dialog:

  • Name and Operating System

    • Name: vivo

    • Folder: Select parent folder of VM

    • ISO Image: Select live .iso file

    • Type: Linux

    • Version: Other Linux (64-bit)

  • Unattended Install

  • Hardware

    • Base Memory: 4096 MB

    • Processors: 4

    • Enable EFI: ON

  • Hard Disk

    • Create a Virtual Hard Disk Now: ON

      • Location: Let VirtualBox set it

      • Size: 20 GB

    • Hard Disk File Type and Variant: VDI

    • Pre-allocate Full Size: OFF

Click Finish''. This will close the Create Virtual Machine'' dialog.

Settings dialog

You can review and tweak the settings by selecting the VM vivo'' and clicking on the Settings'' button:

  • General

    • Basic

      • Name: vivo

      • Type: Linux

      • Version: Other Linux (64-bit)

    • Advanced

      • Snapshot Folder: Leave as-is

      • Shared Clipbaord: change to Bidirectional

      • Drag’n’Drop: Disabled

    • Description

      • Write your description here

    • Disk Encryption

      • Enable Disk Encryption: OFF

  • System

    • Motherboard

      • MEM: 4096 MB

      • Boot order: change to optical, HDD, …

      • Chipset: PIIX3

      • TPM: None

      • Pointing device: PS/2 mouse

      • Extended features:

        • Enable I/O APIC: ON

        • Enable Hardware Clock in UTC Time: ON

        • Enable EFI: ON

        • Enable Secure Boot: OFF

    • Processor

      • Processors: 4

      • Execution Cap: 100%

      • Extended Features:

        • Enable PAE/NX: ON

        • Enable Nested VT-x/AMD-V: OFF

    • Acceleration

      • Paravirtualization Interface: Default

      • Enable Nested Paging: ON

  • Display:

    • Screen

      • Video Memory: 16 MB

      • Monitor Count: 1

      • Scale Factor: 100%

      • Graphics controller: VMSVGA

      • Enable 3D Acceleration: OFF

    • Remote Display

      • Enable Server: OFF

    • Recording

      • Enable Recording: OFF

  • Storage

    • Controller: IDE

      • Make sure the live .iso is selected

    • Controller: SATA

      • The `vivo.vdi`should already be set here

  • Audio

    • Enable Audio: change to OFF

  • Network

    • Adapter 1

      • Enable Network Adapter: ON

      • Attached to: NAT

      • Adapter type: Let VirtualBox pick the type

      • Cable Connected: ON

    • Adapter 2

      • Enable Network Adapter: change to ON

      • Attached to: change to Host-only Adapter

      • Promiscuous Mode: deny

  • Serial Ports

    • Enable Serial Port: OFF

  • USB

    • Enable USB Controller: ON

    • Type: USB 2.0

  • Shared Folders

    • (Create and) select a folder to be shared between host and guest

      • Read-only: OFF

      • Auto-mount: change to ON

  • User Interface

    • Leave it as-is for now

Click ``OK''. This closes the settings dialog.

Enable HPET

In a Windows command prompt, run the following command:

"c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage" modifyvm vivo --hpet on

From the documentation at https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html#vboxmanage-modifyvm :

--hpet=on | off

Enables or disables a High Precision Event Timer (HPET) that can replace a legacy system timer. This feature is disabled by default. Note HPET is supported on Windows versions starting with Vista.

Boot the live .iso in the VM

In VirtualBox, select the VM vivo'' and click the Start'' button.

grub: choose first (default) option

Login with: - user: root - pwd: voidlinux

Set AZERTY keyboard:

loadkeys be-latin1

Install the guest OS

Basics

Partitioning
fdisk /dev/sda

Inside fdisk:

    --> g : create empty partition table
    --> n : new partition
    --> enter : partition #1
    --> enter : default first sector
    --> +550MB : the partition size instead of the requested last sector
    (--> Y : if fdisk asks to remove signature)
    --> t : change partition type
    --> 1 : EFI system partition
    --> n : new partition
    --> enter : partition #2
    --> enter : default first sector
    --> enter : default last sector
    (--> Y or N: if fdisk asks to remove signature)
    --> w : write partition table

TODO : document manual config steps: - format - xchroot - locale - hw clock - enable dhcpcd - … ???

Sudo

Write simple /etc/sudoers file. Grant sudo rights to root user and wheel group. Grant rights to wheel group to run shutdown and reboot without password. Note: the first line allows root to run commands as another user: sudo --user=NAME …​

echo "root ALL=(ALL) ALL" > /etc/sudoers
echo "%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL" >> /etc/sudoers
echo "%wheel ALL=NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/reboot, /usr/bin/shutdown" >> /etc/sudoers
VirtualBox integration

Make sure groups vboxsf and vbox exist:

groupadd -f vboxsf
groupadd -f vbox

Create a file /usr/lib/udev/rules.d/60-virtualbox.rules with the contents:

KERNEL=="vboxguest", GROUP="vbox", MODE="0660"
KERNEL=="vboxuser", GROUP="vbox", MODE="0660"
Add user

Add user me and add it to the wheel, vbox and vboxsf groups:

useradd -m me
usermod -aG wheel,vboxsf,vbox me
passwd me
Install some packages
sudo xbps-install -Su time tmux curl wget zip unzip moreutils xtools psmisc dos2unix fd ripgrep fzf lazygit htop base-devel clang automake autoconf libpcap-devel python3 python3-pip go nodejs git vim neovim lua-language-server dialog openssh ffmpeg lighttpd asciidoc ruby-asciidoctor hugo shellcheck virtualbox-ose-guest

Enable vboxservice

sudo ln -s /etc/sv/vboxservice /var/service/

Window manager

Install xorg related packages:

sudo xbps-install -Su xorg xinit xclip unclutter numlockx font-inconsolata-otf font-firacode vim-x11

Install dwm/dmenu/st dependencies:

sudo xbps-install -Su libXinerama-devel libXft-devel freetype-devel fontconfig-devel harfbuzz-devel

Install modified version of dwm/dmenu/st. As user me:

cd
mkdir tools && cd tools
git clone https://github.com/bergoid/dwm.git
sudo ./rebuild

Create ~/.xinit:

VBoxClient --vmsvga
VBoxClient --clipboard
xrandr --output Virtual1 --mode 1920x1080
setxkbmap be
numlockx &
unclutter -jitter 2 -noevents -root &
exec dwm

Note 2024-01-07: I needed to downgrade the package libgudev-238_1.x86_64.xbps to libgudev-237_1.x86_64.xbps, for xorg to start properly. This got fixed in Void Linux a couple of days later.

Set resolution of VM. First, power off VM. Next, in Windows command prompt:

"c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage" setextradata "vivo" "CustomVideoMode1" "1920x1080x24"

Start VM again.

Configure grub:

sudoedit /etc/default/grub

Find and set the variables as follows:

...
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
...
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="loglevel=4 quiet video=1920x1080"
...

Update grub with the new config :

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

Automatic login

(From: https://wiki.voidlinux.org/voidlinux_en_all_2021-04/A/Automatic_Login_to_Graphical_Environment)

As root:

Create new autologin service. Copy from existing tty1 service:

 cp -R /etc/sv/agetty-tty1 /etc/sv/agetty-autologin-tty1

Edit /etc/sv/agetty-autologin-tty1/conf, change the value of the variable GETTY_ARGS into: --autologin me --noclear

If you are logged in on tty1 right now, logout, switch to tty2 (with CTRL+ALT+F2) and re-login there.

Disable the regular tty1 service and enable autologin:

rm /var/service/agetty-tty1
ln -s /etc/sv/agetty-autologin-tty1 /var/service

Now switch to tty1 and you should already be logged in there automatically.

TODO

https://old.reddit.com/r/suckless/comments/reax9f/st_terminal_font/

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Font_configuration

https://gist.github.com/madrobby/5265845

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Fonts

https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html

man fonts-conf

  1. nerdfonts

  2. dwm/st/dmenu/

    • get latest versions

    • apply patches:

      • dwm:

        • clipboard?

        • KB-layout agnostic keyboard shortcuts

      • st:

        • clipboard?

        • scrollback

        • colorschemes

        • wide glyph support

        • undercurl

        • copy command-line to clipboard with keyboard shortcut

      • dmenu:

        • ?

    • add to dotfiles

knockd

TODO: Add it to dotfiles

https://github.com/jvinet/knock

To build it: make sure automake, autoconf, libpcap-devel are installed

vmwgfx error during startup. See:

[    1.637912] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: vgaarb: deactivate vga console
[    1.638934] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] FIFO at 0x00000000e1400000 size is 2048 kiB
[    1.638955] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] VRAM at 0x00000000e0000000 size is 16384 kiB
[    1.638963] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Running on SVGA version 2.
[    1.638968] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Capabilities: rect copy, cursor, cursor bypass, cursor bypass 2, alpha cursor, extended fifo, pitchlock, irq mask, gmr, traces, gmr2, screen object 2, command buffers,
[    1.638971] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] *ERROR* vmwgfx seems to be running on an unsupported hypervisor.
[    1.638976] fbcon: Taking over console
[    1.638983] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] *ERROR* This configuration is likely broken.
[    1.638987] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] *ERROR* Please switch to a supported graphics device to avoid problems.
[    1.638992] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] DMA map mode: Caching DMA mappings.
[    1.639028] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Legacy memory limits: VRAM = 16384 kB, FIFO = 2048 kB, surface = 507904 kB
[    1.639031] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] MOB limits: max mob size = 0 kB, max mob pages = 0
[    1.639033] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Max GMR ids is 8192
[    1.639034] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Max number of GMR pages is 1048576
[    1.639035] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Maximum display memory size is 16384 kiB
[    1.639467] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Screen Object display unit initialized
[    1.639914] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Fifo max 0x00200000 min 0x00001000 cap 0x00000355
[    1.641133] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Using command buffers with DMA pool.
[    1.641145] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] Available shader model: Legacy.
[    1.641988] [drm] Initialized vmwgfx 2.20.0 20211206 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0
[    1.645881] fbcon: vmwgfxdrmfb (fb0) is primary devicel

[    1.646063] Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 240x67
[    1.649915] vmwgfx 0000:00:02.0: [drm] fb0: vmwgfxdrmfb frame buffer device