Project 4: Distribution Installer (Like Arch’s archinstall)

An interactive or scripted installer that partitions disks, installs packages, configures bootloader, and produces a working system.

Quick Reference

Attribute Value
Primary Language See main guide
Alternative Languages N/A
Difficulty Level 2: Intermediate
Time Estimate 1-2 weeks
Knowledge Area System Administration
Tooling Partitioning Tools / Chroot
Prerequisites Shell scripting, understanding of partitions/filesystems

What You Will Build

An interactive or scripted installer that partitions disks, installs packages, configures bootloader, and produces a working system.

Why It Matters

This project builds core skills that appear repeatedly in real-world systems and tooling.

Core Challenges

  • Disk partitioning (GPT/MBR, ESP for UEFI) (maps to storage)
  • Filesystem creation and mounting (maps to filesystems)
  • Bootloader installation (GRUB for BIOS/UEFI) (maps to boot chain)
  • Package installation and configuration (maps to package management)
  • Post-install setup (users, network, locale) (maps to system configuration)

Key Concepts

  • Disk partitioning: man fdisk, man parted, GPT specification
  • Filesystems: “Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces” Chapter 40 - Arpaci-Dusseau
  • UEFI boot: UEFI specification, man efibootmgr
  • System configuration: “The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition” Part 4 - William E. Shotts

Real-World Outcome

Deliver a working demo with observable output that proves the feature is correct.

Implementation Guide

  1. Reproduce the simplest happy-path scenario.
  2. Build the smallest working version of the core feature.
  3. Add input validation and error handling.
  4. Add instrumentation/logging to confirm behavior.
  5. Refactor into clean modules with tests.

Milestones

  • Milestone 1: Minimal working program that runs end-to-end.
  • Milestone 2: Correct outputs for typical inputs.
  • Milestone 3: Robust handling of edge cases.
  • Milestone 4: Clean structure and documented usage.

Validation Checklist

  • Output matches the real-world outcome example
  • Handles invalid inputs safely
  • Provides clear errors and exit codes
  • Repeatable results across runs

References

  • Main guide: LINUX_DISTRIBUTION_BUILDING_LEARNING_PROJECTS.md
  • “The Linux Command Line” by William Shotts