Release v0.2.3

Release date: 2026-03-23

Highlights

• Bootloader reliability: Major hardening for EFISTUB, Limine, and systemd-boot. UEFI fallback paths (EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI) and better efibootmgr handling improve first-boot success when NVRAM entries are missing or unreliable.
• UKI support expanded: UKI flow is now wired through install planning for supported bootloaders, with matching sysconfig/kernel preset behavior and improved artifact handling.
• Secure Boot awareness: More robust Secure Boot detection (efivars + fallbacks), clearer status in the TUI, and safer policy enforcement for EFISTUB + UKI combinations.

Improvements & fixes

• Multi-kernel boot entries are now generated for selected kernels in bootloader plans.
• EFISTUB diagnostics improved (ESP paths, artifact checks, efibootmgr stderr/return codes) to make VM/firmware issues easier to troubleshoot.
• UEFI path and partition lookup fixes (PARTN, escaped loader paths, cleaner NVRAM entry matching/reordering) reduce boot-entry misconfiguration risks.
• UX/docs updates: EFISTUB is clearly labeled experimental, and boot/UKI guidance in TUI + docs is more explicit.

Risky / review before relying on it

• Boot pipeline changes in this release are concentrated in bootloader + UKI + Secure Boot logic. Do at least one real or VM install test (not only dry-run) if you depend on EFISTUB, Limine, or Secure Boot.
• For safety, re-check partitioning, encryption, and bootloader selections in the TUI before confirming install.

Breaking changes

• None intended for normal TUI users. EFISTUB behavior and labels changed significantly and are now explicitly marked experimental.

Arch ISO (one command)

curl -fsSL https://github.com/Firstp1ck/archinstall-rs/releases/download/v0.2.3/install.sh | bash

Or download archinstall-rs and SHA256SUMS from this release and run sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS && chmod +x archinstall-rs && ./archinstall-rs.

Release v0.2.2

Release date: 2026-03-21

Highlights

• Load configuration: Presets are listed in a searchable table (country, language, desktop, notes) driven by configs/examples/manifest.toml, with discovery from env overrides, the directory next to the binary, and cwd ancestors.
• Examples & releases: More locale and popular example TOMLs under configs/examples/; CI still ships config-examples.tar.gz (and the install script unpacks it). Many refreshed examples use GRUB and document AUR helpers where relevant—always confirm bootloader and packages match your hardware before installing.
• Install log: Child stdout is parsed with carriage-return handling so spinner-style progress updates in place instead of flooding the log.

Improvements & fixes

• Config load: Missing root_password_hash no longer triggers a bogus “missing section” warning; set the root password in the TUI when you rely on plaintext flow.
• Docs: README slimmed toward pointers; configuration, install, usage, and development docs expanded (preset layout, mirrors, desktop packages).

Risky / review before relying on it

• Install pipeline (flow + stdout pumping) changed; do a real or VM install after upgrading, not only dry-run, if you care about long-running command output.
• Preset content (bootloader, AUR, disk hints) is opinionated; loading a preset does not replace double-checking partitioning, encryption, and bootloader choices in the TUI.

Breaking changes

• None intended for normal TUI users. Paths and labels for bundled examples moved under configs/examples/; old “load from cwd only” behavior is replaced by the preset popup plus optional local archinstall-rs.config.toml.

---

Before tagging v0.2.2: set version = "0.2.2" in Cargo.toml and update Cargo.lock if needed.

Suggested verification

• cargo build --release
• cargo test
• On an Arch ISO or test VM: cargo run -- --dry-run (and a short non-destructive flow) after loading a preset you care about

Arch ISO (one command)

curl -fsSL https://github.com/Firstp1ck/archinstall-rs/releases/download/v0.2.2/install.sh | bash

Or download archinstall-rs and SHA256SUMS from this release and run sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS && chmod +x archinstall-rs && ./archinstall-rs.

Release v0.2.1

Release date: 2026-03-21

Highlights

• Storage: One validated storage plan drives partitioning, mounts, and fstab; btrfs subvolume presets (flat / standard / extended); pre-mounted installs when /mnt is already set up.
• LUKS: Safer, quieter crypto setup (stdin passphrases, redacted logs), initramfs hooks and kernel cmdline that match your mkinitcpio style (systemd/sd-encrypt vs classic encrypt), and fewer false failures when mkinitcpio exits non-zero on warnings only.
• Firmware & mounts: systemd-boot is blocked on BIOS/legacy with a clear hint to use GRUB; ESP vfat mounting is more reliable (FAT support check, fallbacks, better recovery when the live ISO kernel and modules disagree).

New

• Pre-mounted mode with cached mount/swap probes and clearer info in the disks flow.
• Optional btrfs_subvolume_preset in saved config ([disks]); omitted configs behave like before (flat).
• Release workflow assets: tagged builds publish the binary, SHA256SUMS, and install.sh for the documented curl-to-bash install path.

Improvements & fixes

• LUKS: correct bootloader/kernel options when the root is on btrfs subvolumes; tighter mkinitcpio HOOKS= detection; non-interactive cryptsetup and stronger dm-crypt module loading.
• Manual partitioning: clearer parted byte-range rules (length vs end), overlap / past-100% rejection; btrfs preset available in manual mode when root is btrfs.
• BIOS GRUB in pre-mounted setups resolves the whole-disk target from mounts and disk selection.
• Preflight can warn when the live environment’s kernel and module versions look mismatched (a common ESP mount footgun).

Breaking changes

• None for normal TUI/config users. Internal APIs used only by tests or forks may need updates (e.g. bootloader planning now takes the storage plan).

Arch ISO (one command)

curl -fsSL https://github.com/Firstp1ck/archinstall-rs/releases/download/v0.2.1/install.sh | bash

Or download archinstall-rs and SHA256SUMS from this release and run sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS && chmod +x archinstall-rs && ./archinstall-rs.

v0.2.0

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.

v0.1.0

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

1. Boot into Arch Linux live environment
2. Ensure internet connection
3. Download via curl -LO https://github.com/Firstp1ck/archinstall-rs/releases/download/v0.1.0/archinstall-rs
4. 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!"

5. Make executable with chmod +x archinstall-rs
6. Run ./archinstall-rs
7. Navigate through configuration sections
8. Review your setup
9. 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.

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Made with ❤️ and 🦀 for the Arch Linux community