How to Install Alpine Linux: A Step-by-Step Guide

Alpine Linux has gained significant popularity in recent years, especially among developers and system administrators looking for a lightweight, secure, and resource-efficient operating system. Its small footprint makes it an excellent choice for containers, embedded systems, and even as a minimalist desktop.

If you’re ready to dive into the world of Alpine, this guide will walk you through the installation process step-by-step.

Why Alpine Linux?

Before we begin, let’s quickly highlight some of Alpine’s key advantages:

Extremely Small: The base installation is incredibly tiny, typically under 100MB.
Security-Focused: Alpine uses musl libc and PaX patches in the kernel, enhancing security.
Simplicity: It follows a “KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy, making it easy to understand and manage.
Performance: Its lightweight nature translates to faster boot times and lower resource consumption.

What You’ll Need

Alpine Linux ISO: Download the appropriate ISO image from the official Alpine Linux website. Choose the “Standard” or “Extended” version depending on your needs.
USB Drive (or DVD): A 1GB or larger USB drive to create a bootable installer.
USB Creator Tool: Etcher, Rufus (Windows), or dd (Linux/macOS) to write the ISO to the USB drive.
Target System: A computer or virtual machine where you want to install Alpine.
Internet Connection: Recommended for downloading packages during installation.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Create a Bootable USB Drive

For Windows (using Rufus):

Download and run Rufus.
Select your USB drive.
Click “SELECT” and choose the Alpine Linux ISO.
Click “START” to create the bootable drive.

For Linux/macOS (using dd):

Identify your USB drive’s device name (e.g., /dev/sdX or /dev/diskX). Be extremely careful with this step, as an incorrect device will wipe your data.
Open a terminal and run:

sudo dd if=/path/to/alpine-standard-x.x.x-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

Replace /path/to/alpine-standard-x.x.x-x86_64.iso with the actual path to your ISO and /dev/sdX with your USB drive’s device name.

2. Boot from the USB Drive

Insert the bootable USB drive into your target system.
Restart your computer and enter your system’s BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, F10, F12, or Del during boot).
Change the boot order to prioritize the USB drive.
Save the changes and exit. Your system should now boot into the Alpine Linux installer.

3. Initial Configuration (Live Environment)

Once Alpine boots, you’ll be greeted with a login: prompt.

Log in as root (no password by default).
Start the installation script:

setup-alpine

The setup-alpine script will guide you through the initial configuration:

Keyboard Layout: Choose your keyboard layout (e.g., us, dk).
Hostname: Enter a hostname for your system (e.g., alpinebox).
Network Configuration:
- ip method: Choose dhcp for automatic IP configuration or static for manual setup. If you choose dhcp, it will try to configure automatically.
- If you need to configure Wi-Fi, select the wireless interface. You’ll be prompted for an SSID and password.
Root Password: Set a strong password for the root user.
Timezone: Select your continent and city (e.g., Europe, Copenhagen).
NTP Client: Press Enter to use the default chrony.
Proxy: Leave blank unless you use a proxy.
Mirror: Choose a mirror for packages. Press Enter to select the default fastest mirror.
SSH Server: Choose openssh if you want to enable SSH access.
Disk Setup: This is the most crucial step.
- You’ll see a list of available disks (e.g., sda, vda). Select the disk you want to install Alpine on.
- WARNING: This will erase all data on the selected disk.
- Choose the installation mode:
  - sys: Full disk installation (recommended for persistent installs).
  - data: Install to a data partition, keeping existing partitions.
  - lvm: For Logical Volume Management setup.
- Confirm your choice by typing y and pressing Enter. The installer will partition and format the disk.

4. Finalizing the Installation

Once the disk setup is complete, the setup-alpine script will copy the necessary files to your hard drive. This process is usually very quick due to Alpine’s small size.

After the script finishes, you’ll be returned to the root prompt.

5. Reboot Your System

Remove the USB installation media.
Reboot your system:

reboot

Your system should now boot directly into your newly installed Alpine Linux.

6. Post-Installation Steps (Optional but Recommended)

Log in as root: Use the password you set during installation.
Update Packages:
apk update apk upgrade
This ensures all your installed packages are up to date.
Install Essential Tools: Alpine uses apk as its package manager. You might want to install some basic tools:
apk add nano htop bash bash-completion
(Note: bash is not the default shell in Alpine; ash is. If you prefer bash, you can install it.)
Create a Regular User (Highly Recommended): Running as root for daily tasks is a security risk.
adduser yourusername passwd yourusername
Follow the prompts to set a password. Add the user to the wheel group for sudo privileges:
apk add sudo adduser yourusername wheel
Then, edit the sudoers file:
visudo
Uncomment the line # %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL to enable sudo for the wheel group. Save and exit (Ctrl+X, Y, Enter if using nano).
Install a Desktop Environment (Optional): If you’re using Alpine as a desktop, you’ll need to install a desktop environment like Xfce, LXQt, or MATE. This will significantly increase the system’s size.
apk add xorg-server xfce4 xfce4-terminal lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter rc-update add lightdm default reboot
(This is just an example for Xfce; refer to the Alpine Wiki for other DEs.)

More steps

After the installation, I recommend completing a few other tasks.

Create a server birth certificate.
Enabling a secure firewall.
Disable root SSH login.
Create a SSH key-pair.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Alpine Linux. You now have a lean, fast, and secure base system to build upon. Explore the Alpine Linux Wiki and apk package manager to further customize your installation to suit your specific needs. Enjoy the simplicity and efficiency of Alpine!