How to customize your EndeavourOS install process

EndeavourOS provides users a couple of ways to customize what to install.

File /home/liveuser/user_pkglist.txt

This is the easy way is to add your favorite package names to be installed.
The file is already provided on the ISO. Use only package names from the repos, not from AUR. Write only one package name per line.

File /home/liveuser/user_commands.bash

This is a much more advanced feature. You can write various commands to this file. This script file will be executed (as root) in the end of the install process. With this file you can customize the resulting installed system in many ways, e.g.

  • install and/or remove packages
  • enable and disable systemd services
  • write and/or customize files in the $HOME folder of the new user (e.g. ~/.bashrc)
  • add third party repositories into /etc/pacman.conf (may help e.g. with unusual drivers!)
  • customize grub features (e.g. blacklist unnecessary drivers)
  • modify various app or system configuration files
  • and more!

Limitations for the commands

The commands are run as the root user, so

  • AUR packages cannot be installed
  • some commands do not run properly as root
  • files modified under $HOME need to be chown'ed from root to the real user

In addition, commands written into this file must never stop e.g. for asking any confirmation. So, for example, pacman must be used with option --noconfirm to prevent stopping.

How to start a customized install

Simply write your commands into user_commands.bash and restart Welcome.

Or, you can use your personal URL file which contains your commands! To use the URL, re-start welcome with a terminal command:

  eos-welcome --ni="URL"

and welcome will fetch your command file and use it as user_commands.bash.
Note that the URL must start with either https:// or http:// because only these protocols are supported.

Conclusion

Please look at the files mentioned above on the ISO. They contain more tips and details, which should help you use them.
Hope you’ll enjoy these customization possibilities! :smile:

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This is now at our wiki: https://discovery.endeavouros.com/news/customizing-the-endeavouros-install-process/2022/03

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I moved the article to installation, instead of news :wink:

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Thanks! I thought I wrote it there, but obviously not… :man_facepalming:

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yes happens to me also, if you do not set topics it defaults to only news

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Glad to hear that the tables turned for once, normally it is me who overlooks things or doesn’t notice things in your area of expertise… :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: :upside_down_face:

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How to customize your EndeavourOS (in case you’re paranoid :man_detective: :dragon: :alien:)

https://github.com/endeavouros-team/EndeavourOS-calamares

:shushing_face:

That’s still the more advanced way. :sweat_smile:

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