What else is different from Arch?

[dalto]

@BluishHumility

This is not quite right. Mkinitcpio is not provided by the base package (see here: https://archlinux.org/packages/core/any/base/).

You are right, so it is actually easier. You probably just need to pacstrap base linux linux-headers dracut

@BluishHumility

unless you include it in your package list when you run pacstrap you will not get it by default.

I think you will get it actually. It will get pulled in by any kernel package since it is the first choice for the initcpio dependency.

That means if you specific dracut in the pacstrap package list, that should be enough to replace mkinitcpio with dracut.

[BluishHumility]

@dalto

if you specific dracut in the pacstrap package list, that should be enough to replace mkinitcpio with dracut.

Yes, on a recent Arch install I used a list of packages that included dracut for my pacstrap and my resulting installation did not include mkinitcpio at all.

It is interesting that mkinitcpio and dracut do not conflict with each other from a package management perspective. Do you know if there is some reason they have decided to allow them both to be installed? It seems like it would cause nothing but problems.

[dalto]

@BluishHumility

It is interesting that mkinitcpio and dracut do not conflict with each other from a package management perspective. Do you know if there is some reason they have decided to allow them both to be installed? It seems like it would cause nothing but problems.

I don’t have any inside information but it is probably because they don’t technically conflict. Since the dracut package ships without any hooks, it doesn’t hurt to have it installed. However, if you actually start using it, you will likely have a problem…

[anon11595408]

So, to sum this up, if you install Arch Linux The ArchWiki way without any intervention (as described in the ArchWiki), and without explicitly installing dracut, you will always end up with an mkinitcpio-installation.

Thank you all!

[hook]

Is there a resource that explains these sane defaults?

That would be my main reason to switch to EndeavourOS.

[anthony93]

A summary of the distro’s out-of-the-box features.

https://endeavouros.com/latest-release/

[hook]

That is quite useful as an update, but what I wonder is the little, yet important things, such as standard(-ish) out-of-the-box ssh hardening, login brute-force prevention etc.

I imagine vanilla Arch would leave all that to the user, as opposed to a more curated distro. So I wonder how much I need to dive into these things myself on EndeavourOS.

[dalto]

@hook

such as standard(-ish) out-of-the-box ssh hardening, login brute-force prevention etc.

The only security-related changes we make is installing and enabling a firewall by default.

[hook]

Is there any documentation on what makes sense to do from the security PoV (apart from disk encryption and the firewall)?

[Kresimir]

That is very individual. For example, I don’t do disk encryption at all, I just encrypt the individual files that contain sensitive information and I am mindful never to write them to disk when I decrypt them.

[dalto]

@hook

Is there any documentation on what makes sense to do from the security PoV

There is no EOS specific documentation on that.

The Arch wiki has a security section:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Security

[hook]

So nothing extra on top of what Arch already does, got it.

Thanks, will look into it

[drunkenvicar]

@dalto

In my opinion, here is what EOS provides:

• A graphical installation process
  • online installs with a set of defaults that can be highly customized to the personal preferences
  • offline installs are more opinionated with a fixed set of software and configurations installed
• A set of preconfigured environments for both WMs and DEs. These are optionally installed via the online installer. In the case of DEs, these are mostly very light customizations with the exception of xfce.
• A set of tools/scripts/applications to make getting started and maintaining the system easier.
• dracut instead of mkinitcpio
• An active, friendly and helpful community

This is concise and more than enough plusses for the new user who is intimidated by the arch installation and/or community. I should know, I am one. It’s been 2 weeks and I appreciate and even love the “terminal-centric” existence as I prefer it. I really dig it. I have a #1 and this is my #2…but I don’t spend much time on my #1 lately. Endeavour is that kind of OS.

[hook]

I agree. My comment was not trying to diminish it. I’m merely trying to understand what are the “sane defaults” we are talking about, so I can plan my installation properly.

I’ve used Gentoo for a decade or so (and Manjaro lately), so I have no problem with the console and tweaking, but I know that I am quite rusty. I am also – as probably others looking at EndeavourOS – lacking the time to go LFS, so knowing the defaults helps a lot.

I hope that if something was in any way (widely) dangerous, it would be either already fixed by default in EndeavourOS or documented as a step in its installation documentation.