Introduction

Welcome, intrepid adventurer, to the epic saga of installing Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre — the steadfast, uncompromising guardian of software freedom. If you’ve ever dreamed of an operating system as pure as a mountain spring and as reliable as your grandma’s fruitcake, you’ve come to the right place. In this step-by-step guide we’ll journey from “What in the world is Hyperbola?” to “Holy moly, I just built my own freedom machine!” with a dash of humor, a sprinkle of wisdom, and truckloads of detail.

Why Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre?

• Systemd-free: No service manager named after a nuclear reactor meltdown.
• Libre software only: Your computer runs exclusively on pure, unencumbered code.
• Rolling release: Fresh updates without full reinstalls. Like an ever-flowing coffee pot.
• OpenRC init: Lightweight and understandable, not a magic black box.

For more background, consult the official Hyperbola site:
https://www.hyperbola.info

System Requirements

Hyperbola is lean, but let’s ensure you have enough elbow room:

1. Downloading the ISO

Head over to the download mirror list:
https://www.hyperbola.info/download/
. Grab the ISO that matches your architecture (i686 or x86_64). Resist the urge to download some pirate-themed meme version official is better.

2. Verifying the ISO

Security first! Let’s ensure nobody tampered with our precious ISO.

1. Fetch the signature file: hyperbola-version.iso.sig.
2. Import Hyperbola’s GPG key:

   gpg --keyserver pool.sks-keyservers.net --recv-keys E3B35E0538C76362

3. Verify:

   gpg --verify hyperbola-version.iso.sig hyperbola-version.iso

4. Look for “Good signature” — if you see “BAD SIG”, go cry in a corner and re-download.

3. Creating the Installation Medium

Choose your weapon:

• USB: Using dd (dangerous, but powerful).

  dd if=hyperbola-version.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

  Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device (be very sure!).

• DVD: Burn with your favorite tool (Brasero, wodim, etc.).

After creation, eject and re-insert the medium to ensure it’s readable.

4. Booting the Installer

1. Reboot your machine.
2. Enter the BIOS/UEFI menu (F2, Del, Esc, or cake).
3. Select your USB/DVD as the first boot device.
4. Enjoy the Hyperbola boot screen. Press Enter if it’s feeling shy.

5. Preparing the Disk

Time to carve your disk into glorious partitions. You can also use cfdisk, gdisk or parted.

1. cfdisk /dev/sda rarr create partitions.
2. mkfs.ext2 /dev/sda1
3. mkswap /dev/sda2 swapon /dev/sda2
4. mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3
5. Mount:

   mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
   mkdir /mnt/boot
   mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot

6. Installing the Base System

Hyperbola uses pacman like its Arch ancestry:

pacstrap /mnt base base-devel linux-libre linux-firmware openrc

This will download and install the bare essentials. Time for coffee.

7. Generating fstab

genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

Check /mnt/etc/fstab if the UUIDs look sane. No mysterious entries pointing to Pluto.

8. Chrooting In

arch-chroot /mnt /bin/bash

You’re now inside your future system. Try not to break it.

9. Configuring the System

9.1 Timezone Clock

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

9.2 Localization

echo en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 >> /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen
echo LANG=en_US.UTF-8 > /etc/locale.conf

9.3 Hostname Hosts

echo myhyperbola > /etc/hostname
cat >> /etc/hosts << EOF
127.0.0.1   localhost
::1         localhost
127.0.1.1   myhyperbola.localdomain myhyperbola
EOF

9.4 Root Password

passwd

Type it carefully, and avoid “123456” unless you enjoy midnight system hijinks.

9.5 Install a Bootloader

1. Install GRUB:

   pacman -S grub os-prober

2. For BIOS:

   grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/sda

3. For UEFI:

   pacman -S efibootmgr
   mkdir -p /boot/EFI
   mount /dev/sda1 /boot/EFI
   grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/EFI --bootloader-id=GRUB

4. Generate config:

   grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

10. Exit and Reboot

exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

Remove your USB/DVD. On reboot you should be greeted by GRUB and a prompt to boot into your shiny new Hyperbola.

11. Post-Installation Tasks

1. Create a regular user:

   useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash alice
   passwd alice

2. Enable sudo for wheel group:

   pacman -S sudo
   EDITOR=nano visudo

   Uncomment %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL.

3. Install network tools:

   pacman -S dhcpcd networkmanager
   rc-update add NetworkManager default
   rc-update del dhcpcd default

4. Enable graphical interface (optional):

   pacman -S xorg-server xorg-apps
   pacman -S your-favorite-WM-or-DE
   rc-update add xdm default

5. Update system:

   pacman -Syu

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have slain the installation hydra and birthed a pristine Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre system. Now go forth, install libre software, dodge proprietary tentacles, and enjoy computing in the fast lane of freedom. If you ever get stuck, check out the official wiki at
https://wiki.hyperbola.info/installation
or join the community forums.

May your uptime be high, and your proprietary blobs forever banished!