[Guide] 🖥️ Arch Linux Installer on Edge 2 ✨

DarkevilPT · February 13, 2024, 3:32pm

Arch Linux Installers for Khadas Edge Boards

Arch Linux ⇄ Mini Arch ⇄ BredOS
Deep Guide for Arch Linux by @boogiepop

Linux UEFI

EDK2 UEFI
Arch Linux Generic UEFI

1usOS by @kwankiu
EndeavourOS ARM by @Pudge
Manjaro by @Spikerguy
Kruescue Arch Linux by Khadas

Move it to your usb drive plug it into edge 2 boot 8wow via (function key + rest) + function key > Install your file on ‘write to emmc’ inside 8wow.

Arch Linux ARM (ALARM) – Major Issues & Workarounds

ALARM is not officially supported by Arch Linux. Expect inconsistencies.
Mirror reliability is a common issue. You may frequently need to change mirrors.

Update your mirrors using rate-mirrors :

rate-mirrors arch
# Then manually edit if needed:
# sudo nano /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

WiFi USB Issue on First Reboot After Installation

During initial setup, the installer may reboot before completing configuration , and:
- Your WiFi USB adapter will not auto-reconnect .
- The process appears stuck or broken.

Fix :
Simply hot unplug and replug the WiFi USB dongle .
The system will detect it and reconnect automatically, allowing the installation to continue.

🖱️Pacman & Arch-Based System Maintenance Tips ▼

Essential Pacman Commands

Check and edit your Pacman repositories:

sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf

Initialize and refresh keyring:

sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key --populate
sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys
sudo pacman -S archlinux-keyring

Fix locked database issues:

sudo rm /var/lib/pacman/db.lck

Verify installed Linux firmware packages:

pacman -Q | grep linux-firmware

System Performance & DE Fixes

Set SoC governor to performance mode:

acu soc performance

Fix missing icons in some desktop environments:

sudo pacman -S librsvg

Force reinstall and overwrite all files (last-resort system fix):

sudo pacman -S --overwrite "*" $(pacman -Qqn)

Chromium Browser Tweak

Enable GTK4 support in Chromium:

sudo nano /etc/chromium.d/default-flags

Add this line:

export CHROMIUM_FLAGS="$CHROMIUM_FLAGS --gtk-version=4"

ARM Configuraton Utility aka ACU

ACU is a community-built tool designed for managing configurations and packages on Arch Linux ARM (still in beta development).

Type - 'acu' - acu install app -y # -y will work as expected ex: acu -y install chromium
Try acu --update=dev for the dev branch. Try acu -u and acu update for that updated status.
For everyone: bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kwankiu/acu/main/acu) -u

Web Browser

This guide shows how to install the Chromium browser with or without Rockchip MPP support, including Flatpak alternatives.

Chromium with Rockchip MPP Support

Install the version optimized for Rockchip hardware acceleration :

acu install chromium -y

Arch Linux Official Chromium

Install the latest official Chromium from the Arch Linux repositories:

acu -y install extra/chromium

Chromium via Flatpak (Cross-Distro)

Set up Chromium using Flatpak :

acu install flatpak -y
sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
sudo flatpak install flathub org.chromium.Chromium -y
sudo flatpak update -y

Flatpak ensures a sandboxed, up-to-date Chromium experience across most Linux distributions.

🪁 Fan options

Non-GPIO Fan Fix for Arch Linux

Note: The current kernel already includes this fix, but I’m leaving the instructions here for future reference.

Clone and Set Up the Fan Control Script

git clone https://github.com/XZhouQD/Rock5B_Naive_Pwm_Fan
cd Rock5B_Naive_Pwm_Fan/
cp fan_pwm /usr/local/bin/
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/fan_pwm
cp fan_pwm.service /etc/systemd/system/
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl start fan_pwm
systemctl enable fan_pwm

This will install and enable the custom fan controller.

Manual Fan Management

Prevent the system from automatically controlling the fan:

sudo pacman -S i2c-tools --noconfirm
echo user_space | sudo tee /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/policy
sudo i2cset -y -f 2 0x18 0x8A 0x20

Fan Speed Reference:

0x41 = 50%

0x64 = 100%

Wifi and BT Tricks

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Setup for Intel AX210 (Firmware Installation Example)

Note: An Ethernet connection is required to install the necessary firmware for AX210 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality.

Wi-Fi Firmware Installation

Download and install the Wi-Fi firmware:

# Download AX210 Wi-Fi firmware
sudo wget -P /lib/firmware https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-59.ucode

# Backup existing PNVM firmware file (if present)
sudo mv /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm.bak

Bluetooth Firmware Installation

Download the Bluetooth firmware files:

# Download Intel Bluetooth firmware files
sudo wget -P /lib/firmware/intel https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/intel/ibt-0041-0041.sfi
sudo wget -P /lib/firmware/intel https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/intel/ibt-0041-0041.ddc

Bluetooth Module Fix for Intel Wi-Fi/BT

Open the blacklist configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Add the following lines (you can place them at the bottom of the file):

blacklist pgdrv
blacklist btusb
blacklist btrtl
blacklist btbcm
#blacklist btintel

Save and exit:

Press Ctrl + X , then Y , and hit Enter .

Final Bluetooth Setup

Note: Installing bluez or bluetooth is not required on the latest versions of Arch Linux.

# Check Bluetooth service status
systemctl status bluetooth

# Start Bluetooth service
systemctl start bluetooth

Reboot your system to apply all changes.

📢 Audio options

Bluetooth Audio Setup Tutorial (Optional)

Note: This is generally not required on newer kernels, but can be helpful if you’re experiencing issues with Bluetooth audio.

The following steps offer useful information for troubleshooting or improving Bluetooth audio support.

Install Required Audio Packages

acu install pulseaudio pulseaudio-alsa pavucontrol pulseaudio-bluetooth pulseaudio-equalizer paprefs

Start PulseAudio

pulseaudio --start

Switch from PulseAudio to PipeWire

# Reload user services
systemctl --user daemon-reload

# Disable PulseAudio services
systemctl --user --now disable pulseaudio.service pulseaudio.socket

# Enable PipeWire and PipeWire-Pulse
systemctl --user --now enable pipewire pipewire-pulse

Verify Audio Server

pactl info

Final Step

Reboot your system:

reboot

💽 Flashing Software

Flashing Images via Rockchip Dev Tools App

This guide explains how to flash images using rkdevtools on Windows , and also includes a short terminal-based guide for flashing via SPI .

Image Preparation

Decompress Images
Use WinRAR to decompress .img.xz files to .img . Do not use the Windows “Extract All” option.

Flashing via Rockchip Dev Tools

Tick ‘Write by Address’

Select the Rockchip Boot Loader SPL file:
rk3588_spl_loader_v1.15.113.bin .

For SPI

Select SPINOR and use the Loader Image for flashing.

Follow Khadas Utils

Flash OOWOW Back to Khadas Edge2

OOWOW is Khadas’ embedded service for system installation and maintenance. Here’s how to reflash it to SPI:

Reflash Instructions

Download the OOWOW Image

curl -LO https://dl.khadas.com/products/edge2/firmware/oowow/edge2-oowow-latest-spi.img.gz

Decompress the Image

gzip -d edge2-oowow-latest-spi.img.gz

Flash to SPI

Warning: This will overwrite your SPI flash. Make sure you want to reset OOWOW.

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mtdblock0
sudo dd if=edge2-oowow-latest-spi.img of=/dev/mtdblock0

More Resources

Boot from SD to NVMe
Learn how to boot the system using SPI→SD→NVMe boot chain for advanced setups.
Android Build for Khadas
Explore custom Android ROM building tailored for the Edge2 platform.

🥛 App Manager Hubs

App Management on Linux

FlatHub: Access Hundreds of Linux Apps and Games

Set up Flatpak and add the FlatHub repository:

acu -y install flatpak
sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
sudo flatpak update -y

This gives you access to a wide selection of apps and games available on FlatHub.

Bauh: Manage Apps from Multiple Sources

Install Bauh , a graphical package manager that supports Flatpak, AppImage, Snap, AUR, and more:

acu -y install bauh

Bauh provides a unified interface to manage packages from different ecosystems.

panel-themes

🎢 Package Managers Builders ⌨️

🐧 Universal Package Management (UPT)▼

“One command to manage all the packages on all the distributions.”

Install Dependencies

sudo pacman -S gcc make rustup

Install UPT

rustup default stable
cargo install upt

Add Cargo to PATH

Edit your bash profile:

nano ~/.bash_profile

Add this line:

export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.cargo/bin"

Then reboot your system:

sudo reboot

You can now use commands like sudo upt update , sudo upt upgrade , and more.

🥤YaY - Yet another Yogurt:▼

An AUR helper written in Go.
Unlike pacman , Yay installs packages from both the official repos and the AUR.

Install Yay

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si
yay --version

🏝️ Paru – Minimal AUR Helper ▼

A modern, user-friendly AUR helper with low interaction and many features.

Install Paru

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git
cd paru
makepkg -si

👊🏼 AGR - Arch Git Repositories:▼

🧠 ARB – Package/Repo Builder by 7Ji:▼

ARB is a package builder - repo builder

Graphics Acceleration / Performance

Panfrost Graphics Tuning (Wayland) with LiuJianFeng & PPA Fork

This section covers performance tuning for CPU, GPU, NPU, and DDR on systems using Panfrost graphics and Wayland , including the OpenCL runtime ( libmali ).

Manually Set Performance Governors

Edit or manually apply performance settings to optimize system responsiveness:

# Optional: View current DDR governor
sudo nano /sys/class/devfreq/dmc/governor

# Set performance mode for CPU, GPU, DDR, and NPU
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/policy6/scaling_governor
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/fb000000.gpu/governor
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/dmc/governor
echo performance | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/fdab0000.npu/governor

Apply SoC-Wide Performance Mode

Use the acu tool to enforce performance mode across the system-on-chip:

acu soc set performance

This ensures all subsystems (CPU, GPU, DDR, NPU) operate under the performance governor.

Android on Linux

acu install waydroid -y

🎮 Steam

Steam Setup on BredOS (Multilib Support)

Install Steam and configure it for your specific GPU setup by BredOS using the acu tool.

Step 1: Add BredOS Multilib Repository

acu rem set BredOS-multilib https://repo.bredos.org/repo/$repo/$arch pacman
acu update

Step 2: Install Steam

acu install BredOS-multilib/steam

Step 3: Library Selection (Choose Based on Your GPU)

During installation, you’ll be prompted to select a Vulkan/Steam runtime library:

Option 5: lib32-vulkan-swrast
(For general compatibility or fallback software rendering)
Option 1: steam-libs-any
(Recommended for Panthor users)
Option 2: steam-libs-rk3588
(Recommended for Panfork or RK3588 devices)

Step 4: Run Games with Improved Compatibility

In Steam Settings → Game Launch Options , use the following flag to improve compatibility:

-force-opengl

Also make sure you’re running games with the latest non-experimental Proton version.

Desktop Ricing #Unixporn

🛠️ Tweaks and Shell Extensions 🔧

Install GNOME Tweaks and Extension Tools

acu install gnome-tweaks gnome-shell-extensions gnome-browser-connector fakeroot git dpkg --noconfirm

Open GNOME Tweaks

Launch Tweaks , and under the “Titlebar” section:

Enable Titlebar Buttons (e.g., minimize/maximize)

(Why is this even disabled by default…)

Install and Manage Extensions

Visit extensions.gnome.org to browse and install GNOME Shell extensions.

You can now install popular extensions like:

User Themes – Load custom GTK/Shell themes.
Dash to Panel or Dash to Dock – Enhance the GNOME panel/dock experience.
Freon or Vitals – Show temperature, CPU/GPU/RAM usage, and more.
Compiz-like Wobbly Windows – Add window wobble effects for nostalgia.
Burn My Windows – Add animated window closing effects to spice things up.

Rice your Desktop

Rice Your Desktop – Themes, Icons, and Shell Style

Customize the look and feel of your Linux desktop using themes, icon packs, and wallpapers.

Step 1: Download Customization Files

Download your preferred .themes files
Download matching .icons files
Download your chosen wallpaper

Save them to your Downloads directory.

Step 2: Extract Themes and Icons

cd Downloads

# Extract theme
sudo tar -xf Graphite-teal-nord-rimless.tar.xz -C /usr/share/themes

# Extract icon pack
sudo tar -xf Zafiro-Nord-Black.tar.xz -C /usr/share/icons

# Optional: Use another theme
sudo tar -xf Cold-Metal-No-Logo-GTK.tar.xz -C /usr/share/themes

Step 3: Create User Theme & Icon Folders (If Needed)

mkdir -p ~/.themes ~/.icons

You can also change ownership/permissions if needed for easier access:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.themes ~/.icons

Step 4: Enable User Themes Extension

Use GNOME Tweaks and GNOME Shell Extensions to enable the User Themes extension.

Step 5: Apply Themes in GNOME Tweaks

Open the Tweaks application
Go to the “Appearance” section
Select your desired:

Applications theme
Shell theme
Icon pack
Cursor

Your desktop is now riced and stylish!

Your Login Manager

Your Login Manager – SDDM Setup & Theming

Set up and personalize your Linux login experience using SDDM , the Simple Desktop Display Manager.

Install SDDM with Qt6 Features

acu -y install sddm qt6-svg qt6-virtualkeyboard qt6-multimedia-ffmpeg

Enable SDDM and Disable Other Display Managers

Make sure only SDDM is active to ensure proper functionality:

sudo systemctl disable display-manager.service
sudo systemctl enable sddm

Test Your SDDM Themes (Before Applying)

Preview how themes will look with the greeter:

sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/maya
sddm-greeter-qt6 --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme

Install the Astronaut Theme by KeyitDev

The Astronaut Theme is one of the best and most polished SDDM themes available.

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme/master/setup.sh)"

KeyitDev’s work delivers an elegant, modern login experience.

sudo git clone https://github.com/JaKooLit/simple-sddm-2.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/simple-sddm-2
echo "[Theme]
Current=simple-sddm-2" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/simple-sddm-2

sudo git clone https://github.com/RadRussianRus/sddm-slice.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-slice
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-slice" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-slice

SteamOS Theme

sudo git clone https://github.com/JiayuanWen/sddm-sugar-steamOS.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-sugar-steamOS
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-sugar-steamOS" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-sugar-steamOS

sudo git clone https://github.com/Match-Yang/sddm-deepin.git
cd sddm-deepin
bash ./install.sh
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/deepin

sudo git clone https://github.com/Michal-Szczepaniak/sddm-theme-amadeus.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-theme-amadeus
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-theme-amadeus" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-theme-amadeus

sudo git clone https://github.com/m-wynn/sddm_wynn-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm_wynn-theme
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm_wynn-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm_wynn-theme

sudo git clone https://github.com/3ximus/abstractdark-sddm-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/abstractdark-sddm-theme
echo "[Theme]
Current=abstractdark-sddm-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/abstractdark-sddm-theme

sudo git clone https://github.com/AlfredoRamos/urbanlifestyle-sddm-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/urbanlifestyle-sddm-theme
echo "[Theme]
Current=urbanlifestyle-sddm-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/urbanlifestyle-sddm-theme

Source KDE themes
Source KDE themes
Github for SDDM themes

Your Linux Terminal

Installing Zsh and Oh My Zsh

1. Install Zsh and set it as the default shell:

sudo acu install zsh nano -y
chsh -s $(which zsh)

2. Install Oh My Zsh :

Run the following command to install Oh My Zsh :

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

When prompted, type Y to set Oh My Zsh as your default shell. This will also create a ~/.zshrc file in your home directory. You can edit this file later.

Make Zsh the Default Shell for Bash

If you’re still using Bash, you can set Zsh as the default by running:

echo 'exec /usr/bin/zsh' >>~/.bashrc

Install Powerlevel10k Theme

Clone the Powerlevel10k repository :

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ~/powerlevel10k

Add the Powerlevel10k theme to your ~/.zshrc

echo 'source ~/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.zsh-theme' >>~/.zshrc

Change Zsh theme :Open your ~/.zshrc file:

nano ~/.zshrc

Change the ZSH_THEME line to:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Save and exit by pressing Ctrl + X , then Y .

Final Steps

Open a new terminal window with Ctrl + T and type zsh .Your terminal should now look something like this:

Configure Powerlevel10k

To enter the Powerlevel10k configuration wizard, run:

p10k configure

Update Powerlevel10k

To update Powerlevel10k , run:

git -C ~/powerlevel10k pull

Uninstalling Zsh and Oh My Zsh

If you want to remove Zsh , Oh My Zsh , and Powerlevel10k :

Remove Installations & Configurations :

sudo rm -f ~/.p10k.zsh
sudo rm -rf -- ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k
sudo sh ~/.oh-my-zsh/tools/uninstall.sh -y

Remove Zsh and related packages :

sudo pacman -Rns zsh

Delete Zsh Configuration Files :

sudo rm -Rf ~/.zsh*

With this setup, your terminal should now look sleek and modern with the Powerlevel10k theme. Enjoy!

Desktop Environments

Explore alternative desktop environments tailored for ARM devices. For full documentation, visit:
Archcraft ARM Wiki

Archcraft ARM – Minimal & Elegant

main

acu -y install yay
curl -LO https://github.com/archcraft-os/archcraft-arm/releases/download/1.0/archcraft-arm.tar.gz
tar -xzvf archcraft-arm.tar.gz
cd archcraft-arm

# Optional: customize install script
nano customize.sh

# Default user/pass: archcraft
sudo ./install.sh

Extra Openbox Themes

git clone https://github.com/addy-dclxvi/openbox-theme-collections
sudo cp -r $HOME/openbox-theme-collections/* $HOME/.config/openbox/themes

Fix Polybar Modules in Themes

For example, in the “default” Openbox theme:

Open the Polybar config file:

nano ~/.config/openbox/themes/default/polybar/config.ini

Find the line:

modules-right = battery dot ...

Replace it with:

modules-right = temperature dot volume dot network dot LD sysmenu RD

Pixarch (Experimental)

A still-in-development desktop environment.
May contain bugs – use with caution.

acu -y install yay
git clone https://github.com/heisenburgh/pixarch.git
cd pixarch/installation_scripts
./install.sh

JaKooLit – Arch Hyprland Setup

A Hyprland-based Arch experience with custom styling.

acu -y install yay
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/JaKooLit/Arch-Hyprland.git ~/Arch-Hyprland
cd ~/Arch-Hyprland
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

Keybinding Note:
Hyprland environments often require changing the modifier key:

# Look for:
nano ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf
nano ~/.config/hypr/configs/Keybinds.conf

# Change from:
$mainMod = SUPER

# To:
$mainMod = FN+SUPER

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