Alpine Linux
security
simplicity
resource efficiency
musl libc, BusyBox, OpenRC init

Initial Setup

There is no sudo. Alpine Linux uses doas.

Install man pages

$ apk add docs

docs is a metapackage that pulls in mandoc

Fix lacking lsusb and lspci output

$ apk add usbutils hwdata

GUI

Install desktop environment

$ setup-desktop

Install device manager (eudev is a drop-in replacement for systemd udev)

$ setup-devd udev

Install D-Bus if needed

$ apk add dbus dbus-x11

$ rc-update add dbus

$ rc-service dbus start

Install polkit and elogind

$ apk add polkit-elogind

$ rc-update add polkit

$ rc-service polkit start

$ apk add xfce-polkit

$ apk add elogind

$ rc-update add elogind

$ rc-service elogind start

Install PipeWire and related components

$ apk add pipewire wireplumber pipewire-pulse pipewire-alsa pavucontrol

Install fonts

$ apk add font-terminus font-inconsolata font-dejavu font-noto font-noto-cjk font-awesome font-noto-extra

Start login manager

$ rc-service lightdm start

Package Management

Alpine Package Keeper (apk)

Search for a package name

$ apk search vim

and show description too

$ apk search -v vim

Search for exact match (-e or -x or --exact)

$ apk search -e vim

Search in description (--description)

$ apk search -d vim

Search reverse dependencies / required by (--rdepends)

$ apk search -r gvim

Add (install)

$ apk add vim

or manually edit package list

$ vim /etc/apk/world

$ apk fix

Delete (remove/uninstall)

$ apk del vim

and recursively delete dependencies

$ apk del -r vim

Fix (reinstall)

$ apk fix vim

and also fix dependencies (--depends)

$ apk fix -d vim

Update package list and upgrade all packages

$ apk update

$ apk upgrade

or both actions combined

$ apk -U upgrade

Upgrade specific package(s)

$ apk upgrade vim screen mc htop nmap

or

$ apk add -u vim

Prevent package upgrade

$ apk add 'vim=9.1.1415-r0'

or

$ apk add 'vim<9.1.1415'

then allow upgrading later

$ apk add 'vim>9.1.1415'

Ask for confirmation (--interactive)

$ apk -i upgrade

Do not make any changes (--simulate)

$ apk -s upgrade

Remove old packages from cache

$ apk cache clean

List all packages (show license and installation status by default)

$ apk list

List specific package(s)

$ apk list vim

and also show description

$ apk list -v vim

List upgradable packages

$ apk list -u

but do not show license and status (--quiet)

$ apk list -u -q

List installed packages

$ apk list -I

List orphaned packages

$ apk list -O

Show installed packages

$ apk info

and show version information

$ apk info -v

and include version and description

$ apk info -vv

Show "required by" reverse dependencies (--rdepends)

$ apk info -r xxd

Show "depends on" package dependencies (--depends)

$ apk info -R vim

Show "contains" – files provided by package (--contents)

$ apk info -L vim

Show "is owned by" – which package owns the specific file (--who-owns)

$ apk info -W /etc/rc.conf

Show all information about package (--all)

$ apk info -a vim

Show statistics about all packages

$ apk stats

OpenRC Init System

Start, stop, restart, status of services

$ rc-service sshd start

$ rc-service lightdm stop

$ rc-service networking restart

$ rc-service networking status

Add, delete services

$ rc-update add sshd

$ rc-update delete sshd

Show all services and their corresponding runlevels

$ rc-update show

include all services, even without runlevel

$ rc-update show -v

Show services at specific runlevel

$ rc-update show default

$ rc-update show boot

View active runlevel and services

$ rc-status

List runlevels

$ rc-status -l

Change runlevel

$ openrc single

$ openrc default