Installing
Void Linux

Thanks a lot to Linuxiac! This guide was written by Bobby Borisov: you can find the original here: https://linuxiac.com/void-linux-installation/

Void Linux is an independent Linux distribution following a rolling release model, developed entirely by volunteers. It appeals to users who prefer a lightweight, minimalistic, highly customizable Linux experience. What sets it apart from most other distributions is that Void is not a derivative of any other — it is a genuinely original build from scratch.

Most importantly for us: Void is systemd-free by design. It uses runit as its init system — a minimalist, extremely fast supervisor that is easy to configure and true to the Unix tradition. Void will never ship systemd by default. This is not a political stance by the maintainers. It is simply part of what Void is.

You can install Void Linux directly to your computer or inside a virtual machine using VirtualBox or KVM. If using a VM, you must enable EFI in the virtual machine settings before starting the installation. Otherwise an error will occur when attempting to install the GRUB bootloader.

VirtualBox

Enable EFI in VirtualBox settings before booting the ISO

Virt-Manager / KVM

Enable UEFI firmware in virt-manager VM settings

Void comes with two C standard libraries: glibc and musl. glibc is widely used and has the broadest software compatibility. musl is a cleaner, smaller implementation but some programs may not yet support it fully.

For this guide we will use the glibc version. Visit the Void Linux download page and grab the base Live image with glibc.

Download the base Live glibc image from voidlinux.org

Once the ISO finishes downloading, create a bootable USB drive. You can use the dd command, or a graphical tool such as Etcher or Ventoy. Any method that writes the ISO correctly to the USB will work.

Shut down your computer, plug in the USB, and boot. If secure boot is enabled in your BIOS and prevents booting, disable it first.

Once booted into the Void ISO, you will see the boot menu. Choose the first option and press Enter.

Void Linux live boot menu — select the first option

After the kernel loads you will be dropped into a root terminal. Log in with username root and password voidlinux.

Log in as root / voidlinux, then launch the installer

Start the installer by typing:

Void uses a simple text-based installer that walks you through each step. Press Enter to begin.

The void-installer welcome screen

Select your keyboard layout. Navigate to your layout and press Enter.

Select your keyboard layout from the list

Keyboard layout confirmed

The installer will detect your network adapter. Choose Yes for DHCP to automatically obtain an IP address from your router.

Network adapter detected — enable DHCP

Network working correctly — press Enter to continue

Select Network to fetch the latest packages directly from the Void repositories. This requires a working internet connection but ensures you get the most up-to-date software.

Select Network for the latest packages

Enter a hostname for your machine. It can be anything you want — this is the name your system will use to identify itself on the network.

Enter your desired hostname — "void" is a fine choice

Select en_US.UTF-8 or the locale appropriate for your language and region.

Select en_US.UTF-8 or your preferred locale

Select the timezone closest to your location to set the system clock correctly.

Choose your continent first, then your city

Timezone set — press Enter to continue

Set a strong password for the root account. You will be asked to confirm it. Do not use a weak password here — this is full system access.

Enter and confirm a strong root password

Create your primary user account. This is the account you will use for day-to-day access to the desktop.

Enter your desired username

Enter the full name for your user account

Accept the default groups — they are appropriate for daily use

Select the disk where GRUB will be installed. If you have only one disk, select it. When asked about the graphical terminal for the bootloader, choose Yes.

Select the disk for GRUB installation

Choose Yes for the graphical terminal

Select your disk and choose cfdisk as the partitioning tool — it is the simplest. When asked for a label type, select gpt.

Create three partitions:

Select cfdisk as the partitioning tool

Select Free Space and hit New to create the first partition

Set the first partition type to EFI System

Create the root partition using all remaining space

Select Write to save the partition table, type "yes" to confirm

Once done, select Quit to exit cfdisk and return to the installer.

Now assign a filesystem type and mount point to each partition:

Select vfat for the EFI partition

Select swap for the second partition

Select ext4 for the root partition

When all three partitions are configured, scroll to Done and press Enter. Then select Install and confirm with Yes. The download and installation will begin.

Package download and installation in progress — this takes a few minutes

Installation complete — select Yes to reboot

Void Linux base system installed successfully

At this point your Void Linux system has only the essential command-line packages. No desktop environment is installed yet. Log in as root and proceed.

First, change the default root shell to Bash:

Change the default shell to bash, then log out and back in

Log out with Ctrl+D and log back in so the change takes effect. Then install GNOME:

Once installed, enable the required services using runit. In Void, enabling a service means creating a symlink in /var/service/:

Enable PipeWire and WirePlumber to autostart when you log into the desktop:

The GDM login screen on your new Void Linux system

Void Linux with GNOME — fully installed and running without systemd

Congratulations. You are now running Void Linux with runit. Your PID 1 does one thing and does it well. From here, the Void Linux Handbook is your best next resource for configuration, package management, and customization.