🐧 BlackArch Linux i3WM KVM Setup

Complete automation suite for setting up BlackArch Linux with i3 tiling window manager and KVM virtualization

Perfect for penetration testers, security researchers, and power users

Quick Start • Features • Installation • Documentation

📖 Overview

This repository provides a complete, automated setup for transforming a fresh Arch Linux installation into a powerful penetration testing workstation with:

🕷️ BlackArch Tools - 2800+ security testing tools
🪟 i3 Window Manager - Lightweight, keyboard-driven tiling WM
💻 KVM Virtualization - Full QEMU/libvirt stack for running VMs
🎨 Modern UI - Rofi launcher, Polybar status bar, Picom compositor
📚 Complete Documentation - From Windows dual-boot to final setup

✨ Features

🔧 Core Components

✅ Automated BlackArch Repository Setup
✅ i3 Window Manager with optimized configuration
✅ KVM/QEMU Virtualization with Virt-Manager GUI
✅ LightDM Display Manager for graphical login
✅ NetworkManager with GUI applet
✅ Essential Applications: Terminal, browser, file manager
✅ System Optimization scripts included

🛠️ Security Tools (Optional)

🌐 Web Testing: Burp Suite, SQLMap, Nikto
🔍 Reconnaissance: Nmap, Wireshark, Masscan
🔓 Exploitation: Metasploit, ExploitDB
📡 Wireless: Aircrack-ng suite
🔐 Password Cracking: John the Ripper, Hashcat
🕸️ Directory Enumeration: Gobuster, ffuf

🎯 Optimized For

💻 ASUS TUF F15 Gaming Laptops
💻 ThinkPad Series (T480, T490, X1)
💻 Dell XPS 13/15
💻 Custom Desktop PCs
🖥️ 16GB+ RAM systems with virtualization support

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

✅ Arch Linux installed (or Windows for dual-boot)
✅ Internet connection
✅ 60GB+ free disk space
✅ Root/sudo access

One-Command Installation

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/NETHRANAND-20449/blackarch-i3-kvm-setup.git

# Navigate to directory
cd blackarch-i3-kvm-setup

# Make scripts executable
chmod +x step3\ gui\ setup/blackarch_setup.sh
chmod +x step4\ gui\ troubleshoot/troubleshooting_script.sh

# Run main setup script
sudo ./step3\ gui\ setup/blackarch_setup.sh

⏱️ Installation Time: 20-60 minutes depending on internet speed and selected options.

📚 Documentation

This repository includes comprehensive guides for every step:

📁 Repository Structure

blackarch-i3-kvm-setup/
│
├── 📄 step1 readme/
│   └── Main documentation and project overview
│
├── 🐧 step2 installation guide/
│   └── arch_dualboot_guide.md
│       • Complete Arch Linux installation from scratch
│       • Windows dual-boot setup
│       • Partitioning guide with examples
│       • BIOS/UEFI configuration
│       • Post-installation basics
│
├── ⚙️ step3 gui setup/
│   └── blackarch_setup.sh
│       • Main automated setup script
│       • BlackArch repository installation
│       • i3 window manager configuration
│       • KVM/QEMU virtualization setup
│       • Essential tools installation
│
├── 🔧 step4 gui troubleshoot/
│   └── troubleshooting_script.sh
│       • Interactive troubleshooting menu
│       • System diagnostics
│       • i3 configuration checker
│       • KVM/virtualization diagnostics
│       • Automated common fixes
│       • Log viewer
│
├── 🎯 step5 optimization/
│   └── System optimization tips and scripts
│
├── 💪 step6 maximum hardware usage/
│   └── Performance tuning for your hardware
│
└── 📤 step7 arch git upload/
    ├── github_readme.md - Extended documentation
    └── github_upload_guide.md - Git workflow guide

📋 Installation Guide

Step 1: Prepare Your System

If you have Windows installed:

Follow step2 installation guide/arch_dualboot_guide.md
This guide covers:
- Shrinking Windows partition
- Creating bootable USB
- Installing Arch Linux alongside Windows
- GRUB dual-boot setup

If you have Arch Linux already:

Skip to Step 2

Step 2: Run Main Setup Script

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/NETHRANAND-20449/blackarch-i3-kvm-setup.git
cd blackarch-i3-kvm-setup

# Make executable
chmod +x "step3 gui setup/blackarch_setup.sh"

# Run as root
sudo ./step3\ gui\ setup/blackarch_setup.sh

During installation you'll be asked:

Install full BlackArch tools (approx 20GB)? (y/N)

Yes: Installs all 2800+ tools (~20GB)
No: Installs essential categories only (~5GB)

Step 3: Reboot and Login

sudo reboot

System boots to LightDM login screen
Enter your username and password
i3 window manager starts automatically

Step 4: First-Time i3 Setup

On first login, i3 will prompt:

Press Enter to generate config file
Press Enter to use Win/Super key as modifier

Step 5: Verify Installation

# Check virtualization support
lscpu | grep Virtualization

# Launch Virt-Manager
virt-manager

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential i3 Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Win + Enter`	Open terminal (Alacritty)
`Win + D`	Application launcher (Rofi)
`Win + Shift + Q`	Close window
`Win + Shift + E`	Exit i3
`Win + Shift + R`	Reload i3 configuration

Window Management

Shortcut	Action
`Win + H`	Split horizontal
`Win + V`	Split vertical
`Win + F`	Toggle fullscreen
`Win + 1-9`	Switch to workspace 1-9
`Win + Shift + 1-9`	Move window to workspace

Custom Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Win + Ctrl + V`	Open Virt-Manager (VMs)
`Win + B`	Open Firefox browser
`Win + R`	Resize mode

🔧 Troubleshooting

Use the Troubleshooting Script

cd blackarch-i3-kvm-setup
chmod +x "step4 gui troubleshoot/troubleshooting_script.sh"
./step4\ gui\ troubleshoot/troubleshooting_script.sh

The script provides:

📊 System diagnostics (CPU, RAM, disk, network)
🪟 i3 configuration validation
💻 KVM/virtualization checks
🔧 Automated fixes for common issues
📝 Log viewer for debugging
⚡ Quick fix menu

Common Issues

i3 Not Starting

i3 -C -c ~/.config/i3/config  # Check config
i3-config-wizard              # Regenerate config

No Internet

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager
nmcli device wifi connect "SSID" password "PASSWORD"

Virt-Manager Permission Denied

sudo usermod -aG libvirt $USER
# Logout and login again

KVM Not Working

lscpu | grep Virtualization       # Check CPU support
sudo systemctl start libvirtd     # Start service
sudo virsh net-start default      # Start network

🎨 Customization

Change Terminal

Edit ~/.config/i3/config:

bindsym $mod+Return exec kitty    # Replace alacritty

Add Custom Shortcuts

nano ~/.config/i3/config

# Add lines like:
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+b exec firefox
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+f exec thunar
bindsym $mod+Ctrl+w exec wireshark

Install Additional Tools

# Web testing
sudo pacman -S burpsuite sqlmap nikto

# Development
sudo pacman -S code docker python-pip nodejs

# Productivity
sudo pacman -S libreoffice-fresh gimp vlc

📊 System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Component	Specification
CPU	Dual-core 64-bit with VT-x/AMD-V
RAM	8 GB
Storage	60 GB free space
Graphics	Integrated graphics
Boot	UEFI mode

Recommended Requirements

Component	Specification
CPU	Quad-core Intel i5/AMD Ryzen 5+
RAM	16 GB or more
Storage	120 GB+ SSD
Graphics	Dedicated GPU (NVIDIA/AMD)
Network	WiFi 5/6 or Ethernet

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:

Ways to Contribute

🐛 Report bugs via Issues
💡 Suggest features or improvements
📝 Improve documentation
🔧 Submit pull requests

Development Setup

# Fork the repository
# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/blackarch-i3-kvm-setup.git

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

# Make changes and commit
git commit -m "Add amazing feature"

# Push to your fork
git push origin feature/amazing-feature

# Open Pull Request

❓ FAQ

Q: Can I use this on an existing Arch installation?

A: Yes! The script checks for existing packages and won't break your setup. Backup important configs first.

Q: How much disk space do I need?

A: Minimum 60GB. Recommended 120GB+ if installing all BlackArch tools.

Q: Will this work in a virtual machine?

A: Yes, but KVM performance will be limited. Enable nested virtualization in your hypervisor.

Q: Can I uninstall everything later?

A: Yes. BlackArch is just a repository. Remove packages individually or reinstall Arch.

Q: Does this work with NVIDIA GPUs?

A: Yes. The script installs appropriate drivers. You may need to configure Optimus for laptops.

Q: How do I update BlackArch tools?

A: Run sudo pacman -Syu regularly to update all packages including BlackArch tools.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Arch Linux - The foundation
BlackArch Linux - Penetration testing distribution
i3 Window Manager - Tiling window manager
KVM/QEMU - Virtualization platform

📞 Support & Contact

🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
💬 Discussions: GitHub Discussions
📧 Email: [Your Email]
🌐 Website: [Your Website]

🗺️ Roadmap

Add support for Wayland/Sway
Create Ansible playbook version
Add automated backup/restore
Theme customization script
Docker integration improvements
Support for other window managers (bspwm, awesome)

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 8 Commits
step1 readme		step1 readme
step2 installation guide		step2 installation guide
step3 gui setup		step3 gui setup
step4 gui troubleshoot		step4 gui troubleshoot
step5 optimization		step5 optimization
step6 maximum hardware usage		step6 maximum hardware usage
step7 arch git upload		step7 arch git upload
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md

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NETHRANAND-20449/blackarch-i3-kvm-setup

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