---
name: "arch-chroot"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "arch-install-scripts"
version: "21-1"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/arch-chroot"
---

# arch-chroot(1)

script to mount API filesystems like /proc and make /etc/resolv.conf available in a chroot

## NAME

arch-chroot - script to mount API filesystems like /proc and make /etc/resolv.conf available in a chroot

## SYNOPSIS

**arch-chroot** \[*option*\] *chroot-dir* \[*command*\]

## OPTIONS

- **-h**

  Print the help message

- **-u** *\<user\>\[:group\]*

  Specify non-root user and optional group to use

## DESCRIPTION

Before **arch-chroot** runs **/usr/bin/chroot**, the script mounts API filesystems like */proc* and makes */etc/resolv.conf* available in a chroot.

The Debian version of this script also sets up */usr/sbin/policy-rc.d* to disable autostart of daemons.

If *command* is unspecified, arch-chroot will launch **/bin/bash**.

Note that when using arch-chroot, the target chroot directory **should** be a mountpoint. This ensures that tools such as [findmnt(8)](/findmnt/8.md) have an accurate hierarchy of the mounted filesystems within the chroot.

If your chroot target is not a mountpoint, you can bind mount the directory on itself to make it a mountpoint, i.e. *mount --bind /your/chroot /your/chroot*.

## EXAMPLES

### Enter a chroot

Run arch-chroot with the new root directory as first argument:

```
arch-chroot /location/of/new/root
```

To exit the chroot simply use:

```
exit
```

### Run a single command and exit

To run a command in the chroot and exit again, append the command to the end of the line:

```
arch-chroot /location/of/new/root command
```

For example, to run **dpkg-configure -a** for a chroot located at */media/testing* do:

```
arch-chroot /media/testing dpkg-configure -a
```