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CachyOS Systemd Silent Boot

· 3 min read
xyzsteven
xyzsteven
Cyber Security Engineering Student & Open Source Enthusiast

If you want a seamless, aesthetic boot experience—similar to Windows or macOS—without the clutter of kernel logs and bootloader menus, this guide will walk you through setting up a true silent boot on CachyOS using systemd-boot and Plymouth.

Prerequisites​

  • OS: CachyOS (or Arch Linux derivatives)
  • Bootloader: systemd-boot (managed via sdboot-manage)
  • Initramfs Generator: mkinitcpio

Step 1: Install the Plymouth Theme​

First, make sure Plymouth and your desired theme are installed. We will use the official CachyOS theme for this guide.

Open your terminal and run:

sudo pacman -S cachyos-plymouth-theme

Step 2: Configure mkinitcpio Hooks​

Plymouth needs to be loaded very early in the boot process. We need to add it to our initramfs configuration.

  1. Open your mkinitcpio configuration file:

    sudo nano /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

  2. Scroll down to the HOOKS=(...) array. Add plymouth right after sd-vconsole (or udev if you are not using systemd hooks).

    Note: For Plymouth versions 24.004.60 and newer, the sd-plymouth hook has been deprecated and merged. You must use the standard plymouth hook even if you are using systemd in your initramfs.

    Your HOOKS line should look something like this:

    HOOKS=(base systemd autodetect microcode kms modconf block keyboard sd-vconsole plymouth filesystems fsck)

  3. Save and exit the file.

Step 3: Apply the Theme​

Next, set the default Plymouth theme and regenerate your initramfs images to apply the new hook.

Run the following command (this may take a moment):

sudo plymouth-set-default-theme -R cachyos

Step 4: Configure Kernel Parameters for Silent Boot​

To hide the kernel boot logs and blinking cursors, we need to pass specific parameters to the kernel. In CachyOS, systemd-boot entries are managed by sdboot-manage.

  1. Open the sdboot-manage configuration file: 
    sudo nano /etc/sdboot-manage.conf
  2. Locate the LINUX_OPTIONS variable. Append the following silent boot parameters inside the quotation marks: 
    zswap.enabled=0 nowatchdog quiet splash
    Your updated line should look similar to this: 
    LINUX_OPTIONS="zswap.enabled=0 nowatchdog quiet splash"
  3. Save and exit the file.
  4. Generate the new bootloader entries to apply the changes: 
    sudo sdboot-manage gen

Step 5: Hide the systemd-boot Menu​

Even with a silent kernel, systemd-boot might still show a boot selection menu for a few seconds. To bypass this and jump straight into the Plymouth animation, we need to set the menu timeout to zero.

  1. Open the systemd-boot loader configuration: 
    sudo nano /boot/loader/loader.conf
    (Note: Depending on your partition setup, this might also be located at /efi/loader/loader.conf)
  2. Change the timeout value to 0: 
    timeout 0
  3. Save and exit.

Tip: If you ever need to access the boot menu again for troubleshooting, simply press and hold the Spacebar immediately after turning on your PC.

Step 6: Reboot​

Everything is set! Restart your computer to enjoy your clean, text-free, and seamless boot experience.