If I could, however, I would like to offer some suggestions.

I would prefer to see a script that didn’t ‘editorialize’ the Arch installation so much. Your script does things like replaces the bash shell with zsh in /etc/passwd, creates unnecessary users (arch), messes with root’s login scripts, etc. I don’t see why you wouldn’t just do those things via a separate script that you run when you first log into your newly created instance - why force everyone who uses your script to adhere to your preferences?

I think that the goal of such a makearchec2.sh script should be to produce an Arch Linux AMI that is as close as possible to a core Arch install. Then people can customize their instance after starting it up for the first time using a plain vanilla Arch Linux install that has everything set up the way they would normally expect. I am already in the process of making my own tweaked version of makearchec2.sh and the ec2 script that adhere more closely to these principles.

Additionally - why make the root filesystem be a compressed btrfs filesystem? Maybe this works well on Small and larger instances, but it is terrible for micro instances. Micro instances are severely CPU limited, and the compression that has to happen with your compressed btrfs filesystem really hammers the instance unnecessarily. How much space is saved by using a compressed filesystem? Pennies per month? Doesn’t seem worth it to me.

Once again your effects are extremely appreciated, hope my comments don’t seem contradictory to that sentiment.

The total size is measured by firebug.