How to Install Arch Linux

By: Joshua Njiru
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 19:42:43 +0000

Arch Linux is a popular Linux distribution for experienced users. It’s known for its rolling release model, which means you’re always using the latest software. However, Arch Linux can be more challenging to install and maintain than other distributions. This article will walk you through the process of installing Arch Linux, from preparation to first boot. Follow each section carefully to ensure a successful installation.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the installation, it is crucial to ensure that you have:

• A USB drive (minimum 4GB)

• Internet connection

• Basic knowledge of command line operations

• At least 512MB RAM (2GB recommended)

• 20GB+ free disk space

• Backed up important data

Creating Installation Media

1. Download the latest ISO from archlinux.org

2. Verify the ISO signature for security

3. Create bootable USB using dd command:

<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">dd</span> <span class="token assign-left">bs</span><span class="token">=</span>4M <span class="token assign-left">if</span><span class="token">=</span>/path/to/archlinux.iso <span class="token assign-left">of</span><span class="token">=</span>/dev/sdx <span class="token assign-left">status</span><span class="token">=</span>progress <span class="token assign-left">oflag</span><span class="token">=</span>sync

Boot Preparation

1. Enter BIOS/UEFI settings

2. Disable Secure Boot

3. Set boot priority to USB

4. Save and exit

What are the Initial Boot Steps?

1. Boot from USB and select “Arch Linux install medium”

2. Verify boot mode:

ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars

Internet Connection

For wired connection:

ip link
dhcpcd

For wireless:

iwctl
station wlan0 scan
station wlan0 connect SSID

Verify connection:

ping archlinux.org

System Clock

Update the system clock:

timedatectl set-ntp true

Disk Partitioning

1. List available disks:

lsblk

2. Create partitions (example using fdisk):

fdisk /dev/sda

For UEFI systems:

• EFI System Partition (ESP): 512MB

• Root partition: Remaining space

• Swap partition (optional): Equal to RAM size

For Legacy BIOS:

• Root partition: Most of the disk

• Swap partition (optional)

3. Format partitions:

# For EFI partition 
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1 

# For root partition 
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2

# For swap
mkswap /dev/sda3
swapon /dev/sda3

Mounting Partitions

# Mount root partition:
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt

# For UEFI systems, mount ESP:
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot

Base System Installation

Install essential packages:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware base-devel

System Configuration

1. Generate fstab:

genfstab -U /mnt <> /mnt/etc/fstab

2. Change root into the new system:

arch-chroot /mnt

3. Set timezone:

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

4. Configure locale:

nano /etc/locale.gen # Uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
locale-gen
echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf

5. Set hostname:

echo "myhostname" > /etc/hostname

6. Configure hosts file:

nano /etc/hosts

# Add
127.0.0.1    localhost
::1          localhost
127.0.1.1    myhostname.localdomain    myhostname

Boot Loader Installation

For GRUB on UEFI systems:

pacman -S grub efibootmgr
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

For GRUB on Legacy BIOS:

pacman -S grub
grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/sda
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Network Configuration

1. Install network manager:

pacman -S networkmanager
systemctl enable NetworkManager

User Management

1. Set root password:

passwd

2. Create user account:

useradd -m -G wheel username
passwd username

3. Configure sudo:

EDITOR=nano visudo
# Uncomment %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

Final Steps

1. Exit chroot:

exit

2. Unmount partitions:

umount -R /mnt

3. Reboot:

reboot

Post-Installation

After first boot:

1. Install graphics drivers:

pacman -S xf86-video-amdgpu  # For AMD
pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils  # For NVIDIA

2. Install desktop environment (example with GNOME):

pacman -S xorg gnome
systemctl enable gdm

3. Install common applications:

pacman -S firefox terminal-emulator file-manager

Troubleshooting Tips

• If bootloader fails to install, verify EFI variables are available

• For wireless issues, ensure firmware is installed

• Check logs with

  journalctl

  for error messages

• Verify partition mounts with

  lsblk

Maintenance Recommendations

1. Regular system updates:

pacman -Syu

2. Clean package cache periodically:

pacman -Sc

3. Check system logs regularly:

journalctl -p 3 -xb

More Articles from Unixmen

https://www.unixmen.com/minimal-tools-on-arch-linux/

https://www.unixmen.com/top-things-installing-arch-linux/

Solve Kernel Panic on Arch Linux

The post How to Install Arch Linux appeared first on Unixmen.