Installing Arch Linux: The Ultimate Beginner’s Tutorial

By /

Installing Arch Linux: The Ultimate Beginner’s Tutorial

Arch Linux, renowned for its flexibility, customizability, and bleeding-edge software, often seems daunting to beginners. This guide breaks down the installation process into manageable steps, making it accessible even if you’ve never installed a Linux distribution before. We’ll focus on a UEFI system, as that’s the most common setup today.

Warning: This process will erase your existing data. Back up anything important before you begin! You should also have a second device (phone, tablet, another computer) handy to refer to this guide and troubleshoot any issues.

Prerequisites:

  • USB Flash Drive (at least 4GB): You’ll use this to boot the installation environment.
  • Internet Connection (Wired preferred): A wired connection simplifies the process considerably. We’ll cover Wi-Fi, but it requires extra steps.
  • BIOS/UEFI Boot Order Adjusted: Ensure your computer boots from the USB drive. This is usually done by pressing a key (F2, F12, Del, Esc – check your motherboard’s manual) during startup.
  • Basic Command Line Familiarity: While we explain each command, having some experience with a terminal is helpful.
  • Patience and Time: Arch installation is not a 5-minute process. Allocate at least an hour or two.

1. Download and Prepare the Installation Medium

  • Download the Arch Linux ISO: Go to the official Arch Linux download page (https://archlinux.org/download/) and download the latest ISO image.

  • Create a Bootable USB Drive: Use a tool like Rufus (Windows), Etcher (Windows, macOS, Linux), or the dd command (Linux) to create a bootable USB drive from the ISO.

    • Rufus (Windows): Select the ISO, your USB drive, and ensure “Partition scheme” is set to “GPT” and “Target system” to “UEFI (non CSM)”.
    • Etcher: Select the ISO and your USB drive. Etcher handles the rest automatically.
    • dd (Linux): Be extremely careful with this command! Incorrect usage can erase your hard drive. Identify your USB drive using lsblk. Then, run: sudo dd bs=4M if=/path/to/archlinux.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress && sync (Replace /path/to/archlinux.iso with the actual path to the ISO and /dev/sdX with the correct device identifier for your USB drive – make sure this is correct!).

2. Boot from the USB Drive

  • Insert the USB drive into your computer.
  • Restart your computer.
  • Enter your BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing Del, F2, F10, F12, or Esc during startup – check your motherboard manual).
  • Change the boot order to prioritize the USB drive.
  • Save changes and exit. Your computer should now boot into the Arch Linux installation environment. You’ll see a prompt like root@archiso ~ #.

3. Connect to the Internet

  • Wired Connection: If you have a wired connection, it should work automatically. Test it with:
    bash
    ping -c 3 archlinux.org
    If you see replies, you’re connected.

  • Wireless Connection: This requires using iwctl.

    1. Start iwctl:
      bash
      iwctl
    2. List available devices:
      bash
      device list
      (Note the name of your wireless device, usually something like wlan0.)
    3. Scan for networks:
      bash
      station wlan0 scan
      (Replace wlan0 with your device name.)
    4. List available networks:
      bash
      station wlan0 get-networks
    5. Connect to your network:
      bash
      station wlan0 connect SSID
      (Replace SSID with your network’s name. You’ll be prompted for the password.)
    6. Exit iwctl:
      bash
      exit
    7. Test the connection as above.

4. Update the System Clock

Ensure the system clock is accurate:
bash
timedatectl set-ntp true

5. Partition the Disk

This is the most crucial and potentially dangerous step. We’ll use fdisk for a basic UEFI setup with:

  • EFI System Partition (ESP): For boot files (512MB).

  • Root Partition: For the operating system (the remaining space).

    • Swap partition(Optional): It is used as virtual memory.

  • Identify your disk:
    bash
    lsblk
    Identify the disk you want to install Arch on (e.g., /dev/sda, /dev/nvme0n1). Be absolutely certain you’ve selected the correct disk!

  • Start fdisk:
    bash
    fdisk /dev/sdX
    (Replace /dev/sdX with your disk’s identifier.)

  • Create a GPT partition table (if one doesn’t exist):

    • Type g and press Enter.

  • Create the EFI System Partition (ESP):

    • Type n (for new partition) and press Enter.
    • Press Enter for the default partition number.
    • Press Enter for the default first sector.
    • Type +512M for the last sector (this creates a 512MB partition) and press Enter.
    • Type t (to change the partition type) and press Enter.
    • Type 1 (for EFI System) and press Enter.

  • Create the Root Partition:

    • Type n and press Enter.
    • Press Enter for the default partition number.
    • Press Enter for the default first sector.

    • Press Enter for the default last sector (this uses the remaining space).

    • Create the Swap partition (Optional):

      • Type n and press Enter.
      • Press Enter for the default partition number.
      • Press Enter for the default first sector.
      • Type +4G(4GB of Swap, or your desired size) for the last sector.
      • Type t (to change the partition type) and press Enter.
      • Type 82 (for Linux Swap) and press Enter.

  • Write the changes and exit:

    • Type w (to write the changes to the disk) and press Enter. This is irreversible.

  • You can confirm by typing p before writing.

6. Format the Partitions

Now, format the partitions you just created:

bash
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdX1 # Format the ESP (replace /dev/sdX1 with your ESP)
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX2 # Format the root partition (replace /dev/sdX2)
mkswap /dev/sdX3 # Format the swap partition (replace/dev/sdX3)
swapon /dev/sdX3 # Enable the Swap partition

7. Mount the Partitions

Mount the partitions to prepare for installation:

bash
mount /dev/sdX2 /mnt # Mount the root partition
mkdir /mnt/boot # Create a directory for the boot partition
mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/boot # Mount the ESP

8. Install the Base System

Use pacstrap to install the base system, the Linux kernel, and firmware:

bash
pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

9. Generate fstab

Generate the fstab file, which defines how your partitions are mounted at boot:

bash
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
Always check the generated /mnt/etc/fstab file with cat /mnt/etc/fstab to ensure it’s correct before proceeding. Look for errors and ensure the UUIDs and mount points are accurate.

10. Chroot into the New System

chroot allows you to enter the newly installed system as if you’ve booted into it:

bash
arch-chroot /mnt
Your prompt should change, indicating you’re now inside the new system.

11. Set the Time Zone

bash
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime # Replace Region/City
hwclock --systohc
Replace Region/City with your time zone (e.g., America/Los_Angeles). You can find a list of time zones in /usr/share/zoneinfo/.

12. Set the Locale

  1. Edit /etc/locale.gen:
    bash
    nano /etc/locale.gen
  2. Uncomment (remove the # from) the line corresponding to your desired locale (e.g., en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8). Save and close the file (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).
  3. Generate the locale:
    bash
    locale-gen
  4. Set the LANG variable in /etc/locale.conf:
    bash
    echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf
    (Replace en_US.UTF-8 with your chosen locale.)

13. Set the Hostname

bash
echo "myhostname" > /etc/hostname
Replace myhostname with your desired hostname.

Then, add the same hostname to /etc/hosts:
nano /etc/hosts
Add the following lines (replace myhostname with your hostname):
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
127.0.1.1 myhostname.localdomain myhostname
Save and close the file.

14. Set the Root Password

bash
passwd
Enter and confirm your root password.

15. Install a Boot Loader (GRUB)

We’ll use GRUB for this guide (UEFI systems):

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

16. Install Essential Packages (Optional but Recommended)

It’s highly recommended to install a network manager, and potentially other useful tools, before rebooting:
“`bash
pacman -S networkmanager
systemctl enable NetworkManager # Enable it to start on boot

# Other useful packages:
pacman -S vim git wget sudo  # A text editor, version control, download utility, and sudo
```

17. Create a User Account (Highly Recommended!)
It’s a security best practice to create a non-root user account.

```bash
useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash myusername
passwd myusername
```
Replace "myusername" with your desired username. This command creates a user, adds them to the "wheel" group (which allows using `sudo`), and sets the default shell to Bash. Set the password for the new user.

Next, you need to give the `wheel` group sudo access.
```bash
EDITOR=nano visudo
```
Uncomment the line that says `%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL`. Save and exit.

18. Unmount and Reboot

  1. Exit the chroot environment:
    bash
    exit
  2. Unmount the partitions:
    bash
    umount -R /mnt
  3. Reboot:
    bash
    reboot

Remove the USB drive when prompted (or after the system shuts down).

19. Post-Installation (After Reboot)

If everything went well, you should be greeted by a GRUB menu. Select Arch Linux, and you’ll boot into your newly installed system. Log in with the user account you created (or as root, but it’s not recommended for daily use).

  • Connect to the Internet: If you installed and enabled NetworkManager, it should connect automatically. If not, refer back to the “Connect to the Internet” section (using ip link to identify interfaces).
  • Update the System:
    bash
    sudo pacman -Syu
  • Install a Desktop Environment (DE) or Window Manager (WM): This is where Arch Linux’s customizability shines. You can choose from a variety of DEs (like GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce) or WMs (like i3, Sway, Openbox). The Arch Wiki has extensive guides on installing each. Here’s an example for Xfce:
    bash
    sudo pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies
    Then, you’ll need a display manager (like LightDM) to provide a graphical login:
    bash
    sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
    sudo systemctl enable lightdm
    Reboot to see the graphical login.

Troubleshooting

  • Boot Problems: Ensure your BIOS/UEFI settings are correct (boot order). Double-check the grub-install and grub-mkconfig commands.
  • Network Issues: Verify your network card is recognized (ip link). Use iwctl for Wi-Fi (refer to the “Connect to the Internet” section). Make sure NetworkManager is enabled (systemctl status NetworkManager).
  • Partitioning Errors: Carefully review the “Partition the Disk” section. Use lsblk to check your partitions.
  • Package Installation Errors: Ensure you’re connected to the internet. Use pacman -Syu to update the package database.
  • General Errors: The Arch Wiki (https://wiki.archlinux.org/) is your best friend. Search for error messages or specific issues. The Arch forums are also a valuable resource.

Conclusion

Installing Arch Linux is a learning experience. This guide provides a solid foundation, but there are many more customization options and configurations you can explore. Don’t be afraid to experiment, consult the Arch Wiki, and enjoy the process of building your perfect Linux system! Remember to take your time, read carefully, and back up your data before you start. Good luck!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top