Hitchhiker's Guide to the Arch Linux Installation

If you’re here, you’re probably about to embark on your first-ever Arch Linux installation, and let me tell you, that can seem pretty intimidating at first glance. But don’t worry—you’re not alone! We’re going to take this one step at a time, and I’ll guide you through every part of the process as you venture into the wonderful world of Arch Linux.

Pro tip: If this is your first time installing Arch, I recommend giving it a try on a virtual machine first. That way, you can get a feel for the steps without worrying about messing up your main system. Once you’re comfortable, you can tackle the real deal with confidence!

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1. Prepare the Installation Medium

• Download the latest Arch Linux ISO from the official site.
• Create a bootable USB using a tool like dd, Rufus, or Etcher.

2. Boot the System from the USB

• Insert the USB, reboot your computer, and select the USB device from your BIOS/UEFI boot menu.
• When the boot loader appears, select Arch Linux install medium and press Enter.

3. Set the Console Keyboard Layout

Since we’re in the USA, set the keyboard layout to American English:

loadkeys us

4. Verify the Boot Mode (UEFI vs BIOS)

• Run this command to confirm you’re in UEFI mode (64-bit):

  ls /sys/firmware/efi

• If the directory exists, you’re in UEFI mode. Otherwise, you’re in BIOS mode.

5. Connect to the Internet

• To verify network devices:

  ip link

• For Ethernet: You should be automatically connected if the cable is plugged in.

• For Wi-Fi:

  iwctl

  • Use device list, station DEVICE scan, station DEVICE get-networks, and station DEVICE connect SSID to connect.

• Verify the connection:

  ping archlinux.org

6. Update the System Clock

• Run this command to synchronize your system clock:

  timedatectl set-ntp true

7. Partition the Disk

Partitioning can be confusing, especially if it’s your first time. Here’s a quick breakdown: a partition is just a section of your hard drive dedicated to specific tasks—like storing files or acting as the bootloader. In Linux, we often divide the disk into several partitions, and for Arch Linux, the main ones we’ll need are for the root system and the EFI boot.

Important: Be absolutely sure you’re working on the correct drive. Double and triple-check, or you risk losing all of your data. Trust me, I’ve accidentally wiped my data more times than I care to admit by not being careful enough with this step!

When you enter fdisk, things might seem a bit cryptic, so let’s make it easy. To create a new partition, use the following steps:

• Identify your disk:

  fdisk -l

• Partition your disk using fdisk (assuming /dev/sda):

  fdisk /dev/sda

• Create the following partitions:

  1. EFI System Partition (FAT32, ~512MB) for UEFI systems.
  2. Root Partition (ext4, at least 30GB).

• Type n to create a new partition.

• Select the partition number (usually 1 for the first partition).

• For the partition type, choose 23 (Linux root x86-64).

• After selecting the partition size (I recommend at least 30GB for the root partition), you’ll move on to the next one.

8. Format the Partitions

• Format the root partition as ext4:

  mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdaX

• Format the EFI partition (for UEFI systems):

  mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdaY

9. Create a Swap File (Instead of Swap Partition)

While some users still opt for a swap partition, a swap file is more flexible and easier to resize later. Swap is useful when your system runs out of RAM or when you want to hibernate your computer.

• How to size the swap file:
  • If you don’t hibernate: A swap file about half the size of your RAM is usually enough.
  • If you hibernate: The swap file should be equal to or slightly larger than your RAM.

Why hibernation matters: Laptops benefit from hibernation since you can save your session and resume later without losing your work. On desktops, it’s less critical, especially if you shut down your system regularly (like I do—it keeps my setup clutter-free!).

To create a 4GB swap file (adjust as needed for your setup):

fallocate -l 4G /swapfile
chmod 600 /swapfile
mkswap /swapfile
swapon /swapfile

• Add the swap file to fstab for persistence:

  echo '/swapfile none swap defaults 0 0' | tee -a /etc/fstab

10. Mount the File Systems

• Mount the root partition:

  mount /dev/sdaX /mnt

• Mount the EFI partition (for UEFI):

  mkdir /mnt/boot
  mount /dev/sdaY /mnt/boot

11. Install the Base System

• Install the base packages:

  pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

12. Generate the fstab File

• Generate the file system table:

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

13. Chroot into the New System

• Change root into the new system:

  arch-chroot /mnt

14. Set the Time Zone

• Set your time zone to CST (Central Standard Time):

  ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Chicago /etc/localtime
  hwclock --systohc

15. Localization

• Edit /etc/locale.gen to uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8.

• Generate the locales:

  locale-gen

• Set the locale:

  echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf

16. Configure the Network

• Set the hostname (we’ll keep it lighthearted with archbtw):

  echo "archbtw" > /etc/hostname

• Edit /etc/hosts:

  127.0.0.1 localhost
  ::1       localhost
  127.0.1.1 archbtw.localdomain archbtw

17. Install NetworkManager, base-devel, and git

Pro tip: I always forget to install NetworkManager, and it causes major headaches when I can’t connect to the internet. Save yourself the trouble!

pacman -S networkmanager base-devel git
systemctl enable NetworkManager

18. Create a New User Before Rebooting

Before rebooting, let’s create a user account:

useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash yourusername
passwd yourusername

• Enable the user to use sudo by editing the sudoers file:

EDITOR=vi visudo

Uncomment this line:

%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

19. Install and Configure the Bootloader

For UEFI systems, install and configure GRUB:

• Install GRUB and EFI boot manager:

  pacman -S grub efibootmgr

• Install GRUB to the EFI directory:

  grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB

• Generate the GRUB configuration file:

  grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

20. Set Root Password

• Set the root password:

  passwd

21. Reboot into the New System

• Exit the chroot environment:

  exit

• Unmount partitions:

  umount -R /mnt

• Reboot:

  reboot

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Join the Community!

If you made it this far, congrats! Installing Arch Linux isn’t easy, but you did it. 🎉 If you’re into Linux, programming, or just want to chat with like-minded people, join me and other positive people in our Discord community! We’re always happy to talk shop, share tips, and help each other grow. Click here to join!