How to Install Arch Linux: A Step-by-Step Guide

Arch Linux is an independently developed, x86-64 general-purpose GNU/Linux distribution that strives to provide the latest stable versions of most software by following a rolling-release model. The default installation is a minimal base system, configured by the user to only add what is purposely required.

In this article, we will go through the process of installing Arch Linux on the system. This guide will provide step-by-step explanation of how to install and set up Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

• Bootable USB with the Arch Linux installation image.
• Internet connection.
• Back-up of any important data on the system (as this process may overwrite your existing data).
• Basic understanding of the Linux command line.

Step 1: Create a Bootable USB

1. Download the latest Arch Linux ISO from the official website: https://www.archlinux.org/download/.
2. Create a bootable USB drive using a tool like Rufus, Etcher, or dd.

Step 3: Set Up Networking

Arch Linux requires a working network connection for installation. By default, the live environment uses dhcpcd (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Client Daemon) to automatically configure your network.

Check if your internet is working by running:

ping -c 10 archlinux.org

If you’re using Wi-Fi, you can use iwctl to connect to a network:

1. Type iwctl to enter the interactive mode.
2. Type station device scan to scan for networks.
3. Type station device connect SSID (replace device with your wireless device name and SSID with your Wi-Fi network name).

Step 4: Update the System Clock

To ensure accurate timekeeping, update the system clock using the following command:

timedatectl set-ntp true

This will synchronize your system clock with internet time servers.

Step 5: Partition the Disk

Next, you need to partition your disk. For this guide, we’ll assume you’re using a single disk with GPT partitioning.

1. Use fdisk or parted to create partitions on your disk.

fdisk -l #view the disk list
fdisk /dev/the_disk_to_be_partitioned #replace the_disk_to_be_partitioned

Create a new GPT partition table. Create at least two partitions: one for EFI (if using UEFI) and one for the Linux filesystem.

Suggested layout for UEFI with GPT

Mount point	Partition	Partition type	Suggested size
/mnt/boot1	/dev/efi_system_partition	EFI system partition	At least 300 MiB. If multiple kernels will be installed, then no less than 1 GiB. (1GB for me)
[SWAP]	/dev/swap_partition	Linux swap	More than 512 MiB. (10GB for me)
/mnt	/dev/root_partition	Linux x86-64 root (/)	Remainder of the device

Make sure to format the partitions after creating them:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/root_partition #replace root_partition
mkswap /dev/swap_partition #replace swap_partition
mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/efi_system_partition #replace efi_system_partition

Step 6: Mount the file systems

Now, mount the partitions to the appropriate directories.

mount /dev/root_partition /mnt #replace root_partition
mount --mkdir /dev/efi_system_partition /mnt/boot #replace efi_system_partition
swapon /dev/swap_partition #replace swap_partition

Step 7: Install the Base System

Arch Linux has a minimal installation by default, so you’ll need to install the base system using pacstrap:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

This will install the base system, including the Linux kernel and necessary firmware.

Step 8: Configure the System

After installing the base system, it’s time to configure the system.

Generate fstab (filesystem table):

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

Chroot into the new system:

arch-chroot /mnt

Set the time zone:

Refer System_time

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

Replace Region/City with your appropriate time zone (e.g., America/New_York).

Set the locale: Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment your locale (e.g., en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8).

nano /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen

Then set the locale:

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

Set the hostname:

echo myhostname > /etc/hostname

For LVM, system encryption or RAID, modify mkinitcpio.conf(5) and recreate the initramfs image:

mkinitcpio -P

Set the root password:

passwd

Step 9: Install Bootloader

For systems with UEFI, you’ll need to install GRUB and configure it:

pacman -S grub efibootmgr

Install the bootloader:

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=esp --bootloader-id=GRUB #replace esp, /boot for example

Generate the GRUB configuration file:

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

Before reboot, Install dhcpcd and enable it

pacman -S dhcpcd
systemctl enable dhcpcd

Step 10: Reboot and Enjoy Your Arch System

Exit the chroot environment and unmount the partitions:

exit
umount -R /mnt

Reboot your system:

reboot

Remove the installation media (USB stick) and boot into your new Arch Linux system.

TLDR

timedatectl set-ntp true
timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Kuala_Lumpur
timedatectl status
timedatect
fdisk -l #view the disk list
fdisk /dev/the_disk_to_be_partitioned #replace the_disk_to_be_partitioned
mkfs.ext4 /dev/root_partition #replace root_partition
mkswap /dev/swap_partition #replace swap_partition
mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/efi_system_partition #replace efi_system_partition
mount /dev/root_partition /mnt #replace root_partition
mount --mkdir /dev/efi_system_partition /mnt/boot #replace efi_system_partition
swapon /dev/swap_partition #replace swap_partition
pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware vim
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
arch-chroot /mnt
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime #replace Region and City
hwclock --systohc
vim /etc/locale.gen #Uncomment `en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8` inside `locale.gen`
locale-gen
vim /etc/locale.conf #Add `LANG=en_US.UTF-8` inside `locale.conf`
vim /etc/hostname #Add *system_name* inside `hostname` file
mkinitcpio -P
passwd
pacman -S grub efibootmgr
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=esp --bootloader-id=GRUB #replace esp, /boot for example
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
pacman -S dhcpcd
systemctl enable dhcpcd
exit
reboot