command-line mode

INSTALLING ARCH LINUX

STEP 1

DOWNLOAD ISO

Download Arch Linux from Arch website

Use dd command to create a startup disk in any Linux. If from windows use other utilities like UNetbootin to create a startup disk.

To create start-up disk from Linux use dd command.

sudo dd if=/home/suresh/Downloads/archlinux-2021.10.01-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdx

Note. sdx is your pendrive, usually sdb, sda, sdc, please check before you use this command.

STEP 2

BOOT INTO YOUR SYSTEM WITH PEN DRIVE

In BIOS - Boot from your USB Disk, If it fails see you BIOS Settings or check your USB Disk, Check your boot options in your BIOS Settings and make sure you select to boot from USB.

Note. Arch Linux installation images do not support Secure Boot.

STEP 3

IF BOOT SUCCEEDS CHECK YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION FROM ARCH INSTALLATION SHELL.

If boot succeeds, As shown below you will be landed into archiso installation shell with prebuilt tools. You will have all the tools needed with network and editors for assisting installation.

root@archiso ~ #

There you check for Ethernet Network Connection, I am assuming you have a working Ethernet connection

#ip link
#ping www.google.com

Wi-Fi—authenticate to the wireless network using iwctl

Step 4

SET NETWORK TIME SYNC

#timedatectl set-ntp true

Step 5

DISK PARTITON

Check your system booted with UEFI or BIOS # ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars If efivars directory exists then you are booted with EFI support, So you need to go for efi partition.

#fdisk -l
#fdisk /dev/the_disk_to_be_partitioned

Example partition

If you have lot of RAM you can eliminate swap partition, No need to create swap partition.

Note- EFI partition can be around 300MB

Step 6

AFTER CREATING PARTITIONS MAKE FILE SYSTEM

#mkfs.ext4 /dev/root_partition
#mkfs.fat /dev/efi_partition
#mkswap /dev/swap_partition

Note- EFI Partition should be formated to fat32

Step 7

MOUNT THE FILE SYSTEM

#mount /dev/root_partition /mnt

if in case you create swap use swap on #swapon /dev/swap_partition

Note. genfstab will later generate fstab file

Step 8

INSTALL LINUX BASE and FIRMWAER

# pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Step 9

GENERATE FSTAB FILE

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

Step 10

CHANGE ROOT IN TO THE NEW SYSTEM

# arch-chroot /mnt

Note. after change root only you need to install grub boot loader. fallowed by few steps.

Step 11

GENERATE LANG

Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 and other needed locales. Generate the locales by running the below command

#locale-gen

Step 12

CREATE LOCAL CONFIG

Create the /etc/locale.conf file, and set the LANG variable accordingly

LANG=en_US.UTF-8

add the above entry to locale.conf

Step 13

SET HOSTNAME

#echo mylinux > /etc/hostname

Instead of above command you can open the file /etc/hostname and enter the name of your desired name

Create a file in /etc/hosts with ‘touch’ command.

#touch /etc/hosts

127.0.0.1 localhost

::1 localhost

127.0.0.1 yourhostname

Add the above entries to /etc/hosts file

Step

14 SET ROOT PASSWORD

#passwd

Step 15

CREATE EFI DIRECTORY, MOUNT IT, and INSTALL GRUB

#mount /dev/sda1 /boot/efi

#pacman -S grub efibootmgr
#grub-install –target=x86_64-efi –bootloader-id=GRUB --efi-direcotory=/boot/efi

Step 16

GRUB MAKE CONFIG

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

Step 17

INSTALL GUI and DESKTOP

My choice of desktop is xfce4, you can install gnome, kde, plasma, lxdm of your choice even you can install multiple desktop environments.

#pacman -S xorg xorg-server
#pacman -S xfce4
#pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies

Step 18

INSTALL DISPLAY MANAGE

You can install gdm,lighdm, or sddm to your choice. Here I have installed sddm, you can try gdm.

If you want gdm and gnome you can installation.

#pacman -S gnome

#systemctl enable gdm.service

If you want sddm

#pacman -S sddm
#systemctl enable sddm

Note. You need to enable only one Display Manager, You can install both the display managers but you should enable only one display manager.

Step 19

INSTALL NETWORK RESOURCES

Note . Very important because with out installing and enabling network manager next boot you can not access internet. So you should enable for network ready system.

#pacman -S netowrkmanager
#pacman -S network-manager-applet

#systemctl start NetworkManager
#systemctl status NetworkManager
#systemctl enable NetworkManager
#systemctl enable NetworkManager.service

Step 20

INSTALL AUDIO VIDEO SUPPORT

#pacman -S pulseaudio
#pacman -S pulseaudio-alsa
#pacman -S pulseaudio-bluetooth
#pacman -S pulseaudio-jack
#pacman -S pulseaudio-equalizer
#pacman -S vlc

Step 21

Update

#pacman -Syu

Step 22

EXIT FROM CHROOT AND SHUTDOWN

#exit
#shutdown now