Installing Arch Linux

Prerequisites

• A USB drive with at least 2GB capacity
• Download the latest Arch Linux ISO from https://archlinux.org
• An active internet connection
• Familiarity with basic Linux commands

Step 1: Create a Bootable USB

1. Download the Arch Linux ISO file.
2. Use the following command to create a bootable USB:

# Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device
sudo dd if=archlinux.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && sync

1. Boot from the USB drive by selecting it in your system's BIOS/UEFI menu.

Step 2: Setting Up the Environment

Connect to the Internet

To connect to the internet:

• Use iwctl for wireless connections.
• Verify the connection with ping.

# Connect to Wi-Fi
iwctl
> station wlan0 connect "SSID"
# Verify connection
ping archlinux.org

Step 3: Partitioning the Disk

For Standalone Installation

1. Open the partition manager:

fdisk /dev/sdX

1. Create these partitions:

   • EFI boot partition (512MB)
   • btrfs root partition (remaining space)

2. Format the partitions:

# Format the EFI partition
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdX1
 
# Format the root partition with btrfs
mkfs.btrfs /dev/sdX2

1. Mount the partitions:

mount /dev/sdX2 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/boot

For Dual Boot

1. Shrink the existing partition (e.g., Windows) using a tool like:

gparted

1. Create new partitions as described above and format them.

Step 4: Installing the Base System

1. Install essential packages:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

1. Generate the file system table:

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

Step 5: Configure the System

1. Change root to the new system:

arch-chroot /mnt

1. Set up the timezone:

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

1. Configure locale:

echo "en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8" > /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen

1. Set the hostname:

echo "archlinux" > /etc/hostname

1. Configure the hosts file:

cat <<EOF > /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1   localhost
::1         localhost
127.0.1.1   archlinux.localdomain archlinux
EOF

1. Set the root password:

passwd

1. Install and configure the bootloader:

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

Step 6: Using ArchScript for Installation

For an automated approach, use ArchScript:

1. Download the script:

git clone https://github.com/archlinux/archscript.git
cd archscript

1. Run the script:

./archscript.sh

1. Follow the on-screen instructions to:
   • Select your desired disk and partitioning scheme.
   • Automatically set up btrfs subvolumes.
   • Install essential packages and configure the system.

Step 7: Post-Installation Setup

Enable and start services:

# Enable NetworkManager
systemctl enable NetworkManager
systemctl start NetworkManager

Update the system:

pacman -Syu

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during installation or boot, use a snapshot (if set up) to restore your system:

btrfs subvolume list /
btrfs subvolume delete /@<snapshot_name>

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Enjoy your Arch Linux experience!