How to Install Arch Linux: The Complete 2024 Guide

Are you someone who enjoys customizing your computer to the finest detail? Do you consider it to be a hobby? If yes, then Arch Linux might be just the right choice for you. Arch Linux is not just another Linux distribution; it’s a unique philosophy that focuses on learning and understanding the inner workings of your system. However, it’s not an easy choice for those who are faint-hearted. If you are up for a challenging experience, I can guide you through the process of installing Arch Linux.

Why Arch Linux?

Before we dive in, let’s talk about why you might choose Arch Linux. For starters, its rolling release model ensures you’re always up to date with the latest software. Then there’s the Arch User Repository (AUR), a treasure trove of software contributed by users. But my favorite part? The unparalleled level of customization. You start with a minimal base and build your system exactly how you want it. It’s like Lego for adults, but with software!

Install Arch Linux on your PC

In this tutorial, we will be installing a basic Arch Linux system using the full disk to a computer or virtual machine(VM).

Pre-installation checks

First things first, ensure your machine meets the minimum requirements for Arch Linux. You’ll need an x86_64 (64-bit) compatible machine. I’d recommend at least 2GB of RAM and 20GB of storage for a comfortable experience, though you can get by with less if you’re going minimalist.

Step 1: Download the Arch ISO

Head over to the Arch Linux download page and grab the latest ISO image. I usually go for the direct download, but the torrent option is great for faster downloads and helping reduce load on the servers.

Step 2: Create an Arch Linux bootable USB

Once the ISO is downloaded, you’ll need to flash it to a USB drive. There are multiple ways to create a bootable Arch Linux USB drive. One of the easiest methods is to use a utility such as Etcher, which is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems and offers a user-friendly graphical interface to create and verify the USB drive. However, if you prefer using the command line interface, I can guide you through that process as well.

GUI way using Balena Etcher:
Refer to our step-by-step guide: Creating Arch Linux Live USB on Windows, Linux, and Mac

Command-line way using dd:
I’m a big fan of dd for its simplicity, but feel free to use any tool you’re comfortable with. Here’s how I do it with dd:

sudo dd bs=4M if=path/to/archlinux.iso of=/dev/sdx status=progress oflag=sync

Replace /dev/sdx with your USB drive’s device identifier (be very careful with this; choosing the wrong device could overwrite your data). You can find this with the lsblk command.

Step 3: Boot into the Arch installer

Plug the USB drive into your target machine and boot it up. You might need to hit a key like F12, F2, or Del to choose the boot device. Select your USB drive, and you should be greeted by the Arch Linux boot menu.

Step 4: Start the installation process

Now we will boot into the installation USB drive.  Once it loads, you should be greeted with a screen like the one below.

Arch Linux ISO menu

From here, press enter to boot Arch Linux.

Step 5: Set the keyboard layout

The default keyboard layout is US. If you need a different layout, list the available ones with:

ls /usr/share/kbd/keymaps/**/*.map.gz

Then load your preferred layout. For example, for UK, use:

loadkeys uk

Step 6: Check your internet connection

If you’re using Ethernet, you should be connected automatically. For Wi-Fi, use iwctl to connect:

iwctl
[iwd]# device list
[iwd]# station device scan
[iwd]# station device get-networks
[iwd]# station device connect SSID

Replace device with your Wi-Fi device name and SSID with your network’s SSID.

After you are done connecting, you can check your internet connection by using the ping command:

# ping -c 3 google.com

Output of ping

Step 7: Update the system clock (enable NTP)

We must enable Network Time Protocol (NTP) to allow the system to update the time via the network. To do this, run:

timedatectl set-ntp true

Step 8: Partition the hard drive

This is where things get personal. Some folks love separate partitions for everything; I prefer keeping it simple. For this guide, we’ll create two partitions: one for the root filesystem and one for swap.

To begin, use fdisk to list all available drives:

fdisk -l

NOTE: The output you get from fdisk may be different from that in the screenshot below.

Output of fdisk

Make a note of the name of the disk you wish to partition. Now, we will use cfdisk, a partition manager, to partition the drives:

NOTE: In cfdisk, use the arrow keys to navigate and the enter key to select.

cfdisk /dev/sdX

Where X refers to the letter of the drive, you wish to partition.

You should be greeted by a screen asking you to select the label type. In most cases, this will be “dos.”

cfdisk label types

Highlight the label type and press enter. A screen similar to the one below should be displayed.

List of partitions in cfdisk

Now we will create the partitions. To do this, select “New”. You will be prompted to enter the partition size. Be sure to leave enough room to create another partition for your swap space, which will be twice the amount of RAM.

Entering the partition size

Next, you will be asked if the partition should be primary or extended. Select “primary”.

Making the partition primary

Now make the partition bootable by selecting “Bootable”. Your screen should look similar to the one below.

Making the partition bootable

Now, using the same process as before, utilizing the remainder of the space on the drive, create another primary partition. Do not make this partition bootable.

The partition type needs to be changed from “83 Linux” to “82 Linux swap / Solaris”. To do this, select “Type” on the swap partition and select “82 Linux swap / Solaris”, as shown below.

Changing the partition type

Now, write the changes to the drive. To do so, select “Write” and type “yes”, as shown below.

Writing the changes

You may now exit `cfdisk` by selecting “Quit”.

Step 9: Create filesystem

Now that the drive has been partitioned, we can create the filesystem. There are several options for this, but for this tutorial, we will use the ext4 filesystem. To create the filesystem, use:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX1

Using mkfs to create the filesystem

Step 10: Create swap space

Next, we will create a swap space. Swap space in Linux is a hard drive space that acts as extra RAM. To do this, run:

mkswap /dev/sdX2

Creating the swap space

Step 11. Mount the filesystem and swap space

Now that both the filesystem and swap space have been created, they must be mounted. To do this, we will use the following commands:

mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt

swapon /dev/sdX2

These commands will mount the filesystem and activate the swap space, respectively.

Step 12: Install the base system

Next, we will use the pacstrap utility to download and install all the necessary components of Arch Linux. To use pacstrap, run:

pacstrap /mnt base base-devel

NOTE: This step may take some time.

Using pacstrap to install the system

Alternatively, use the pacstrap script to install the base package group and a kernel (I usually go with the Linux kernel, but linux-lts is a great choice for older hardware):

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Step 13. Generate the fstab file

Generate an fstab file to define how disk partitions, block devices, or remote file systems are mounted into the filesystem:

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

Step 14: Chroot into Arch Linux

After pacstrap is done running, we will chroot into the newly installed Arch Linux system by using arch-chroot:

arch-chroot /mnt

Using arch-chroot to enter the new system

Step 15: Set the time zone

Set the time zone by creating a symbolic link from /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City to /etc/localtime. Replace Region/City with your time zone. For example:

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/London /etc/localtime

Run hwclock to generate /etc/adjtime:

hwclock --systohc

Setting the timezone

Update the hardware clock with:

hwclock --systohc

Step 16: Generate locale file

Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment the locales you need, then generate them:

locale-gen

Running locale-gen

Step 17: Create a locale configuration file

Next, we will create the locale configuration file:

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

Step 18: Create a hostname file and enable DHCP

Create a hostname file:

echo "myarch" > /etc/hostname

Add matching entries to /etc/hosts:

echo -e "127.0.0.1\tlocalhost\n::1\tlocalhost\n127.0.1.1\tmyarch.localdomain\tmyarch" >> /e

Now, enable DHCP:

systemctl enable dhcpcd

Step 19: Create Initramfs

Creating a new initramfs is usually not required because mkinitcpio was run on installation of the kernel package with pacstrap. However, you can regenerate it at any time with:

mkinitcpio -P

Step 20: Set the root password

Now we must set the password for the root account using passwd:

passwd

Setting the root password

Step 21: Install a bootloader

We will install the bootloader. For this tutorial, we will be using the GRUB bootloader. To do this, we will be using Pacman, the package manager for Arch Linux:

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

Now we must install GRUB onto the system:

grub-install /dev/sdX

Installing GRUB

And configure it:

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

Creating the GRUB configuration file

Step 22: Reboot into your new system

Exit the chroot environment, unmount all partitions, and reboot:

exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

Remove your installation media, and if all went well, you should boot into your new Arch Linux system!

Step 23: Login to Arch Linux

Once the system has been rebooted, GRUB will load.

GRUB

From there, you can press enter to boot into Arch Linux and log in to your new Arch Linux system as root.

Arch Linux login

Post-installation

Now that you’re booted into your new Arch system, the real fun begins. This is where you truly make the system your own. Install a desktop environment, set up your favorite applications, and tweak settings to your heart’s content.

Setting up a user account

For day-to-day use, it’s best not to use the root account. Create a new user for yourself:

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

To allow your user to perform administrative tasks, install sudo and edit the sudoers file with visudo:

pacman -S sudo
EDITOR=nano visudo

Uncomment the line %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL to allow members of the wheel group to execute any command.

Installing a graphical environment

Arch Linux doesn’t come with a graphical interface out of the box. If you want a GUI, you’ll need to install it yourself. For beginners, I recommend starting with a desktop environment like GNOME or KDE Plasma:

For GNOME:

pacman -S gnome
systemctl enable gdm

For KDE Plasma:

pacman -S plasma sddm
systemctl enable sddm

Reboot, and you should be greeted with a login screen for your new desktop environment!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve just installed one of the most flexible Linux distributions available. From here, the possibilities are endless. Installing Arch Linux might seem daunting at first, but it’s an incredibly rewarding experience that offers unparalleled control and customization over your system. By following the steps laid out in this guide, from preparing your bootable USB to setting up a graphical environment, you’ll have a functional and personalized Arch Linux setup.