Step-by-Step Guide to Install Arch Linux from Scratch (Minimal System)

Table of Contents

Introduction
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This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of installing Arch Linux from start to finish, resulting in a minimal system. Please note that this guide will not cover the installation of a desktop environment.

Before you begin, it’s assumed that you have a basic understanding of computer operations and are familiar with using a virtual machine or have a spare computer for the installation of Arch Linux. The process of booting the Arch Linux ISO will not be covered in this guide.

Before You Begin
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Arch Linux operates on a philosophy of simplicity, user control, and customization. Unlike more user-friendly distributions such as Linux Mint or Ubuntu, Arch does not provide a graphical user interface (GUI) during the installation process. Instead, it relies heavily on the command line.

If you are new to GNU/Linux or have less than a year of experience, it is advisable to gain some familiarity with GNU/Linux basics before attempting an Arch installation.

In Arch, every step of the installation process is executed through the command line. This direct exposure to the terminal allows for greater control but may be challenging if you are uncomfortable with command-line operations.

Check the Connection
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Before starting the installation, ensure that you have a working internet connection. You can verify your connection by using the ping command:

ping archlinux.org

Network Connection via Wireless (Wi-Fi)
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If you are using a wireless connection, you can connect to a Wi-Fi network using the iwctl command, which is part of the iwd package installed by default on the official Arch Linux ISO.

To start the iwctl command, enter:

iwctl

Then, use the following commands to connect to your Wi-Fi network:

[iwd]# device list
[iwd]# station wlan0 scan
[iwd]# station wlan0 get-networks
[iwd]# station wlan0 connect [SSID]

After successfully connecting to the Wi-Fi network, exit the iwctl command by typing exit. You can then check your connection again using the ping command.

Partition Setup
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Before installing Arch Linux, you need to partition your disk. You can use tools like cfdisk, fdisk, or gdisk for this purpose. In this guide, we will use gdisk.

Using gdisk
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First, list the available disks:

lsblk

Next, use gdisk to partition the disk:

gdisk /dev/sda

Create the following partitions:

Type o to create a new GPT partition table.
Type n to create a new partition, then press Enter to accept the default first sector.
Type +500M for the last sector and ef00 for the partition type (EFI System).
Type n to create another partition, accept the default first sector, type +30G for the last sector, and 8300 for the partition type (Linux filesystem).
Repeat the previous step to create a third partition with +25G for the last sector and 8300 for the partition type (Linux filesystem).
Finally, create a fourth partition, accept the default first sector, type +4.5G for the last sector, and 8200 for the partition type (Linux swap).

After creating the partitions, type w to write the changes to the disk. You should now have the following partitions:

Size	Type	Code
500M	EFI System	ef00
30G	Linux filesystem	8300
25G	Linux filesystem	8300
4.5G	Linux swap	8200

Parition Format
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Before installing Arch Linux, you need to format the partitions. We will use the mkfs command for this purpose.

First, format the EFI System partition, which is used for the boot loader:

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1

Next, format the root and home partitions with the ext4 filesystem:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3

Finally, format the swap partition using the mkswap command:

mkswap /dev/sda4
swapon /dev/sda4

Mount the Partitions
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Now, mount the partitions to the /mnt directory, starting with the root partition:

mount /dev/sda2 --mkdir /mnt

Next, mount the home partition:

mount /dev/sda3 --mkdir /mnt/home

TIPS: The efi partition will not be mounted here, we’ll mount it after chrooting into the new system.

Install Basic Arch System
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Let’s install the basic Arch Linux system with the pacstrap command.

pacstrap -i /mnt base base-devel linux linux-headers linux-firmware vim networkmanager sudo

Generate File System Table (fstab)
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Generate the file system table, This table is used by the system to determine how to mount the partitions.

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

Switching new system
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Switch to the new system by using arch-chroot:

arch-choot /mnt

Update the root password
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Your root password is not set by default, so you need to set it:

passwd

Add a new user
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Create a new normal user:

useradd -m <username>

Set the password for the new user:

passwd <username>

Add permissions to the new user:

usermod -aG wheel,storage,power <username>

Apply new user permissions
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We will give the new user permissions to use sudo:

EDITOR=vim visudo

Uncomment the following line:

%wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL`:

Set timeout to 0, so you don’t need to wait every time for the password delay:

Defaults timestamp_timeout=0

System Language
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We will set the system language to English (US) UTF-8 and generate the locale.

vim /etc/locale.gen

Find en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 and remove the # symbol to uncomment it. and save the file.

Generate the locale:

locale-gen

Set the system language:

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

Hostname Settings
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Set the hostname:

echo Archlinux > /etc/hostname

Edit the hosts file:

vim /etc/hosts

Add the following lines:

127.0.0.1      localhost
::1            localhost
127.0.0.1      Archlinux.localdomain    localhost

Timezone Sync
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Set the timezone:

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Asia/Taipai /etc/localtime

Sync the hardware clock:

hwclock --systohc

Mount EFI Partition
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It’s time to mount the EFI partition to /boot/efi.

mount /dev/sda1 --mkdir /boot/efi

Bootloader configuration
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Install GRUB and efibootmgr for UEFI systems:

pacman -S grub efibootmgr

Install GRUB for UEFI systems for the first time:

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi

Generate the GRUB configuration file:

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

Enable Internet Service
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It’s essential to enable the NetworkManager service to have internet access after rebooting the system.

systemctl enable NetworkManager.service

Exit the chroot environment
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As for the setup of minimal Arch Linux, we are done now :) Let’s exit the chroot environment.

exit

Reboot
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Reboot to enjoy your new Arch Linux system :)

reboot

Conclusion
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Arch linux is a great distribution for those who want to learn more about Linux and have a more personalized experience. The installation process might be challenging, but it’s a rewarding journey that allows you to build a system tailored to your preferences.

After you master the arch linux, you should now feel more comfortable with the command line and have a understanding of how a GNU/Linux system works and also as well as the ability to troubleshoot issues that may arise.

For more hardcores, you can try to install Gentoo or LFS (Linux From Scratch) to further deepen your knowledge of GNU/Linux.

But before that, you should feel arch is simple and easy to use. otherwise, these two distributions will be a nightmare for you. Since they are a source based distribution, you need to compile everything from the source code. and the configuration is more difficult than Arch Linux.