Prepare a bootable USB with Arch Linux ISO, ensure your system can boot from it, and establish an internet connection—wired is preferred, or use iwctl for Wi-Fi; 2. Boot into the live environment, verify UEFI mode with ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars, and sync the clock using timedatectl set-ntp true; 3. Partition the disk using gdisk for UEFI systems by creating an EFI partition (512M, type EF00), optional swap (8G, type 8200), and root partition (remainder, type 8300), then format them with mkfs.fat, mkswap, swapon, and mkfs.ext4 before mounting root to /mnt and boot to /mnt/boot; 4. Install base system using pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware along with optional tools like vim, networkmanager, and sudo, then generate fstab with genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab and verify its contents; 5. Enter chroot with arch-chroot /mnt, configure timezone via ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime and hwclock --systohc, set locale by editing /etc/locale.gen, run locale-gen, write LANG=en_US.UTF-8 to /etc/locale.conf, set hostname in /etc/hostname and /etc/hosts, then assign root password with passwd; 6. Install GRUB bootloader: for UEFI, install grub and efibootmgr, run grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB, then generate config with grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg; 7. Enable essential services such as NetworkManager with systemctl enable NetworkManager; 8. Create a regular user with useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash username, set a password, and allow sudo access by uncommenting %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL in /etc/sudoers using visudo; 9. Exit chroot, unmount partitions with umount -R /mnt, and reboot to complete installation, then after login, connect to network, install a desktop environment if desired, and maintain the system using pacman -Syu while referring to the Arch Wiki for guidance.

Installing Arch Linux isn’t for the faint of heart—but that’s also what makes it rewarding. Unlike most distributions, Arch doesn’t come with a graphical installer or pre-configured desktop environment. Instead, you get a minimal base system and full control over every component. This guide walks you through the essential steps to install Arch Linux from start to finish.

1. Prepare the Installation Environment

Before installing, you’ll need:

• A bootable USB drive with the Arch Linux ISO
• A computer that can boot from USB (UEFI or legacy BIOS)
• An internet connection (wired is recommended for simplicity)

Boot into the Live Environment

1. Plug in your USB and boot the machine.
2. Select the Arch Linux entry from the boot menu.
3. You’ll land in a minimal shell as the root user.

Verify Boot Mode

Check if you’re using UEFI:

ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars

If the directory exists, you're in UEFI mode.

Connect to the Internet

For wired connections, it usually works out of the box. Confirm with:

ping archlinux.org

For Wi-Fi, use iwctl:

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

Enter your password when prompted. Exit iwctl with exit.

Update the system clock:

timedatectl set-ntp true

2. Partition the Disk

Choose a disk (e.g., /dev/sda for older systems or /dev/nvme0n1 for NVMe). Use fdisk -l to list drives.

For UEFI Systems (Recommended)

Create a GPT partition table with:

gdisk /dev/sdX

Create three partitions:

• EFI System Partition: 512 MiB, type EF00
• Swap Partition: Optional, e.g., 4–8 GiB, type 8200
• Root Partition: Rest of the space, type 8300

Example layout (/dev/sda):

• /dev/sda1 – EFI (512M)
• /dev/sda2 – Swap (8G)
• /dev/sda3 – Root (remainder)

Format Partitions

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1        # EFI
mkswap /dev/sda2               # Swap
swapon /dev/sda2
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3            # Root

Mount the file systems:

mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot

3. Install the Base System

Use pacstrap to install essential packages:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Include additional tools if needed (e.g., vim, networkmanager, sudo):

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

Generate the filesystem table:

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

Verify it looks correct:

cat /mnt/etc/fstab

4. Configure the Installed System

Chroot into your new system:

arch-chroot /mnt

Set Timezone, Locale, and Hostname

Set your timezone:

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

Uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 (or your preferred locale) in /etc/locale.gen, then generate:

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

Set hostname:

echo myhostname > /etc/hostname

Edit /etc/hosts:

127.0.0.1   localhost
::1         localhost
127.0.1.1   myhostname.localdomain   myhostname

Set Root Password

passwd

5. Install a Bootloader

For UEFI systems, install and configure grub:

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

For legacy BIOS:

grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/sda
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

6. Enable Essential Services

Enable NetworkManager for networking:

systemctl enable NetworkManager

Other common services: bluetooth, cups (printing), etc.

7. Create a Regular User

Avoid using root daily. Create a user:

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

Allow members of the wheel group to use sudo. Edit /etc/sudoers with:

visudo

Uncomment this line:

%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

8. Reboot into Your New System

Exit chroot, unmount, and reboot:

exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

Remove the USB when prompted.

After booting, log in and:

• Connect to Wi-Fi: nmtui or nmcli
• Install a desktop environment or window manager (optional)
• Update regularly with pacman -Syu

Arch Linux gives you total control—from the kernel up. The installation process teaches you how Linux systems work under the hood. Once set up, use pacman and the Arch Wiki to customize your system further.

Basically just take it step by step—and don’t skip the wiki.

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