Arch Linux Manual Install

• Get on a Network
• Setup Drives
  • Setup Partitions
  • Format Partitions
  • Install Kernel Modules
  • Mount Partitions
    • Handle / (root)
    • Handle boot
  • Install Minimal Required Packages
  • Generate fstab file
• Log into Arch Linux installation
  • Set root password
  • Create user (ex.: zedro) & set user password
  • Get User Aditional Packages
  • Get Linux Kernels (bleeding edge & lts)
  • Get Optional Firmware (Recommended)
  • Setup Video Card Driver (Ex.: NVidia)
  • Generate Kernel Utils
  • Set Locale Information
    • Generate Selected Locale
  • Setup EFI Partition
  • Setup GRUB
    • Install GRUB
    • Setup boot Directory
    • Generate GRUB configuration file
• Enable Services
  • Enable OpenSSH
  • Enable gdm
  • Enable Network Manager
• Finish & Reboot

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Get on a Network

• Check IP Address Information

ip addr show

• Connect to WIFI Network (Get IP)

iwctl

Drops you into iwctl's prompt

• List all available networks (in Ex.: wlon0)

[iwd]# station wlon0 get-networks

Ctrl+C out of iwctl

• Connect to chosen

iwctl --passphrase "networkPassphrase" station wlon0 connect <network>

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Setup Drives

• Check local drives information

lsblk

Setup Partitions

• Open chosen device with fdisk partitioniong utility (Ex.: nvme0n1)

fdisk /dev/nvme0n1

Gives Command (m for help): promnpt.

• Print partition layout

p

• Create empty partition table

g

• Create new partition (boot)

n

Set: Default, Default, +1G Accept: y

• Create new partition (EFI)

n

Set: Default, Default, +1G Accept: y

• Create new partition (SWAP)

n

Set: Default, Default, +34G (System RAM + 2 GB) Accept: y

• Create new partition (/)

n

Set: Default, Default, Default Accept: y

• Save and exit fdisk

w

Format Partitions

• Format boot partition

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1

• Format EFI partition

mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p2

• Format SWAP partition

mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p3
mkswap /dev/nvme0n1p3 
swapon /dev/nvme0n1p3

• Format / partition

mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p3

Install Kernel Modules

• Get Advanced Storage Configuration support (just to be safe)

modprobe dm_mod

Mount Partitions

Handle / (root)

• Mount / (root)

mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt

Handle boot

• Create /mnt/boot/ directory

mkdir /mnt/boot

• Mount boot

mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt/boot

Install Minimal Required Packages

pacstrap -i /mnt base

Generate fstab file

Tell the file system filesystems to mount

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

• To check the current filesystems

cat /mnt/etc/fstab

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Log into Arch Linux installation

arch-chroot /mnt

Set root password

passwd

Create user (ex.: zedro) & set user password

useradd -m -g users -G wheel zedro
passwd zedro

Get User Aditional Packages

pacman -S base-devel dosfstools grub efibootmgr gnome gnome-tweaks mtools vim git firefox networkmanager openssh sudo 

Get Linux Kernels (bleeding edge & lts)

pacman -S linux linux-headers linux-lts linux-lts-headers

Get Optional Firmware (Recommended)

pacman -S linux-firmware

Setup Video Card Driver (Ex.: NVidia)

pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils nvidia-lts

Generate Kernel Utils

mkinitcpio -p linux     # for bleeding-edge kernel
mkinitcpio -p linux-lts # for lts kernel

Set Locale Information

vim /etc/locale.gen

Uncomment the desired local UTF-8 option

Generate Selected Locale

locale-gen

Setup EFI Partition

mkdir /boot/EFI
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /boot/EFI

Setup GRUB

Install GRUB

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=grub_uefi --recheck

Setup boot Directory

cp /usr/share/locale/en\@quot/LC_MESSAGES/grub.mo /boot/grub/locale/en.mo

Generate GRUB configuration file

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

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Enable Services

Enable OpenSSH

systemctl enable sshd

Enable gdm

systemctl enable gdm

Enable Network Manager

systemctl enable NetworkManager

Finish & Reboot

exit      # Leave chroot
umount -a # Unmount
reboot    # Reboot system