Arch Linux Minimal Installation

This is a step-by-step guide that outlines the steps for a minimal installation of Arch Linux.

September 25, 2024 (5mo ago)

Live System

  1. Set Font Size

    setfont ter-132n

  2. Check IP Addresses

    ip -c q      # Lists all IP addresses
ip -c a      # Lists all network interfaces

  3. Connect via WiFi

    iwctl        # Enter IWD's tool (Internet Wireless Control Utility)
device list  # List available network devices
station <device_name> get-networks  # List networks
station <device_name> connect <Wifi_name>  # Connect and prompt for password

  4. Check Internet Connectivity

    ping google.com

  5. Verify EFI Boot

    ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars  # True if results are displayed

  6. Check Time Settings

    timedatectl status              # Displays device time info
timedatectl list-timezones      # Lists all timezones
timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Kathmandu  # Set timezone

  7. List Drives

    lsblk         # Lists all drives
fdisk -l      # Detailed info about drives

  8. Partition the Disk

    cfdisk /dev/nvme0n1  # Enter disk partitioning mode
# Create partitions for home, root, and swap.

  9. Format the Drives

    mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p6  # Format home partition
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p7  # Format root partition
mkswap /dev/nvme0n1p8     # Format swap partition
swapon /dev/nvme0n1p8     # Enable swap partition

  10. Mount the Drives

    mount /dev/nvme0n1p7 /mnt  # Mount root drive
mkdir /mnt/home             # Create home directory
mount /dev/nvme0n1p6 /mnt/home  # Mount home drive

  11. Update Package Database

    pacman -Sy
pacman -S pacman-contrib  # Install rank mirror tool

  12. Backup Mirror List and Update

    cp /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.bak
rankmirrors -n 10 /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.bak > /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

  13. Install Arch Linux Base System

    pacstrap -i /mnt base base-devel linux linux-lts linux-headers linux-firmware intel-ucode sudo nano vim git networkmanager dhcpcd

  14. Generate File System Table

    genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
cat /mnt/etc/fstab  # List file system table

  15. Change Root

    arch-chroot /mnt

Inside System Root

  1. Set Root Password

    passwd

  2. Add a New User

    useradd -m <username>  # Add user
passwd <username>  # Set user password
usermod -aG wheel,storage,power <username>  # Add user to groups

  3. Edit Sudoers File

    visudo  # Uncomment %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

  4. Generate Locale

    vim /etc/locale.gen  # Uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
locale-gen
echo LANG=en_US.UTF-8 > /etc/locale.conf
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

  5. Set Hostname

    echo arch > /etc/hostname
vim /etc/hosts
# Add the following lines:
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost
# 127.0.1.1 arch.localdomain arch

  6. Set Timezone

    ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Asia/Kathmandu /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

  7. Create EFI Boot Directory and Mount

    mkdir /boot/efi
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /boot/efi/

  8. Install GRUB

    pacman -S grub efibootmgr dosfstools mtools os-prober
vim /etc/default/grub  # Uncomment GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false and set GRUB_GFXMODE= 2256x1269
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=grub_uefi --recheck
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

  9. Enable Network Services

    systemctl enable dhcpcd.service
systemctl enable NetworkManager.service

  10. Exit Chroot

    exit

Back to Live System

  1. Unmount All Drives

    umount -lR /mnt

  2. Reboot System

    reboot

This guide provides a straightforward method to install Arch Linux. Make sure to adapt partitioning and configurations according to your specific requirements.

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