Arch Linux Overview

Arch Linux is a lightweight, rolling-release Linux distribution designed for users who want full control over their system. It follows a minimalist philosophy, providing only a base system and expecting users to build everything else to suit their needs. Its package manager, pacman, along with the Arch User Repository (AUR), gives access to one of the largest and most up-to-date software ecosystems available.

The primary strength of Arch Linux is its flexibility and cutting-edge nature. Users can fine-tune every aspect of the system, from the kernel to the desktop environment, making it ideal for developers and advanced users who want maximum customization and performance. However, this flexibility comes at the cost of complexity. Installation and maintenance require a solid understanding of Linux concepts, and updates in a rolling-release model can occasionally introduce instability if not managed carefully.

Note

This installation process is designed for systems using UEFI firmware with full disk encryption. The steps provided reflect one specific configuration and may need to be adapted for different system requirements.

Note

Always review the official Arch Linux Installation Guide before proceeding. The Arch installation process is continuously updated, and this documentation reflects a workflow that was current as of March 2024.

Pre-Installation

Before beginning the Arch Linux installation, you must download the Arch Linux ISO image and create a bootable USB drive.

Download the ISO Image

Navigate to the Arch Linux download page. This page lists official mirrors organized by geographic region.

Select a mirror close to your location. This will redirect you to a directory containing available ISO images.

Locate the file ending in .iso with the most recent date, for example: archlinux-2023-09-01-x86_64.iso. Download this file to your local machine.

Verify the ISO Image (Recommended)

To ensure the integrity of the downloaded ISO, compare its SHA256 checksum with the value provided on the Arch Linux website.

On Linux or macOS:

sha256sum archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso

Verify that the output matches the checksum listed on the download page.

Create a Bootable USB Drive

Once the ISO image has been downloaded, it must be written to a USB drive to create bootable installation media.

Warning

All data on the USB drive will be permanently erased during this process.

A number of tools can be used for this purpose. One simple cross-platform option is USB Imager.

Download and install the version appropriate for your operating system. Launch the application to access the graphical interface shown below.

Select the downloaded ISO file, choose the target USB drive, and ensure that the Verify option is enabled. This option confirms that the data was written correctly after the process completes.

Click Write to begin creating the bootable USB drive.

Installation

This section describes how to install Arch Linux using a UEFI-based system with full disk encryption (LUKS) and Logical Volume Management (LVM).

Warning

This process will permanently erase all data on the target disk. Ensure that any important data is backed up before proceeding.

Booting the Installation Media

Insert the bootable USB drive and power on the system. Enter the UEFI firmware menu (commonly accessed via F2, F10, F12, or DEL depending on your hardware vendor).

Select the USB device as the boot source.

From the boot menu, select:

Arch Linux install medium (x86_64, UEFI)

Set Keyboard Layout (Optional)

List available layouts:

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

Set layout:

loadkeys <layout>

Networking Setup

Test connectivity:

ping -c 3 archlinux.org

Expected output:

3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss

Wireless setup:

iwctl

List devices:

device list

Example output:

NAME         TYPE     STATE
wlan0        station  disconnected

Scan networks:

station <device> scan
station <device> get-networks

Example:

NetworkName   signal   security
MyWiFi        ****     WPA2

Connect:

station <device> connect "NetworkName"

Verify again:

ping -c 3 archlinux.org

Disk Partitioning & Encryption

Identify disk:

fdisk -l

Example:

Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 512 GiB

Partition layout result:

Device            Size   Type
/dev/nvme0n1p1    500M   EFI System
/dev/nvme0n1p2    500M   Linux filesystem
/dev/nvme0n1p3    rest   Linux LVM

Format:

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p2

Encryption:

cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/nvme0n1p3
cryptsetup open /dev/nvme0n1p3 lvm

Expected:

Enter passphrase:
Verify passphrase:

LVM setup:

pvcreate /dev/mapper/lvm
vgcreate volgroup0 /dev/mapper/lvm
lvcreate -L 100G volgroup0 -n lv_root
lvcreate -l 100%FREE volgroup0 -n lv_home

Expected:

Logical volume "lv_root" created
Logical volume "lv_home" created

Mounting:

mount /dev/volgroup0/lv_root /mnt

Verify:

lsblk

Example:

nvme0n1
├─nvme0n1p1
├─nvme0n1p2
└─nvme0n1p3
  └─lvm
    ├─volgroup0-lv_root
    └─volgroup0-lv_home

fstab:

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

Expected:

UUID=xxxx / ext4 rw,relatime 0 1
UUID=xxxx /boot ext4 rw,relatime 0 2
UUID=xxxx /home ext4 rw,relatime 0 2

Base System Installation

Install:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Expected (truncated):

installing base...
installing linux...
installing linux-firmware...

Enter system:

arch-chroot /mnt

System Configuration

Locale:

locale-gen

Expected:

Generating locales...
en_US.UTF-8... done

mkinitcpio:

mkinitcpio -P

Expected:

==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset
==> Starting build: 'default'
-> Running build hook: [encrypt]
-> Running build hook: [lvm2]

Bootloader Installation

Install GRUB:

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=GRUB

Expected:

Installation finished. No error reported.

Generate config:

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

Expected:

Found linux image...
Found initramfs image...

Reboot

reboot

Expected:

LUKS password prompt appears
System boots to login prompt

Post-Installation Setup

Swap:

swapon -a
free -m

Expected:

Swap: 2048 total

Desktop Environment

GNOME:

systemctl enable gdm

Expected:

Created symlink...

Reboot:

reboot

Expected:

Graphical login screen appears

Post Installation

This section describes the packages used to build a local development environment on Arch Linux and how to install them. Configuration of these tools is handled separately in System.

Arch Package Ecosystem

The Arch Linux ecosystem provides two primary sources for software: the official repositories, accessed via pacman, and the Arch User Repository (AUR), typically accessed through helpers such as yay.

The official repositories contain precompiled, vetted packages maintained by Arch developers and are considered stable and secure. In contrast, the AUR is a community-driven collection of build scripts (PKGBUILDs) that allow users to compile and install software not available in official repositories.

While tools like yay simplify AUR usage, users should review PKGBUILDs before installation, as AUR packages are not subject to the same level of review.

Git and GitHub CLI

Many tools in this setup are hosted on GitHub, so we begin by installing git and the GitHub CLI (gh).

Install git:

sudo pacman -S git

Install GitHub CLI:

sudo pacman -S github-cli

Authenticate with GitHub:

gh auth login

Follow the prompts: - Choose GitHub.com - Select HTTPS or SSH (SSH recommended) - Authenticate via browser or token

Arch User Repository (AUR)

Install yay to access AUR packages:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si

Note

Avoid installing AUR packages as root. Build packages as a normal user.

Google Chrome

Install google chrome:

yay -S google-chrome

Terminal Tools

Install terminal utilities:

sudo pacman -S ghostty fzf bat tree htop btop

Development Directory Structure

Create directories for development:

mkdir -p ~/Code_Dev/{Python,C,C++,OS}

Python Environment

Install Python and related tools:

sudo pacman -S python python-pip python-pipx

Enable pipx:

pipx ensurepath

Managing Python Versions (pyenv)

pyenv allows you to install and manage multiple Python versions independently of the system Python.

Install:

sudo pacman -S pyenv

Add to shell configuration:

export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init --path)"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

Reload shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Install a version:

pyenv install 3.11.9

Set version:

pyenv global 3.11.9

Note

The system Python is managed by Arch and should not be modified directly. Use pipx for global tools and venv or pyenv for project environments.

Poetry

Install Poetry using pipx:

pipx install poetry

Configure Poetry:

poetry config virtualenvs.in-project true

C and C++ Toolchain

Install compilers and tools:

sudo pacman -S gcc clang cmake valgrind glfw glibc

Install testing and documentation tools:

yay -S googletest-git cmocka doxygen-git

Fonts

Install fonts:

yay -S nerd-fonts-jetbrains-mono
sudo pacman -S powerline powerline-fonts

Neovim Setup

Install Neovim:

sudo pacman -S neovim

Install lazy.nvim:

git clone https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim \
  ~/.local/share/nvim/lazy/lazy.nvim

Install Tree-sitter CLI:

sudo pacman -S nodejs npm
npm install -g tree-sitter-cli

tmux

Install tmux:

sudo pacman -S tmux

System Utilities

Install additional utilities:

sudo pacman -S zsh rsync fail2ban xclip libreoffice cronie openssh texlive-most
yay -S neofetch-btw masterpdfeditor

Update Arch

Arch Linux is a rolling distribution and should be updated once every one to three days. The following are the steps that are necessary to update your distribution. NOTE: More information on the update process can be found at the Arch Linux Update Wilki page.

Prior to an update, make sure you have backed up the hard drive.
Check to see if any systemd services have failed.
```
systemctl --failed
```
Look for any errors in the log files located in /var/log.
```
journtalctl -b
```
Update Arch Linux packages.
```
sudo pacman -Syu
```
Update AUR packages.
```
yay -Syu
```
Clean up residual Arch packages.
```
sudo pacman -Sc
```
Clean up residual AUR packages.
```
yay -Sc
```
Remove any unused Arch packages
```
sudo pacman -Qtdq
```
Remove any unused AUR packages
```
yay -Yc
```
Check the size of the cache
```
du -sh ~/.cache/
```
Delete any cached documents if necessary
```
rm -rf ~/.cache/*
```
Delete journal files older than 2 days old
```
journalctl --vacume-time=2d
```
Reboot the computer
```
reboot
```