Arch Linux is a lightweight, rolling-release distribution that gives you full control over your system. This guide walks through a UEFI + GPT installation with systemd-boot and a minimal setup you can extend later.
Prerequisites: A 64-bit PC with UEFI, internet access, and a USB drive (4 GB+). Back up all data on the target disk before proceeding.
Table of Contents
- Download the ISO
- Create a Bootable USB
- Boot into the Live Environment
- Connect to the Internet
- Partition the Disk
- Format and Mount Partitions
- Install Base Packages
- Configure the System
- Install Bootloader
- Reboot and First Login
- Post-Install Essentials
1. Download the ISO
Download the latest Arch Linux ISO from the official site:
# On any Linux machine — verify checksum after download
wget https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/iso/latest/archlinux-x86_64.iso
wget https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/iso/latest/sha256sums.txt
sha256sum -c sha256sums.txt
Or download from: archlinux.org/download
2. Create a Bootable USB
Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device (use lsblk to identify it).
# List block devices
lsblk
# Write ISO to USB (DESTROYS all data on the USB)
sudo dd bs=4M if=archlinux-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync
Windows alternative: Use Rufus or balenaEtcher.
3. Boot into the Live Environment
- Insert the USB and reboot.
- Enter your BIOS/UEFI boot menu (usually
F12,F2, orDel). - Select the USB drive.
- Choose Arch Linux install medium (x86_64, UEFI) from the GRUB menu.
You should land at a root shell prompt.
4. Connect to the Internet
Wi-Fi
# Start interactive Wi-Fi setup
iwctl
# Inside iwctl:
device list
station wlan0 scan
station wlan0 get-networks
station wlan0 connect "YourWiFiName"
exit
# Verify connection
ping -c 3 archlinux.org
Ethernet
Plug in the cable — DHCP should work automatically.
ping -c 3 archlinux.org
Enable NTP (recommended)
timedatectl set-ntp true
timedatectl status
5. Partition the Disk
List disks and identify your target (e.g. /dev/nvme0n1 or /dev/sda):
lsblk
fdisk -l
Example layout for a 512 GB NVMe with dual boot in mind:
| Partition | Size | Type | Mount |
|---|---|---|---|
/dev/nvme0n1p1 | 512 MB | EFI System | /boot |
/dev/nvme0n1p2 | 100 GB | Linux root | / |
/dev/nvme0n1p3 | Remaining | Linux home | /home |
| swap | 8–16 GB | Linux swap | — |
Use fdisk or cfdisk:
cfdisk /dev/nvme0n1
In cfdisk:
- Select GPT label
- Create EFI System partition (512 MB)
- Create Linux filesystem for root
- Create Linux filesystem for home (optional)
- Create Linux swap (optional)
- Write changes and quit
6. Format and Mount Partitions
Adjust partition names to match your system:
# Format EFI partition
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
# Format root (ext4)
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p2
# Format home (ext4) — optional
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p3
# Enable swap — optional
mkswap /dev/nvme0n1p4
swapon /dev/nvme0n1p4
# Mount partitions
mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt
# Create and mount boot
mkdir -p /mnt/boot
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot
# Create and mount home — optional
mkdir -p /mnt/home
mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt/home
7. Install Base Packages
# Update mirror list (optional but recommended)
pacman -Sy reflector
reflector --country 'United States' --age 12 --protocol https --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
# Install base system + firmware + editor
pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware nano vim networkmanager
# Generate fstab
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/fstab
# Verify fstab
cat /mnt/fstab
8. Configure the System
# Chroot into new system
arch-chroot /mnt
# Set timezone (replace with your region)
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/New_York /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc
# Set locale
echo "en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8" >> /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen
echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf
# Set hostname
echo "archlinux" > /etc/hostname
# Configure hosts file
cat >> /etc/hosts << EOF
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
127.0.1.1 archlinux.localdomain archlinux
EOF
# Set root password
passwd root
# Create a regular user
useradd -m -G wheel,audio,video,optical,storage -s /bin/bash aayrix
passwd aayrix
# Allow wheel group to use sudo
EDITOR=nano visudo
# Uncomment: %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL
# Enable NetworkManager
systemctl enable NetworkManager
9. Install Bootloader
# Still inside arch-chroot
# Install systemd-boot
bootctl install
# Create boot entry
mkdir -p /boot/loader/entries
cat > /boot/loader/loader.conf << EOF
default arch.conf
timeout 3
editor 0
EOF
# Find your root partition UUID
blkid
# Create entry (replace UUID with your root partition UUID)
cat > /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf << EOF
title Arch Linux
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options root=UUID=YOUR-ROOT-UUID rw
EOF
# Exit chroot
exit
10. Reboot and First Login
# Unmount all partitions
umount -R /mnt
# Reboot
reboot
Remove the USB when prompted. Log in as your user (aayrix) or root.
11. Post-Install Essentials
After first boot, log in and run:
# Connect to Wi-Fi (if not already connected)
nmcli device wifi list
nmcli device wifi connect "YourWiFiName" password "YourPassword"
# Update the entire system
sudo pacman -Syu
# Install essential tools
sudo pacman -S git base-devel curl wget htop
# Install a desktop environment (example: KDE Plasma)
sudo pacman -S plasma kde-applications sddm
sudo systemctl enable sddm
sudo reboot
Install yay (AUR helper) — optional
cd /tmp
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay
makepkg -si
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Can’t boot after install | Reboot into live USB, arch-chroot /mnt, check /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf UUID |
| No Wi-Fi in live environment | Use iwctl or plug in ethernet |
pacstrap fails | Check internet with ping archlinux.org, try a different mirror |
| Black screen after login | Install GPU drivers: sudo pacman -S nvidia or mesa |
Useful Resources
Arch Linux rewards patience. Take it one step at a time, read the Arch Wiki when stuck, and you’ll have a system tailored exactly to your needs.