Install Arch Linux

Arch Linux Installation Guide

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Start Installation

Run the following command to begin the installation process: archinstall

2. Configure Installation Options

2.1 Select Language

* Choose **English** as the default language.

2.2 Set Mirror Region

* Navigate to **Mirror -> Mirror Region**.
* Select **United Kingdom (UK)** as your region.

2.3 Set Locales

* Configure the desired locales for your system.

2.4 Disk Configuration

* Select **Disk Configuration**.
* Choose **Best Partition** and select the **Largest volume**.
<ul>
    * **ext4**: Choose the option to rewrite in place.
    * **btrfs**: Choose "copy on write" to enable snapshot functionality. Ensure that compression is enabled for btrfs.

2.5 No Disk Encryption

* Choose not to encrypt the disk.

2.6 Root Password

* Set a password for the **root** user.

2.7 Create a User

* Add a new user.
* Grant the user **sudo** privileges.

2.8 Start Installation

* Proceed with the installation process.

3. Chroot into the Installed System

At the end of the installation, you will be prompted to chroot into your newly installed system. Choose Yes, since you don’t have a display manager or UI yet.

4. Install GNOME Desktop Environment

Once inside the chroot environment, install the GNOME desktop environment: pacman -S gnome

After installation, exit the chroot environment and shut down the system: exit shutdown -h now

5. Boot and Enable GDM

When you boot the system, GDM (GNOME Display Manager) may not start automatically. This is expected.

5.1 Login

Log in to your system with the credentials you set during the installation process.

5.2 Enable GDM to Start on Boot

Tell Arch Linux to enable GDM as a service that starts on boot: sudo systemctl enable gdm.service

5.3 Start GDM Manually

If you want to start GDM right now, run: sudo systemctl start gdm.service

7. Install Additional Software

You can install additional packages, such as neofetch, a system information tool: sudo pacman -S neofetch

Run neofetch to display system information: neofetch

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Arch Linux and set up the GNOME desktop environment.