Mastering Arch Installation: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Customized Linux Environment

Forget the easy desktop installers—this guide walks you through the detailed manual process of Arch installation, showing you how embracing complexity leads to a leaner, faster, and more secure Linux setup that reflects your true needs.

Why Install Arch Linux from Scratch?

Installing Arch Linux manually might feel like a daunting task compared to clicking through Ubuntu or Fedora’s graphical installers. But the beauty of Arch lies exactly in this challenge. By installing Arch yourself, you learn how every piece of your system works, make deliberate choices about what’s included, and end up with a minimalist system tailored perfectly to your workflow.

Whether you want to build a lightweight workstation, a reliable server, or a secure workstation, this hands-on approach empowers you with technical mastery and total control.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, here’s what you’ll need:

A computer or virtual machine to install Arch on.
A reliable internet connection.
A USB drive (at least 2GB) to create the bootable Arch Linux installation media.
Basic familiarity with command-line interfaces.

Step 1: Prepare the Bootable USB Drive

Download the latest Arch Linux ISO from archlinux.org.
Use a tool like dd (Linux/macOS) or Rufus (Windows) to write the ISO to your USB stick. For example, on Linux:
```
sudo dd bs=4M if=archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync
```
Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device.

Step 2: Boot and Set Up Network

Boot from the USB, select the Arch Linux installation option.
Once at the prompt, verify internet connectivity.

If you are on Ethernet:

ping -c 3 archlinux.org

If on Wi-Fi, use:

iwctl
# Inside iwctl prompt:
device list
station wlan0 connect your_SSID
exit
ping -c 3 archlinux.org

Step 3: Update System Clock

Synchronize your system clock:

timedatectl set-ntp true

Step 4: Partition the Disk

Use fdisk or cfdisk. Here’s an example using fdisk on /dev/sda:

fdisk /dev/sda

Create these partitions:

EFI system partition (~300 MB, type EFI if using UEFI)
Root partition (remaining space)
Optional: swap partition

Example commands inside fdisk:

g to create a new GPT partition table
n to create new partitions
t to set the EFI type (for first partition, code 1)
w to write changes

Step 5: Format Partitions

For EFI partition (assuming /dev/sda1):

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1

For root partition (assuming /dev/sda2):

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2

If you created swap (e.g., /dev/sda3):

mkswap /dev/sda3
swapon /dev/sda3

Step 6: Mount the Filesystems

mount /dev/sda2 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot

Step 7: Install the Base System

Use the pacstrap script to install the Linux kernel, base system, and filesystem utilities:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware vim nano

Step 8: Generate fstab File

Create an fstab file to define how disk partitions should be mounted:

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

Step 9: Change Root into the New System

arch-chroot /mnt

Step 10: Set Timezone

For example, if you are in New York:

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/New_York /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

Step 11: Localization

Edit /etc/locale.gen with your favorite editor and uncomment:

en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8

Generate locales:

locale-gen

Set locale variables in /etc/locale.conf:

echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf

Step 12: Set Hostname

echo "myarch" > /etc/hostname

Add matching entries in /etc/hosts:

127.0.0.1	localhost
::1		    localhost
127.0.1.1	myarch.localdomain myarch

Step 13: Configure Network

Install network utilities, for example, networkmanager:

pacman -S networkmanager
systemctl enable NetworkManager

Step 14: Set Root Password

passwd

Enter the new password when prompted.

Step 15: Install and Configure Bootloader

For UEFI systems, install grub and efibootmgr:

pacman -S grub efibootmgr
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Step 16: Exit Chroot, Unmount, and Reboot

exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

Remove the USB stick after BIOS splash screen.

After Reboot: Post-Installation Steps

Create a new user with sudo privileges.

useradd -mG wheel username
passwd username
pacman -S sudo
EDITOR=vim visudo

Uncomment the line:

%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

Install your choice of desktop environment or window manager.
Customize your system fully knowing you built each piece yourself.

Final Thoughts

Building Arch Linux from scratch challenges you to understand the internals of your operating system. This mastery allows you to maintain a system that's not just functional, but finely tuned to your own needs. While the installation process requires patience and attention to detail, the end result is a rewarding learning experience and a customized, lean, and secure Linux environment.

If you run into trouble, the Arch Wiki is an invaluable and comprehensive resource that will guide you further.

Happy hacking!

How To Install Arch