install-arch.md

Notes to Install Arch Linux

1. Boot into arch off a USB stick

2. Find disk with fdisk -l

3. Open disk partitioning with cfdisk <disk e.g. /dev/sda>

4. Make swap space of size 1/2 amount of RAM

   • Set FS type to swap (82)

5. Make root partition, fill up disk

   • Add boot flag

6. Write partition table and quit

7. Format root partition with ext4: mkfs.ext4 <partition e.g. /dev/sda2>

8. Mount root partition with mount <partition> /mnt

9. Make swap file mkswap <swap partition e.g. /dev/sda1> and setup with swapon <swap partition>

10. Connect to WiFi if needed with wifi-menu

11. Install packages to root mount with pacstrap /mnt base base-devel

12. Chroot in with arch-chroot /mnt

13. Set root password with passwd

14. Uncomment appropriate locale in /etc/locale.gen and run locale-gen

15. Set timezone with ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/<timezone> /etc/localtime, may need -sf

16. Put host name in /etc/hostname

17. Install grub pacman -S grub-bios

18. Install grub to disk grub-install <disk e.g. /dev/sda>

19. Configure with mkinitcpio -p linux

20. Generate grub config with grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

21. (recommended) Install NetworkManager while you have a working network connection pacman -S networkmanager

22. Exit session and return to installer with exit

23. Generate fstab file with genfstab /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

24. Unmount root partition umount /mnt

25. Boot from disk