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Support #207

Vanilla Arch Linux Base Installation

Added by Daniel Curtis about 11 years ago. Updated about 10 years ago.

Status:
Closed
Priority:
Normal
Assignee:
Category:
-
Target version:
-
Start date:
09/27/2013
Due date:
% Done:

100%

Estimated time:
2.00 h
Spent time:

Description

I decided to finally try Arch Linux out, and found it to be fast and highly configurable. As such I will document what I did to get a Base installation for Arch. I booted Arch up from its live ISO and was dumped to a root shell.

This guide will use GRUB with a Master Boot Record; this is an older setup, but still useful.

Partition Hard Drive

  • Use fdisk to setup the initial partition map:
    fdisk /dev/sda
    n
    p
    +1G
    n
    p
    [Enter]
    w
    
  • Make file system and swap
    mkswap /dev/sda1
    mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2
    
  • Mount the new file system
    mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
    
  • Bootstrap the base system installation
    pacstrap /mnt base base-devel openssh grub sudo
    

Configure Base System

  • Generate A File System Configuration
    genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
    
  • Chroot Into The Base System
    arch-chroot /mnt
    
  • Create a static ethernet connection
    cp /etc/netctl/examples/ethernet-static /etc/netctl/wired
    netctl enable wired
    
    • NOTE: Edit /etc/netctl/wired to the correct network settings
  • Set host name
    vi /etc/hostname
    
  • Set the local time
    ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Los_Angeles /etc/localtime
    
  • Create initial ram disk
    mkinitcpio -p linux
    
  • Change root password
    passwd
    
  • Create a non-privileged user
    useradd -m -g users -s /bin/bash bob
    
  • Add non-privileged user to sudo users
    visudo
    
    • Then add the following
      bob ALL=(ALL) ALL
      
  • Install grub boot files
    grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck --debug /dev/sda
    
  • Generate grub config file
    grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
    
  • Exit The Chroot Environment
    exit
    

Finalize The Install

At this point Arch is ready for use, however you can install packages for the new Base system before restarting the machine:
pacman -S gnome
  • NOTE: Setting up Xorg or a Desktop Environment is outside the scope of this guide.

When all packages are finished installing unmount the Base system partition and reboot

umount /dev/sda1
reboot

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