a momentary lapse of reason

Install Arch Linux

As noted in the overview, I have opted to write this guide for Arch Linux. The steps in the next sections should be applicable to any Linux installation, as long as it meets the following criteria:

  • You have a boot partition of type EFI System
  • You have a root partition of type Linux Root (x86-64)
  • You are using Systemd as your boot manager
  • If you have a separate home partition, it must be of type Linux Home (I don't create a separate home partition, or advise doing so any more. It's a relic of an earlier time in computing)
  • You are using Unified Kernel Images (UKI)

Getting Arch Linux

Follow the instructions in the Arch install guide to download the latest install image for Arch Linux and burn it to a USB for installation (steps 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3) Arch Install Guide

As an alternative to step 1.3 (preparing the installation medium), you can install/use Ventoy to boot the Arch Linux ISO.

Install Arch Linux

Boot from the Arch install medium. Unlike many Linux distributions, it will boot to a command-line input, as Arch does not have a graphical installer at the time of writing. Install Arch with the following command:

archinstall

archinstall is built using the ncurses library, which is a text-based menuing system. Use the arrow keys to navigate through the menus. enter will accept the current selection. space will activate a list item or radio button on screens where you can select more than one thing.

In archinstall, you need to make sure you select the correct installation options. They are:

  • Automatic partitioning, in the partitioning section. (I prefer ext4, with no separate partition for Home, but there is no technical reason that you can't use btrfs or have a separate home)
  • Under Encryption, choose LUKS. You must add your root and any additional partitions that were created during the automatic partitioning. You must also set a password for decryption, but it doesn't need to be a strong password as we will be erasing the password after enrolling the keys in your TPM.
  • Add a user account for daily use, which needs to be an administrative (sudo) account.
  • Optionally set the root password. If you do not add your user as an admin account, you must set your root password or your system will be unusuable.
  • Build UKI images: yes
  • Bootloader: systemd
  • Profile: Choose a profile that's appropriate for your use of the system. Most likely, you will want to choose Desktop with either Gnome or KDE as your desktop environment. (I don't suggest any other desktop environment for a newbie as the learning curve coming from Windows or Mac will be significantly steeper. For those who are interested, my first desktop environment was XFCE, and I still use it on my cloud gaming machine)
  • Network: Network Manager. (this is a dependency for Gnome and KDE)
  • Audio: pipewire (it is a newer library than pulseaudio, and I find it works better on my computer)

When you have made all of your selections, choose install and sit back and watch the screen fly by. At the end of the installation, it will ask if you want to make any additional modifications prior to rebooting. Choose yes and move on to the next section.

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