Installation Media¶

While it is possible to install arch from an existing Linux, it is recommended you do a fresh install, since it reduces the variables involved in your install. This guide assumes you are installing from an Arch ISO loaded from a USB Flash drive.

1.1 Get an Arch ISO¶

To set up the drive, download the latest Arch Linux ISO and verify the signature (Optional). Flash it to your drive with dd, for example. Get the block device name of your USB drive, here /dev/sdx.

sudo lsblk 
sudo dd if=/path/to/iso of=/dev/sdx bs=4096 status=progress

Danger

Selecting the wrong device might lead to you overwriting your own data!

Now plug the drive into the host you wish to install to and boot into the Arch ISO.

1.2 Check UEFI¶

Ensure that your system is UEFI capable. If the following directory is not empty, it is.

ls /sys/firmware/efi

1.3 Check Internet Connection¶

If you are using a device with a wired connection, check your connection:

ping archlinux.org

If you are on a laptop and cannot establish a wired connection, you must first connect to a wireless network. For this you must use iwd, which is already present on the ISO.

First, find the name of your wireless interface. Then, if you're not sure what networks are available, do a scan and take note of the network name (or SSID). Finally, connect to the network; you will be prompted for a password if necessary.

iwctl device list                   # > $DEVICE
iwctl station $DEVICE get-networks. # > $SSID
iwctl station $DEVICE connect $SSID

Pinging a server should now work.

1.4 Sync System Clock¶

Update your system clock with the following command:

timedatectl set-ntp true

1.5 Sync Pacman Mirrors¶

In case your ISO was made long ago, it might be that your mirrors are out of date, and pacman will struggle to install some packages. To update them:

pacman -Syy pacman-mirrorlist archlinux-keyring
pacman-key --refresh-keys
mv /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.pacnew /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

You may now edit the /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist and uncomment the mirrors you wish to use. Usually you'd want the world-wide mirrors along with a few near your geographical location.