How to Install Arch Linux in 2024 | A Beginner’s Guide

The first step is to download the latest version of Arch Linux, which comes in ISO format. Head over to ArchLinux.org and choose which way you want to download the latest version (I’ve used qBittorrent).

To create a bootable USB with Arch Linux, simply download and install Rufus (it’s also available through the Microsoft Store if you’re using Windows). Once you do, start the application, select your USB device, select the ISO file that you’ve downloaded, and start the process by clicking on “Start“.

Rufus will show up a pop-up window asking if you you want to write the ISO file in ISO Image Mode (Recommended) or in DD Image Mode. For Arch-based distributions, you’ll have to select the second option, while for Ubuntu and Debian-based distros the first will do just fine. Choose the “Write in DD Image Mode” option and click “OK“.

To install Arch Linux we will first need to enter its console. To do so, restart your PC or laptop (with the USB device connected) and start hitting F11, F12, DEL, or the right button to enter your BIOS/UEFI. From there, simply choose your USB device and you’ll see the screen above.

In Arch’s console, simply write archinstall and hit Enter.

You should now see the same options as in the image example above. This is Arch’s installation wizard, which makes the installation process easier than ever before. Start by choosing a default language (you can change it later if you want).

Mirrors are basically the servers that host copies of the official Arch Linux repositories, and selecting the right one will significantly improve the download times. For Mirrors, simply select your country, or the nearest one. In Locates, you can setup your keyboard languages, in which I only selected English as the default language (you can add more later).

For the Filesystem, you can either select btrfs for speed and performance or ext4 for stability. I usually go with ext4, but btrfs didn’t cause me any issues the last time I used it. Avoid xfs and f2fs, especially if you don’t know what they are.

This is as simple as it sounds: Select which disk you want Arch Linux to be installed on. You should see a list with all the available disk and their partitions. Please note that once you’ve done that, there’s no going back and all the files in that disk will be deleted.

When it comes to bootloaders, Grub is the king of all, and to be honest, it simply works all the time without any issues.

If you’re using an older HDD disk or you have less than 8GB of RAM, creating a swap space may be beneficial and improve your system’s performance. If you have 8GB of RAM or more and an SSD or M.2 SSD you can skip that.. As I have an SSD, I will not be creating a swap space.

Add a name and a root password for the hostname of your computer. This is not what you’ll use to log in to your account.

Here we can create an admin for Arch Linux, this is the account that you’ll be using to log in and access your operating system and all of your files. Add a username and a strong password to proceed.

When it comes to the audio server, Pipewire usually works out of the box, so I preferred it over Pulseaudio. You can change that later if you want, but selecting the right one from the beginning will save you time.

If you don’t care about the Kernels, choose the first option. If you’re looking for the best stability and security, go with linux-lts, which LTS stands for “Long Time Support”.

When it comes to the Network configuration, it’s recommended to choose the default option: “Use NetworkManager“.

Simply choose a Timezone (based on your location). You can always change that later if you need to.

Once you’ve selected everything, simply hit the “Install” option and let Arch Linux complete its installation process. It may take a while, so that’s your chance to go and fill up another cup of coffee.

Click on “yes” (or “no“, whatever) and hit the Enter button to proceed.