Bahadir's Personal Arch Linux Installation Guide

This guide is a personalized, comprehensive Arch Linux installation tutorial for myself, Bahadir, to guide me through the steps needed to build a customized Arch Linux system.

Arch Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution, providing a bare minimum base system. This minimalist design allows users to include only the components they need, making it remarkably fast, reliable, and ideal for those who want an extensive control over their operating environment.

With clear step-by-step instructions, you'll be able to navigate through the installation with ease and confidence.

Hardware Configuration

• Processor: Intel Core I9-13900K (LGA 1700, 3 GHz, 24-Core)

• Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Pulse (24 GB)

• Storage Drive: Samsung 990 Pro (2000 GB, M.2 2280)

• Memory Kit: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB (2 X 32GB, 6400 MHz, DDR5 RAM, DIMM)

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WIFI (LGA 1700, Intel Z790, Mini ITX)

• CPU Cooler: MasterLiquid ML280 Mirror CPU Liquid Cooler

• Power Supply: V850 SFX Gold 850 Watt

• Case: Cooler Master PC Case MasterBox NR200P (Mini ITX)

Obtain and Verify the Installation Image

To start, follow these steps to obtain and authenticate the installation image:

1. Change the directory to Downloads:

   cd ~/Downloads

2. Access the Arch Linux Downloads page and select a mirror to download the .iso and .sig files.

3. Set your mirror and file names as environment variables:

   export MIRROR_SITE="https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/iso/latest"
   export ISO_FILE="archlinux-2024.01.01-x86_64.iso"
   export SIG_FILE="${ISO_FILE}.sig"

4. Download the files with curl:

   curl -O "${MIRROR_SITE}/${ISO_FILE}"
   curl -O "${MIRROR_SITE}/${SIG_FILE}"

5. Verify the authenticity of the installation image:

   gpg --keyserver-options auto-key-retrieve --verify "${SIG_FILE}"

   Look for a message in the output confirming the signature's validity and the t rusted status of the key, similar to this:

   gpg: assuming signed data in 'archlinux-2024.01.01-x86_64.iso'
   gpg: Signature made Mon 01 Jan 2024 05:48:11 PM CET
   gpg:                using EDDSA key 3E80CA1A8B89F69CBA57D98A76A5EF9054449A5C
   gpg:                issuer "pierre@archlinux.org"
   gpg: key 76A5EF9054449A5C: public key "Pierre Schmitz <pierre@archlinux.org>" imported
   gpg: key 7F2D434B9741E8AC: public key "Pierre Schmitz <pierre@archlinux.org>" imported
   gpg: Total number processed: 2
   gpg:               imported: 2
   gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
   gpg: Good signature from "Pierre Schmitz <pierre@archlinux.org>" [unknown]
   gpg: WARNING: The key's User ID is not certified with a trusted signature!
   gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
   Primary key fingerprint: 3E80 CA1A 8B89 F69C BA57  D98A 76A5 EF90 5444 9A5C

   Ensure the fingerprint in the output matches the Master Key Signatures.

Create a USB Flash Installation Medium

A bootable USB drive is essential for installing Arch Linux:

1. Use lsblk to identify the name of the USB flash drive, and ensure it is not mounted:

   lsblk

   The output should display the name of the USB drive, similar to the example below:

   NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
   sda           8:0    0 931.5G  0 disk
   └─sda1        8:1    0 931.5G  0 part
   sdb           8:16   1  58.6G  0 disk
   ├─sdb1        8:17   1   798M  0 part
   └─sdb2        8:18   1    15M  0 part
   nvme0n1     259:0    0   1.8T  0 disk
   ├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0     2G  0 part /boot
   ├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0    64G  0 part [SWAP]
   └─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0   1.8T  0 part /

   In my case, the USB drive name is /dev/sdb.

2. Write the installation image to the USB drive:

   export USB_DEV="/dev/sdx" # Replace 'x' with your USB drive letter.
   sudo dd bs=4M if="${ISO_FILE}" of="${USB_DEV}" conv=fsync oflag=direct status=progress
   sudo sync

   ⚠️ Warning:
   This will permanently erase all data on /dev/sdx and write the installation image onto it. Ensure you have entered the correct drive name.

Next Steps

With the bootable USB ready, you're set to install Arch Linux. Follow the links below in sequence to customize and optimize your Arch Linux setup:

1. Home

2. Installation Guide

3. First Steps

4. Graphical User Interface

5. Optional Tools and Configurations

6. Additional Information

7. License