Build aKiller Customized Arch Linux Installation (andLearn All About Linux in the Process)(http://lifehacker.com/5680453/build-a-killer-customized-arch-linux-installation-and-learn-all-about-linux-in-the-process)

Don't like Windows 8's new interface (http://lifehacker.com/5955229/why-does-everyone-

hate-windows-8-should-i-upgrade)? Sick of Ubuntu Unity and the new ads that come along

with it (http://lifehacker.com/5952845/whats-new-in-ubuntu-linux-1210-quantal-quetzal)?

Maybe it's time to create your own, ideal operating system with just the features you want.

Arch Linux can make it happen: it lets you build your own personal, killer Linux distro from the

ground up.

If this article looks familiar, it's because we've posted it before! However, Arch recently

changed its installation process quite a bit, making our old guide outdated. Due to the

popularity of this guide, we've updated it to work with Arch's new process, so we can all keep

getting our Arch fix (and hopefully introduce a few new users to the OS of their dreams).

Here's why you may want to use Arch Linux, followed by how to set it up.

(http://whitsongordon.kinja.com)

WHITSON GORDON (HTTP://WHITSONGORDON.KINJA.COM) HOW TO684,283 3 57

Why Does EveryoneHate Windows 8?Should I Upgrade?

(http://lifehacker.com/5955229/why-does-everyone-hate-windows-8-should-i-upgrade)

Dear Lifehacker, Windows 8 is out, and it's all

anyone's talking about—except everyone just

keeps telling me how much it sucks and how I…

Read… (http://lifehacker.com/5955229/why-

does-everyone-hate-windows-8-should-i-

upgrade)

(http://lifehacker.com/5955229/why-

does-everyone-

hate-windows-8-

should-i-upgrade)

What's New In UbuntuLinux 12.10 “QuantalQuetzal”

(http://lifehacker.com/5952845/whats-new-in-ubuntu-linux-1210-quantal-quetzal)

Ubuntu released the next iteration of your

favorite Linux distribution today, codenamed

"Quantal Quetzal." Here's what you'll… Read…

(http://lifehacker.com/5952845/whats-new-

in-ubuntu-linux-1210-quantal-quetzal)

(http://lifehacker.com/5952845/whats-

new-in-ubuntu-

linux-1210-

quantal-quetzal)

RELATED

Who Is Arch Linux Good For?

Linux is popular for a number of reasons, but high on that list is the fact that, with Linux, you

have a lot more power to tweak your OS to your liking. You also have the opportunity to learn

more about the way computers and operating systems work. While Ubuntu certainly fits this

bill (when compared with Windows or Mac OS), intermediate Linux users may be itching to try

something new. Arch Linux is a great distribution for intermediate users looking to dig into

Linux a bit more and essentially roll your own fast, stable, super-personalized distro.

The key part of this explanation is

"intermediate users." Arch Linux is not for

Linux beginners; there's a lot of manual

configuration and command line work

involved that Linux rookies probably aren't

comfortable with. If you are a rookie, that's

awesome—welcome to the wonderful world

of Linux—but you won't want to start here.

Check out our guide to getting started with

Linux first

(http://lifehacker.com/5778882/getting-

started-with-linux-the-complete-guide), and

when you've used something like Ubuntu

(http://www.ubuntu.com/) or Mint

(http://linuxmint.com/) for awhile, come on

back here for some serious Linux action. If

you're familiar with something like Ubuntu

and are comfortable with the basic ideas of command line work and configuration files, read

on, because Arch Linux is a great next step.

This guide has two parts. The first half describes the philosophy behind Arch Linux and its

benefits as a distro, while the second part is a (very simplified) guide on setting up your first

Arch install. I won't go through some of the more basic explanations since, as Linux users, you

probably know how to burn an ISO image to CD (http://lifehacker.com/5139424/how-to-

burn-isos-in-windows-7), what the difference between 32- and 64-bit operating systems is

(http://lifehacker.com/5431284/the-lifehacker-guide-to-64+bit-vs-32+bit-operating-systems),

and so on.

Getting Started with

Linux: The Complete

Guide

(http://lifehacker.com/5778882/getting-started-with-linux-the-complete-guide)

If you've been meaning to try out Linux but felt

too overwhelmed, we've got all the info you

need to get started. Here are our five lessons …

Read…

(http://lifehacker.com/5778882/getting-

started-with-linux-the-complete-guide)

(http://lifehacker.com/5778882/getting-

started-with-

linux-the-

complete-guide)

How to Burn ISOs inWindows 7

(http://lifehacker.com/5139424/how-to-burn-isos-in-windows-7)

(http://lifehacker.com/5139424/how-

to-burn-isos-in-

windows-7)

The Lifehacker Guide to64-bit vs. 32-bit

Operating Systems

(http://lifehacker.com/5431284/the-lifehacker-guide-to-64+bit-vs-32+bit-operating-systems)

(http://lifehacker.com/5431284/the-

lifehacker-guide-

to-64+bit-vs-

32+bit-operating-

systems)

RELATED

RELATED

Bear in mind that while this guide should get you started, this is by no means a one-stop-shop

for all Arch Linux knowledge. I highly, highly recommend you also browse the Arch Linux

Wiki (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Main_Page), especially the Beginner's Guide

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide), before you actually begin. The

forums (http://bbs.archlinux.org/) are also a great source of info, so check them out as well. If

you just follow the steps in this guide and go "ta-dah!", you'll miss the point of what Arch Linux

has to offer. The Beginner's Guide can be a bit overwhelming, since it incorporates so many

different possibilities that many first-timers won't deal with, so I've created this guide to inspire

you and help show you that it isn't as nerve-racking as it may seem—but you'll still want to use

multiple resources when you go to install your system.

Why Arch Linux?

As Arch is definitely not for Linux beginners, you may be wondering what its advantages are.

While it's pretty popular among developers and the like, it's also pretty popular among general

tweakers and geeks that like to really get at the nuts and bolts of a system. If you've been a

Linux user for a little while and you'd love to get a bit deeper and learn about how it works—so

you can more properly and openly configure it to work for you—Arch is the perfect next step in

your journey.

The philosophy behind Arch is what's known as The Arch Way

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/The_Arch_Way): simplicity at its finest. Specifically,

Arch aims to be an efficient, user-centric, open, elegantly coded distribution that doesn't

sacrifice anything for convenience. That is, when faced with a choice between more efficient

code and a simpler experience for the average computer user, Arch will always choose the

former.

However, while this may seem like a burden to some, it's actually one of Arch's biggest

advantages. Instead of configuring the distribution to be idiot-proof, Arch forces you (politely)

to learn what each configuration file and important terminal command does early on. Thus,

when something breaks or when you want to configure something beyond what KDE or

GNOME has options for, you pretty much already know where to go and what to do.

Note that I'm not trying to say that idiot-proofing is a bad thing. In fact, being simple to use is

one of the best characteristics a modern OS can have—for the average PC user. Once again, this

guide is not for those people. This is for those of us that love tinkering with our operating

system's insides.

Why, as an Ubuntu User, You May Want to Switch

Good news for Windows users looking to burn a

quick ISO disk image to a CD or DVD: Windows

7 supports dead simple burning of ISOs. Read…

(http://lifehacker.com/5139424/how-to-burn-

isos-in-windows-7)

You're probably aware that 64-bit and 32-bit

versions of your operating system exist, but

apart from ascribing to a bigger-is-better

philosophy, … Read…

(http://lifehacker.com/5431284/the-

lifehacker-guide-to-64+bit-vs-32+bit-

operating-systems)

Of course, if you're already a Linux user, you're probably pretty happy with all the options your

distro of choice gives you. Here's what Arch really offers that makes it worth trying.

You'll Know What's Really Going on Behind the Scenes

For the record, I like Ubuntu. It's easy to

install, works out of the box on tons of

hardware, and has actually made some

interesting innovations on the desktop

(http://lifehacker.com/5890978/first-look-

at-ubuntu-linux-1204-precise-pangolin)

(whether you love or hate Unity as a whole).

I've also used it to repurpose some old PCs

for my mother around the house and it's

easy enough for even non-geeks to use. If

you use Linux solely because it's free, open,

and easy to use, you don't need to complicate

your life for no reason. However, if you've

used Linux for a little while and would like to

take the next step, Arch is where you want to

go.

While Ubuntu works out of the box with a lot of computers, and provides a lot of user-friendly

configuration for certain things, it's a nightmare to configure for others. It provides no way of

teaching you where the correct config files are for your eighty button mouse or your three

monitor setup, and I hate to say it, but in my experience the Ubuntu forums have been less

than helpful. Again, not to hate, but that's just what I've experienced.

Arch's installation doesn't really have a graphical interface. It's mostly done through the

command line, and consists of you using a guide like this and the fabulous Arch Wiki to

partition your drive, install a minimal base system, and go through each command and

configuration file to get things set up, and you'll know how the base system works. That way,

down the road, when you want to automatically mount another hard drive when Arch boots,

you'll know you need to add something to the options column of /etc/fstab, and you

won't be intimidated by that fact. And, when you don't know what to do, Arch has one of the

best documentations and communities I've ever seen.

You'll Always Have the Newest Software

Unlike other popular operating systems, Arch doesn't have a big update every two years, one

year, or even six months—Arch updates whatever it wants, whenever it wants, which means

you're constantly on the bleeding edge of both the OS and the software you use.

First Look at Ubuntu

Linux 12.04 "Precise

Pangolin"

(http://lifehacker.com/5890978/first-look-at-

ubuntu-linux-1204-precise-pangolin)

Ubuntu 12.04 "Precise Pangolin" is out today,

bringing lots of improvements to your favorite

Linux distribution. It has a new quick search…

Read… (http://lifehacker.com/5890978/first-

look-at-ubuntu-linux-1204-precise-pangolin)

(http://lifehacker.com/5890978/first-

look-at-ubuntu-

linux-1204-

precise-pangolin)

EXPAND

RELATED

Note that in this instance, "bleeding edge" does not mean "ridiculously unstable". Lots of testing

goes into these packages before they get added to the repositories, and you aren't going to find

your PC crashing every day because you're always getting the newest updates. What it really

means is that you'll get software updates as soon as they're ready to use, not as soon as Ubuntu

gets around to updating their repositories. If Thunderbird releases an update, you'll get that

update the next day—not the next month.

You Build a Killer Operating System that Fits Your Needs and Wants

Since you start off with a minimal install and build up from there, you won't have any

unnecessary packages bloating up your system. You have complete control over everything that

goes into your setup, and you can make it as small and minimalistic or as big and powerful as

you want—you essentially build your own, fast, stable, super-customized Linux distro from the

ground up. And who wouldn't love that?

How to Install Arch Linux

If all this sounds like your dream come true, then it's time to move on to the next step: actually

installing Arch. While the Arch Wiki has a great Beginner's Guide

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners'_Guide) (have I mentioned that you should

read it?), I found I still ran into a few hiccups along the way, and the wiki is so full of (great)

information that it can be a bit overwhelming for an Arch first-timer. For example, the

beginner's guide goes through lots of different possible situations—i.e., if you're using a static IP,

if you require wireless internet from the get-go, etc. Instead of trying to sift through all that and

ignore the more advanced stuff that may not apply to you, I've created this guide that should

get you up and running without your brain exploding.

This guide contains the methods I found work best and were easiest for me, and they should

work with most PC builds without a problem. If you do run into any problems, or have any

specific needs that aren't fulfilled by this guide (like if you are using a static IP), you can

probably find more detail in the corresponding section of Arch's Beginner's Guide, so head over

there when necessary.

Step One: Get Yourself an Arch Linux Install CD

You can install Arch many different ways, but we're going to use your basic CD installation. If

you don't have an optical drive, you can always install it from a USB flash drive

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Install_from_a_USB_flash_drive), too. Head over to

the Arch download page (http://www.archlinux.org/download/), download the Arch Linux

ISO, and burn it to your installation medium of choice before you continue.

Step Two: Set Up Your Partitions

While you could always partition your drive from the Arch Linux installation CD, it's much

easier to do from a Linux Live CD like Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/) or GParted

(http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php), which you probably already have (because you're

no Linux slouch!). Assuming you already know how to partition drives, go ahead and make one

for your OS (around 15GB is safe) and one for all your documents and apps (which can be as

EXPAND

EXPAND

big as you want). If you use an SSD, you can just make one partition on the SSD for your boot

drive and one on a bigger HDD for your files. You can also make a nice 1GB swap partition for

good measure, but if you have a lot of RAM, this probably isn't necessary.

Format them as ext4, and note the names of the two you'll be using (i.e. /dev/sda1 as the

OS partition and /dev/sda2 as your data partition), as that's how you'll have to refer to the

partitions during the install process.

Now that you've created your partitions, boot up from your newly-burned Arch Installation CD

and choose "Start Arch Linux" at the prompt. Make sure you choose the right architecture for

your CPU (http://lifehacker.com/5431284/the-lifehacker-guide-to-64+bit-vs-32+bit-

operating-systems) (32-bit or i686 vs 64-bit or x86-64). When it finishes booting, you'll get a

command line prompt.

Start by seeing if you have an active internet connection. I recommend plugging your computer

in via Ethernet, since that'll make installation a lot easier, even if you plan on using Wi-Fi later.

To see if you have a connection, just ping Google with the following command:

ping -c 3 www.google.com

If you get an error that says unknown host or anything like that, you'll need to set up your

network manually (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide#Wired).

Next, mount those partitions you just created. If you aren't sure the names of your partitions,

run the following command:

fdisk -l

You'll see a list of your drives and partitions, with the same names we saw before (like

/dev/sda1. Make note of the partition(s) you want to use for Arch.

Again, we're using two partitions here—one for the OS and one for our personal files. So, we're

going to need to mount them as such. Mount your drives using the following commands:

mkdir /mnt

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt

mkdir /mnt/home

mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/home

In this example, /dev/sda1 is our root partition for the OS, while /dev/sda2 is our home

partition for our files.

The last thing you need to do before starting is select a mirror for downloading your packages.

Run:

nano /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Scroll down to your preferred mirror (the closer to your location the better), press Alt+6 to copy

the line, then scroll back up and press Ctrl+U to paste that line at the top of the list. US users

should already have a good server at the top of the list. When you're done, press Ctrl+X to exit,

and save with Y and Enter if you made any changes.

Step Three: Install the Arch Base System

Now it's time to start the installation. You can do so with the following command:

pacstrap -i /mnt base

If you want to tweak any packages during the process, you can do so when prompted, but the

default settings should be fine.

Next, you'll need to create and edit some config files. Here are the ones you want to worry

about:

/etc/fstab: Fstab stands for File Systems Table. This file lists your available drives and

partitions and decides how you'll use each one. To create one for your drive, just run:

genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

You can then view and edit it with:

nano /mnt/etc/fstab

The columns, in order from left to right, list the drive's name(s) and UUID, mount point, file

system, and boot options. You probably won't have to do anything here at the moment, but if

you have a lot of partitions on your drive, you'll probably find yourself back here soon. You

may also want to clean up the columns a little bit so they line up better, but that's up to you.

Check out the Fstab wiki entry (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fstab) for more

information.

/etc/locale.gen: This file determines certain location-based settings, like time and date

formats, alphabetic tweaks, and other things. For this and the other configuration files, we'll

need to chroot into our newly-created system. Essentially, we'll be running a terminal on

that system without having booted into it yet. To do this, just run:

arch-chroot /mnt

Next, create the locale files by running:

nano /etc/locale.gen

By default, everything has been commented out with a #, but you can scroll down and

uncomment the line for your locale(s) by deleting the # symbol. For example, US users would

uncomment the en_US.UTF-8 line. Again, press Ctrl+X to exit, then Y and Enter to save it.

You should also create a locale.conf file with the following command (for English-

speaking US users):

echo LANG=en_US.UTF-8 > /etc/locale.conf

export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

If you speak another language, tweak this command accordingly.

Time Zone and Clock: Next, we'll set our time zone. To view the available zones, run the

following command:

ls /usr/share/zoneinfo

You can view sub-zones by picking a category and running:

ls /usr/share/zoneinfo/America

Find the zone you want, then run the following command, replacing

America/Los_Angeles with your time zone:

ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Los_Angeles /etc/localtime

Then, set the clock according to your chosen zone with:

hwclock —systohc —utc

That's all you should need for now in the realm of miscellaneous configuration files. The next

few steps will be a tad more pointed.

Step Four: Set Up Your Network

At this point, you have network access from the live CD, but you'll need to set up your network

for the actual Arch installation.

If you have a wired connection, with a dynamic IP address, all you need to do is enable the

wired networking service on your new setup. To enable a background service like this one, you'll

need to use the systemctl command. In this case, run:

systemctl enable dhcpcd@eth0.service

If you connect using Wi-Fi, you'll need to install a few packages first. To start, install Arch's

wireless tools with:

pacman -S wireless_tools wpa_supplicant wpa_actiond dialog

Then, run the following to connect to your network:

wifi-menu

This will create a profile in /etc/network.d named after your network. Lastly, enable the

wireless service with systemctl:

systemctl enable net-auto-wireless.service

Now, your network should be all set up and ready to go when you finish installing Arch.

Step Five: Configure Your Package Manager

Arch Linux uses a package manager called Pacman, and it's pretty darn awesome. Before you

can use it in your new installation though, you'll need to do a few things. Start by editing its

configuration file with:

nano /etc/pacman.conf

Scroll down to the "Repositories" section. The [core], [extra], and [community]

repositories should already be uncommented, but if you're on a 64-bit machine, you should also

enable the [multilib] repository, which lets you install both 64- and 32-bit programs. To do so,

add the following lines to the bottom of the config file:

[multilib]

Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

If you're on a 32-bit system, you shouldn't need to edit anything in here right now, but it's a

good idea to take a look around, since this is where you'll add any extra repositories in the

future. When you're done, go ahead and exit, saving any changes you might have made.

When you're done, run the following command to refresh your repository list (if you made any

changes):

pacman -Sy

We'll talk more about how to use Pacman in a little bit. For now, head to the next step.

Step Six: Create a User Account

Now it's time for a few finishing touches before we actually boot into our Arch system. First, set

the root password by running:

passwd

Type in your desired password when prompted. Now, as an intermediate Linux user, you

already know you don't want to use the root account for regular computing, since that can be

dangerous. So, create a user account (and a password) for yourself by running:

useradd -m -g users -G wheel,storage,power -s /bin/bash johndoe

passwd johndoe

Of course, replace johndoe with your desired username. The string of comma-separated

terms contains the groups to which your user belongs. The ones listed should be fine, though

they aren't the only ones available. If you have a floppy drive or scanner, for example, you'll

want to add floppy and/or scanner to the list. For a full list, check out the Groups wiki

entry (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Groups).

Now would probably be a good time to install sudo too, so your new user can perform

administrative tasks. To do this, use the aforementioned Pacman package manager:

pacman -S sudo

That's how easy adding a package is in Pacman. If you wanted to see a list of packages

pertaining to a search term, you could type:

pacman -Ss sudo

This would search the repositories for "sudo", returning to you a list of packages containing that

name. Of course, you could also search the database on Arch Linux's web site

(http://www.archlinux.org/packages/).

Once you've installed sudo, you can allow your new user to run it by editing your sudoers file:

EDITOR=nano visudo

Scroll down until you find this line and uncomment it:

%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

Save the document and exit the editor. This tweak will allow all members of the wheel group

—to which your new user belongs—to use sudo, which will be handy when you finally boot

into our new OS.

Step 7: Install Your Bootloader

Next, you'll need to install a bootloader that can boot you into your Arch installation. For this

guide, we'll be using the ever-popular GRUB, though you can use something else if you desire

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide#Install_and_configure_a_bootlo

ader). If you're installing Arch on a UEFI-based motherboard (instead of a BIOS-based

motherboard) or if you're dual-booting, you may want to do some extra reading

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide#Install_and_configure_a_bootlo

ader) before continuing, as everyone's setup is going to be a little different.

To install GRUB, run the following commands, replacing /dev/sda with the drive (not the

partition, /dev/sda1) that holds your Arch Linux installation:

pacman -S grub-bios

grub-install —target=i386-pc —recheck /dev/sda

cp /usr/share/locale/en\@quot/LC_MESSAGES/grub.mo /boot/grub/locale/en.mo

If you're dual booting, run the following:

pacman -S os-prober

Then, whether you're dual-booting or not, run:

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

This will create a config file for your bootloader (which you can edit if you want different

options when booting into Arch or another OS).

Lastly, exit from chroot, unmount your partitions, and reboot your computer:

exit

umount /mnt/home

umount /mnt

reboot

Obviously, if you mounted other partitions at any point, include them in the commands above.

You should also remove your Arch Linux Installation CD at this time.

Step Eight: Get Your Desktop Up and Running

When you reboot, you should find yourself at a simple login prompt, just like when you first

started. However, this time, you're actually logging into your new Arch installation! You now

have a very basic system from which you can build up a working desktop with sound, video,

and more.

To start, let's get sound up and running. To do this, you need to install alsa-utils with the

following command:

sudo pacman -S alsa-utils

Then, start up alsamixer:

alsamixer

All your channels will start muted, so use the M key to unmute the channels you need. Then,

use the arrow keys to turn them up or down. You'll definitely want to unmute the Master

channel, and the PCM channel if you have one. Depending on your speaker setup, you may also

need to unmute others like Front Speaker or Headphone. Raise their volume up until "dB gain"

equals "0" for each. This will ensure that you don't get any sound distortion. Press ESC when

you're done.

To check and make sure your speakers are working, just run:

speaker-test -c 2

Change 2 to the number of speakers you have (for example, 8 if you have a 7.1 surround

system). If you hear the static it generates, you've got working audio! If not, head back to

alsamixer and try tweaking your channels to make sure everything's properly unmuted. To

stop the speaker test, press Ctrl+C.

Next, it's time to get some graphics up and running. First, we'll install the X window system

with:

sudo pacman -S xorg-server xorg-xinit xorg-server-utils

If you want 3D support, you'll also want to install mesa:

sudo pacman -S mesa

Now comes what, in my experience, is always the most troublesome part of a Linux

installation: video drivers and configuring X. The video driver you need will depend on your

graphics card and what you want to get from it, so see the corresponding entry in the

Beginner's guide

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide#Install_a_video_driver) for more

information. You'll use Pacman to install those drivers, a process with which you're probably

familiar. For example, if I wanted to install the proprietary NVIDIA drivers on a 64-bit system,

I'd run:

sudo pacman -S nvidia lib32-nvidia-utils

Again, your commands will differ. Do some research to find out what drivers you need.

Most desktop computers should be able to use their mouse and keyboard out of the box. If

you're on a laptop, though, you should take this time to install some drivers for your trackpad:

sudo pacman -S xf86-input-synaptics

We're in the home stretch! Biw it's time to see if you can get a graphical environment up and

running. First, install the default environment:

pacman -S xorg-twm xorg-xclock xterm

Then, to test X, just run:

startx

If it works, you should be able to interact with a very basic windowed environment and run

commands in xterm. You can exit by typing exit into xterm and hitting Enter.

It is here where I learned I used the wrong video drivers my first time around, so I had to

uninstall the old ones and reinstall a different package. To remove a package in Pacman, just

type:

pacman -Rns package_name

The n flag removes all the configuration files related to a package, while the s flag removes

any dependencies that are now unnecessary. I generally always use n and s when removing

a package, because I like to keep my system clean of cruft.

If you're having trouble with your video drivers and testing X, there's more information on

troubleshooting it

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide#Troubleshooting) in the

Beginner's Guide.

Stay with us, we're at the last step! All that's left is to install your desktop environment of

choice. First, install a few fonts:

sudo pacman -S ttf-dejavu

Then, pick your favorite desktop

environment

(http://lifehacker.com/5762081/wtf-

desktop-environments-gnome-kde-and-

more-explained) and install it (you can see

lots of good choices here

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Desktop_Environment)). Your commands will differ

depending on what you choose, but it should be simple. For example, to install a GNOME

desktop, you'd run:

sudo pacman -S gnome

This could take awhile, depending on how big of an environment you want. Once it's done, you

can turn on a display manager (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Display_Manager) to

give yourself a graphical login to your new desktop. GNOME comes with the gdm display

WTF DesktopEnvironments: GNOME,KDE, and More

Explained

(http://lifehacker.com/5762081/wtf-desktop-

environments-gnome-kde-and-more-explained)

You can customize nearly every last inch of

your Linux installation to fit your liking, and it

starts with choosing the right desktop

environment.… Read…

(http://lifehacker.com/5762081/wtf-desktop-

environments-gnome-kde-and-more-explained)

(http://lifehacker.com/5762081/wtf-

desktop-

environments-

gnome-kde-and-

more-explained)

RELATED

manager, so to enable its service (remember those?) we just need to run:

sudo systemctl enable gdm.service

Now, reboot your system with sudo reboot and you should find yourself inside a new

desktop on your new Arch system! Hooray!

Going Further: Using Pacman, Installing Other Apps, and More

Congratulations on setting up your first Arch desktop. There's a lot more to learn, but that's

pretty much where this guide ends. Here are some things you may want to read up on to get

started:

That's it for now! There's a ton of other

information out there, and lots of cool things

to do, but this will get you up and running. If

you have any questions, Google and the

Arch Forums are your friends, but so are we!

How to Use Pacman (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman#Usage):

You already know how to install a package with Pacman, but this'll show you how to

remove packages, update your repositories, and update your system with the newest

versions of all your apps. Memorize this, it will be your bible.

Install Other Apps with the Arch User Repository

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository): One of my

absolute favorite parts of Arch is the Arch User Repository, or AUR. This is a special

repository that combines apps that aren't in the official repositories, managed by Arch's

user. It basically contains every Linux app you could possibly imagine. Read up on the

AUR (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository) and install an AUR

helper (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/AUR_Helpers) like Yaourt

(https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Yaourt) or Packer

(https://github.com/bruenig/packer/wiki)—they'll help you install apps from the AUR as

easily as you install apps with Pacman. Seriously, do this.

Install Browser Plug-ins (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Flash): You'll

probably want (however begrudgingly) to install Adobe Flash, and this wiki page will help

you do so.

Use the Forums (https://bbs.archlinux.org/): They'll be your greatest source of

help. Of course, make sure you Google and search the forums before you go and start

asking questions.

Compiz (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Compiz): Because who doesn't like

cool desktop effects (http://lifehacker.com/5840175/how-do-i-get-cool-desktop-effects-in-

linux)? Alternatively, KDE users can also use the built-in Kwin just by going to System

Settings.

Our Lifehacker Pack for Linux (http://lifehacker.com/lifehackerpack/linux)

and our App Directory (http://lifehacker.com/apps/linux): For finding all the

best apps to get your new system started.

Five Best LinuxDistributions

(http://lifehacker.com/5170138/five-

RELATED

Arch is a pretty popular distribution

(http://lifehacker.com/5170138/five-best-

linux-distributions) among Lifehacker

readers, so hit us up in the comments of this

post or in our weekly open thread

(http://lifehacker.com/tag/openthread/) if

you've got questions.

Title image remixed from somchaij

(http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-66288685/stock-

photo-completing-the-missing-jigsaw-puzzle-concept-

for-business-with-completing-the-team-with-final-person.html) (Shutterstock).

(http://lifehacker.com/5170138/five-best-linux-distributions)

There are many, many Linux distributions, and

a lot of unique reasons to like them. Read on to

see which open-source operating systems

inspired our… Read…

(http://lifehacker.com/5170138/five-best-

linux-distributions)

best-linux-

distributions)

Discuss (/posts/5680453/reply)

Author is participating

Whitson Gordon

BishopBlaize (http://bishopbl…

Since I built my first Hackintosh I realized

how useful is to have a fully tested list of

hardware to choose from before you build

and add the OS. Linux has good

compatibility, but not perfect, and the reason

I left was because of one too many updates

that took a weekend to get my soundcard

working again. I wonder if someone might

link to such as list for people wanting to do a

linux build?

12/06/12 8:35am (http://lifehacker.com/since-i-built-my-first-hackintosh-i-realized-how-useful-465396221)

(/posts/465396221/reply)

Whitson Gordon (http://whits…

Ubuntu has a pretty good list of compatible

hardware:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport

12/06/12 8:50am (http://lifehacker.com/ubuntu-has-a-pretty-good-list-of-compatible-hardware-h-465396225)

(/posts/465396225/reply)

majorsquirrel (http://majors…

So can I use that list for my Arch install?

Would that work well?

12/10/12 9:50pm (http://lifehacker.com/so-can-i-use-that-list-for-my-arch-install-would-that-465396263)

(/posts/465396263/reply)

Author is participating

donniezazen and 2 others...

installgen2 (http://installgen…

Maybe this is just me projecting my bad

experiences with Arch, but if you wanted a

really customized Linux distribution, why

not go with Gentoo? Compile times are a

pain, but I've found Gentoo to be a lot less

fussy than Arch. In all honesty though, I'd

just go for a minimal install of Debian

testing or Ubuntu.

12/06/12 11:20am (http://lifehacker.com/maybe-this-is-just-me-projecting-my-bad-experiences-wit-465396238)

(/posts/465396238/reply)

nickthename (http://nickthe…

I've found that doing a minimal installation

of ubuntu and a bit of messing around in the

command line allows you to gain plenty of

knowledge of linux without having to end up

with a rather unstable setup. Also, much of

the knowledge you pick up when installing a

distro from near-nothing is distro specific, so

it's nice to make your distro specific

knowledge be on something that is very

common.

12/06/12 3:53pm (http://lifehacker.com/ive-found-that-doing-a-minimal-installation-of-ubuntu-a-465396243)

(/posts/465396243/reply)

freddy_young (http://freddy_…

Fussy in which way?

Actually I couldn't stand Gentoo because of

its compile times.

Arch just works

12/07/12 5:35am (http://lifehacker.com/fussy-in-which-way-actually-i-couldnt-stand-gentoo-be-465396248)

(/posts/465396248/reply)

Author is participating

zomeburner (http://zomebur…

I was wondering if switching to a non-

debian-based distro would make some

softwares uninstallable. Could that be the

case ?

For examples, games, drivers, and so many

others apps ? It's just that I don't often see

an Arch package available... I know there is

the compiling possibility, but... ?

12/06/12 9:50am (http://lifehacker.com/i-was-wondering-if-switching-to-a-non-debian-based-dist-465396234)

(/posts/465396234/reply)

Whitson Gordon (http://whits…

(/posts/465396235/reply)

Author is participating

myrddyn (http://myrddyn.kin…

I appreciate your articles, so I turned off my

AdBlock...

... only to find you don't have ads on here. Is

that intentional or is something else blocking

them?

7/11/13 8:56pm (http://lifehacker.com/i-appreciate-your-articles-so-i-turned-off-my-adblock-751652852)

(/posts/751652852/reply)

freddy_young

This is why I love the AUR. Chances are, if

there's an app you want, someone's already

compiled it and you can install it with a

package manager like Yaourt or Packer. In

fact, I've probably had to compile LESS from

source on Arch than I did on Ubuntu!

12/06/12 9:52am (http://lifehacker.com/this-is-why-i-love-the-aur-chances-are-if-theres-an-a-465396235)

srzbble (http://srzbble.kinja.…

I've been using Arch for more than one year

and I never had to compile.

If it's not here:

https://www.archlinux.org/packages/

Then it's here: https://aur.archlinux.org/

12/06/12 2:52pm (http://lifehacker.com/ive-been-using-arch-for-more-than-one-year-and-i-never-465396242)

(/posts/465396242/reply)

Whitson Gordon (http://whits…

First of all: Thank you!

Second, yes we do have ads, though not a

ton of them. Usually only one or so is visible

at a time, so maybe you're just missing it?

Although something else could be blocking

them. Maybe FlashBlock?

7/11/13 9:49pm (http://lifehacker.com/first-of-all-thank-you-second-yes-we-do-have-ads-th-751968027)

(/posts/751968027/reply)

3 participants

The Moss (http://tomascastil…

I just installed Arch on my laptop as I was

upgrading to Win 8. I dual boot with it using

the Win 8 bootloader (instead of GRUB).

Took a bit more reading and a few trials, but

got it up and running now and loving it!

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Windo

ws_and_Arch_Dual_Boot#Using_Windows

_boot-loader

The tricky thing with this one is to make

sure there's a /boot partition for GRUB to

reside on and an FAT-32 partition so

Windows can see it. The bootloader looks like

this, fyi

12/06/12 9:16am (http://lifehacker.com/i-just-installed-arch-on-my-laptop-as-i-was-upgrading-t-465396226)

(/posts/465396226/reply)

akshay2000 (http://akshay2…

Do you mean to say that you are using only

Windows 8 bootloader? Why? I mean, yeah,

it looks good, really good. But usually,

people load Windows bootloader via GRUB

by chainloading. No?

12/12/12 12:11am (http://lifehacker.com/do-you-mean-to-say-that-you-are-using-only-windows-8-bo-465396265)

(/posts/465396265/reply)

The Moss (http://tomascastil…

Well I guess that's a good question, as I've

asked myself that a few times too.

The reasons that lead me down this road was

to try something else and that it looked really

good. It's weird though because it goes

through BIOS, loads the Win8 bootloader, I

select my OS... but when I pick my Arch

Partition, it basically restarts by going

through BIOS and all, and then pulls up

GRUB (so there's no chainloading needed

for this).

(/posts/465396266/reply)

estebanrules (http://esteban…

I ran Ubuntu and then other Debian-based

distros for years and years. I still really like

Debian, but I think that might be because

I'm most comfortable in the Debian

environment.

When I decided to "step up" to a distro that

required some more know-how and work, I

tried out both Gentoo and Arch. Gentoo is

great, but the compile times really weighed

down on me and I felt like I was always

"fixing something" instead of just working in

a stable environment.

Today I dual-boot Ubuntu and Arch. I still

love the ease and the Debian-base of Ubuntu

(and truth be told I like Unity) but I

primarily use Arch. Arch is very fast, stable,

and I've learned a ton more about the inner-

workings of Linux from using Arch.

Anyway, this is a great install guide. One

thing to mention however is that there is an

issue with setting up ethernet.

You can find a resolution to that issue here.

(https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/33923)

Have fun ;)

5/17/13 9:22am (http://lifehacker.com/i-ran-ubuntu-and-then-other-debian-based-distros-for-ye-508224622)

1 (/posts/508224622/reply)

donniezazen (http://donniez…

I like the direction and leadership Ubuntu

has which is lacked in Arch. In Arch, most

decisions are made by Desktop

Environments. For example, power menu in

Gnome is decided by Gnome, they also

removed delete key function, etc.

12/07/12 10:26am (http://lifehacker.com/i-like-the-direction-and-leadership-ubuntu-has-which-is-465396252)

(/posts/465396252/reply)

Mplicit (http://mplicit.kinja.c…

akshay2000

It's fairly cool and visually appealing to be

doing it this way, but it is very slow and not

very practical. I've been contemplating

switching back to chainloading with GRUB

since that's much faster, and easier to deal

with too.

12/12/12 9:07am (http://lifehacker.com/well-i-guess-thats-a-good-question-as-ive-asked-myself-465396266)

For those who find their network card

doesn't work on reboot into the installed

system, have a look at this post -

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?...

(https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?

pid=1220535)

5/26/13 2:55am (http://lifehacker.com/for-those-who-find-their-network-card-doesnt-work-on-re-509912668)

2 (/posts/509912668/reply)

serpent5 (http://serpent5.ki…

My first experience of Linux was Arch, many

years ago when I had no idea what this

Linux idea was all about. I didn't stick with it

for long and ended up running mostly

Ubuntu since, with the odd foray into Fedora

Core and Mint. I came across this article

when searching Google for alternatives to

Ubuntu, Fedora and Mint and the idea of

somewhat building up my own customised

Linux system from scratch really pulled me

in. I gained a lot of Linux knowledge from

using the more "user-friendly" distributions

but, as this article suggests, I've picked up

much more since diving back into the world

of Arch and I will never look back.

6/06/13 2:25pm (http://lifehacker.com/my-first-experience-of-linux-was-arch-many-years-ago-w-511742000)

1 (/posts/511742000/reply)

Ishaan Bahal (http://ishaanb…

For those people who connect to a wifi

which is secured by a wep key and are facing

problems, a simple solution is to

1. Go to wifi-menu.

2.Connect to your wifi AP.

3.When prompted Connecting failed, save

the profile.

4.Go to /etc/netctl and edit your AP profile

and add \" before the key

Example : Key=\"1234567890

7/09/13 5:10am (http://lifehacker.com/for-those-people-who-connect-to-a-wifi-which-is-secured-716815783)

1 (/posts/716815783/reply)

SenorValasco (http://senorv…

I remember back when you posted the last

guide I bookmarked it with the intention of

giving it a shot. Now around 2 years later

I've bookmarked the updated guide...wonder

if I'll get around to it this time...

12/06/12 1:43pm (http://lifehacker.com/i-remember-back-when-you-posted-the-last-guide-i-bookma-465396240)

(/posts/465396240/reply)

aem2 (http://aem2.kinja.com) Whitson Gordon

I run Arch on both my server and my

desktop, and I am wicked confused by

systemd. I know it's now the linux standard,

but I miss my rc.conf, dammit!

12/12/12 10:07am (http://lifehacker.com/i-run-arch-on-both-my-server-and-my-desktop-and-i-am-w-465396268)

(/posts/465396268/reply)

Mr_Green_Linux (http://mrg…

Whitson do not forget to mention setting up

of pacman-keys, unless you edit

pacman.conf not to use them.

12/06/12 8:38am (http://lifehacker.com/whitson-do-not-forget-to-mention-setting-up-of-pacman-k-465396222)

(/posts/465396222/reply)

juzerali (http://juzerali.kinja.…

Thanks. I loved reading the article!

12/06/12 9:44am (http://lifehacker.com/thanks-i-loved-reading-the-article-465396233)

(/posts/465396233/reply)

1 participant

Justin Hughes (http://jlhughe…

I took on this challenge earlier this year.

Funnily enough, it was after they changed

the installation process, and I ended up not

being able to use most of this guide.

I think it was for the best though. I learned

so much by struggling through the whole

process and learning it through the guide

and the wiki.

Also I know you like to promote a GUI

partition tool, but I found it very

enlightening to have to learn fdisk and the

purpose and place for the different partitions

required by linux. Perhaps a guide on fdisk

and linux partitioning would be a good

addendum to this guide for those that are

(/posts/465396254/reply)

1 participant

Sarthraj (http://sarthraj.kinja…

It would be great if you guys could add some

information on how to install a boot loader

on a UEFI motherboard. I've been trying to

follow the guide on the Arch Wiki but it's

pretty confusing.

12/08/12 8:06pm (http://lifehacker.com/it-would-be-great-if-you-guys-could-add-some-informatio-465396255)

(/posts/465396255/reply)

zdevex (http://zdevex.kinja.c…

Indeed, installing a UEFI bootloader can be

confusing to say the least. One of the issue

that I ran into was that there were quite a

few small idiosyncrasies specific to my

computer that the wiki didn't cover.

(/posts/465396262/reply)

Tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done.

APP DIRECTORY (http://lifehacker.com/the-lifehacker-

app-directory-curates-the-best-apps-for-5803257) ·

DOWNLOADS (http://lifehacker.com/tag/downloads) ·

PRODUCTIVITY (http://lifehacker.com/tag/productivity)

MONEY (http://lifehacker.com/tag/money) · SECURITY

(http://lifehacker.com/tag/security) · DIY

(http://lifehacker.com/tag/diy) · DEALHACKER

(http://lifehacker.com/tag/dealhacker)

(/)

TOP STORIES

How to Grow Your Personal Brand When You'rean Introvert (http://lifehacker.com/how-to-

tackle-personal-branding-when-youre-an-introver-1440804839)

How Can I Help a Friend Who Seems Depressed?(http://lifehacker.com/how-can-i-help-a-friend-

who-seems-depressed-1440648372)

How Long to Nap for the Biggest Brain Benefits(http://lifehacker.com/how-long-to-nap-for-the-biggest-brain-benefits-1251546669)

What's The Best Personal Project ManagementTool? (http://lifehacker.com/whats-the-best-personal-project-management-tool-1440587976)

Adult Budgeting 101: How to Create Your First

Budget In the Real World(http://lifehacker.com/adult-budgeting-101-how-to-create-your-first-budget-in-1440446091)

What's Your Internet Speed?(http://lifehacker.com/whats-your-internet-

speed-1440506732)

The Secret Method to Skip Commercials withOne Button on Your DVR(http://lifehacker.com/how-to-enable-a-hidden-

commercial-skipping-button-on-an-1440417736/1440912403/@caseychan)

How to Plan a Trip Itinerary Using Custom GoogleMaps (http://lifehacker.com/how-to-plan-a-trip-itinerary-using-custom-google-maps-

1440584988)

Lifehacker Pack for Android 2013: Our List of theBest Android Apps(http://lifehacker.com/lifehacker-pack-for-

android-2013-our-list-of-the-best-819094535)

How to Crack a Wi-Fi Network's WPA Passwordwith Reaver(http://lifehacker.com/5873407/how-to-crack-a-wi+fi-networks-wpa-password-with-reaver)

How to Create Your Own Customized Version ofAndroid with Xposed (http://lifehacker.com/how-to-create-your-own-customized-version-of-android-wi-1440101209)

Search Lifehacker3

(http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2F5680453%2Fbuild-a-killer-customized-

arch-linux-installation-and-learn-all-about-linux-in-the-process)

(http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2F5680453%2Fbuild-a-killer-customized-arch-linux-

installation-and-learn-all-about-linux-in-the-process&text=POST_TITLE)

(http://www.tumblr.com/share/link?

name=POST_TITLE&description=POST_DESCRIPTION&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2F5680453%2Fbuild-a-killer-

customized-arch-linux-installation-and-learn-all-about-linux-in-the-process)

interested in knowing more about the low-

levels of Linux.

12/07/12 1:43pm (http://lifehacker.com/i-took-on-this-challenge-earlier-this-year-funnily-eno-465396254)

Schumi23 (http://schumi23.…

Yes! I would love to have one.

12/27/12 6:26am (http://lifehacker.com/yes-i-would-love-to-have-one-465396269)

(/posts/465396269/reply)

If you tell me your computer model, how far

you got, and specifically which bootloader

you are trying to install (grub I assume), I'd

be happy to offer any suggestions I can.

12/10/12 6:04pm (http://lifehacker.com/indeed-installing-a-uefi-bootloader-can-be-confusing-t-465396262)

1 participant

Daedalus359 (http://daedal…

I am using the cfdisk in arch to partition my

hard drive. How do I make the filesystems

ext4?

12/09/12 11:14am (http://lifehacker.com/i-am-using-the-cfdisk-in-arch-to-partition-my-hard-driv-465396256)

(/posts/465396256/reply)

1 participant

someone_unimportant (http:…

The Beginners' Guide's overwhelming

nature, though being cleansed from this

article, is ALSO not present in the

community-maintained (and therefore

semi-timeless, given Arch's vibrant

community) resource that makes this article

so superfluous that it appears to not have

been read by this article's author; this

resource is the Arch Wiki's Installation

Guide.

tl;dr If you don't like Arch's Beginners'

Guide, use its Installation Guide.

12/06/12 5:13pm (http://lifehacker.com/the-beginners-guides-overwhelming-nature-though-being-465396244)

(/posts/465396244/reply)

jdebona (http://jdebona.kinj…

Huh?

4/06/13 6:19am (http://lifehacker.com/huh-493102736)

(/posts/493102736/reply)

drowning_fish (http://drowni…

I love my Archbox that I've had to install

roughly 3 times over the years (I even kind

of like that the install process doesn't use an

interface anymore). I'm thinking of doing it

again because something system wise got

messed somewhere and I don't feel like

tracking it down. How do you guys always

know?

Anyways, there's a great script:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?

id=130515 that will automate most of the

install and is great for those of you who

want some type of interface to work with (I

recommend —ais mode over the default for

more customization). It also recommends

certain popular programs for different

activities.

12/06/12 8:38am (http://lifehacker.com/i-love-my-archbox-that-ive-had-to-install-roughly-3-tim-465396223)

(/posts/465396223/reply)

zargon (http://zargon.kinja.c…

I sort of miss running gentoo. It was fun,

challenging and educational. I also always

liked portage out of all the packaging

systems at the time, when it worked, it was

awesome and powerful.

Ultimately, I got sick of spending so much

time working on the system. I had a few

issues with version upgrades that required

me to re-do the system, which wasn't fun. I

ended up switching to Windows 7 when it

first came out. All I really use my laptop for

now is buying stuff on-line, research my

hobbies, looking up information about babies

(just had our first in Oct), email and bill

paying... nothing exciting.

12/06/12 11:01am (http://lifehacker.com/i-sort-of-miss-running-gentoo-it-was-fun-challenging-465396237)

(/posts/465396237/reply)

Teroni (http://teroni.kinja.co…

Arch was the first distro I ever installed,

went straight past the Ubuntu crap. I prefer

knowing exactly how my system is set up.

You learn terminal right away, and to go

anywhere in Linux knowing terminal is top

priority (ssh access comes to mind). I also

learned the file system, where to edit certain

files, etc. All in all, I'm very happy I started

with Arch instead of Ubuntu or any other

"beginner" distributions, just because I

learned way more than I would have relying

on a GUI for everything.

12/06/12 5:57pm (http://lifehacker.com/arch-was-the-first-distro-i-ever-installed-went-straig-465396245)

(/posts/465396245/reply)

FreedomByDesign (http://fre…

Personally I like arch, ran ubuntu for years

when I got tired of windows breaking and

the only update I was getting was WGA

patches and not fixes to serious security

concerns. Jumped from ubuntu when they

went to unity, I get the long term goal but

don't subscribe to the 1 OS for all platforms

theory so landed on arch. Even if this is

(/posts/465396273/reply)

ne0crptx (http://ne0crptx.ki…

I found this guide super useful. The only

trouble I ran into was having a different

ethernet nic listed under live cd (eth0) which

turned out to be enp4s0 when I booted after

install. Thus I had to alter the relevant install

(/posts/465396275/reply)

The Six Best YouTube URL Tricks(http://lifehacker.com/the-six-best-youtube-url-tricks-1422544868)

Make a Child-Friendly Hammock with a BedSheet and a Table (http://lifehacker.com/make-a-child-friendly-hammock-with-a-bed-sheet-and-a-ta-1440240631)

Turn Your Windows PC Into a Wireless Hotspot(http://lifehacker.com/5369381/turn-your-windows-7-pc-into-a-wireless-hotspot)

Why (and How) You Should Regularly Calibrate

Your Laptop's Battery(http://lifehacker.com/why-calibrating-your-phone-or-laptop-battery-is-importa-1437221519)

Make Extra Extra Crispy Fried Chicken with the

Double Frying Method(http://lifehacker.com/make-extra-extra-crispy-fried-chicken-with-the-double-f-1440707163)

A Minimalist, Integrated Ecosystem: Part 2(http://hackerspace.lifehacker.com/a-minimalist-

integrated-ecosystem-part-2-1236835522)

Customized Androids, Prepaid Cellphone Plans,and Refurbished Laptops(http://lifehacker.com/customized-androids-

prepaid-cellphone-plans-and-refur-1440865980)

Everything You Need to Know About RootingYour Android Phone(http://lifehacker.com/5789397/the-always-up+to+date-guide-to-rooting-any-android-

phone)

Deals: 27" IPS Display, AirPlay Speaker, RubberFloor Mats (http://lifehacker.com/deals-27-ips-display-airplay-speaker-rubber-floor-m-

1440728710)

outside your skill set there are several spin

offs that are easier to install like bridge linux,

archbang, cinnarch, chakra, and manjaro

any of which are good choices if you want to

test.

1/09/13 10:35am (http://lifehacker.com/personally-i-like-arch-ran-ubuntu-for-years-when-i-got-465396273)

step setting up networking before reboot.

Thanks for making this... it was the catalyst

for me installing arch linux. As a side note, I

installed lxde as my desptop manager and I

am suer happy with how fast and light my

OS feels.

3/19/13 3:59pm (http://lifehacker.com/i-found-this-guide-super-useful-the-only-trouble-i-ran-465396275)

TingoL10 (http://tingol10.kinj…

Very nice guide, it's certainly the best linux

distro to use your machine to its fullest

potential

12/06/12 8:31am (http://lifehacker.com/very-nice-guide-its-certainly-the-best-linux-distro-to-465396220)

(/posts/465396220/reply)

RizzLinux (http://rizzlinux.kin…

This is awesome, I used your article back in

2010 when I first installed Arch. Now I'm

finally getting back into it. Looking forward

to using this. Thanks!

12/06/12 9:55am (http://lifehacker.com/this-is-awesome-i-used-your-article-back-in-2010-when-465396236)

(/posts/465396236/reply)

ryebread1686 (http://ryebre…

Very nice article, really well done. I just

wanted to mention another option out there,

for those looking to learn more about the

inner workings of Linux. Check out Linux

From Scratch" at

http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

12/06/12 12:53pm (http://lifehacker.com/very-nice-article-really-well-done-i-just-wanted-to-m-465396239)

(/posts/465396239/reply)

EX4 (http://ex4.kinja.com) Whitson Gordon

Nice tutorial

some of the steps helps me manage my Arch

Linux runs on Raspberry Pi :)

12/10/12 2:13pm (http://lifehacker.com/nice-tutorial-some-of-the-steps-helps-me-manage-my-arch-465396261)

(/posts/465396261/reply)

dzerveviktory (http://dzervev…

does anyone know if this guide would also

work for the raspberry pi arch distro?

http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv6/r

aspberry-pi

1/08/13 2:20pm (http://lifehacker.com/does-anyone-know-if-this-guide-would-also-work-for-the-465396270)

(/posts/465396270/reply)

Anonymous_____ (http://ano…

It's saddening there's something about a

somewhat good distro in a page owned by

the Gawker Group of Misinformation. Now

it looks tainted.

1/08/13 10:09pm (http://lifehacker.com/its-saddening-theres-something-about-a-somewhat-good-di-465396271)

(/posts/465396271/reply)

new2burner (http://new2bu…

pretty good guide...thanks! rebooting after

nvidia install helps...uefi bootloader part was

a pain...wish rEFInd was "pretty" with

mouse support...it's a great linux...works and

boots like a charm.

4/01/13 1:07pm (http://lifehacker.com/pretty-good-guide-thanks-rebooting-after-nvidia-inst-465396276)

(/posts/465396276/reply)

testingwithfire (http://testing…

Inspiring - can't wait to build that new

system so I can try this out.

12/06/12 8:45am (http://lifehacker.com/inspiring-cant-wait-to-build-that-new-system-so-i-can-465396224)

(/posts/465396224/reply)

Bemo007 (http://bemo007.…

Sell it and become filthy rich of it

http://bit.ly/UqhYHF

12/06/12 2:04pm (http://lifehacker.com/sell-it-and-become-filthy-rich-of-it-http-bit-ly-uqhy-465396241)

(/posts/465396241/reply)

Varun Priolkar (http://varun…

thank you. the best arch linux install guide!

3/14/13 1:52pm (http://lifehacker.com/thank-you-the-best-arch-linux-install-guide-465396274)

(/posts/465396274/reply)

Submitted discussions can be approved by the

author or users followed by this blog.

4 additional replies submitted and awaiting

review

About (http://lifehacker.kinja.com/5732066/about-lifehacker) Help (http://help.gawker.com/)

Terms of Use (http://legal.kinja.com/kinja-terms-of-use-90161644)

Privacy (http://legal.kinja.com/privacy-policy-90190742) Advertising (http://advertising.gawker.com/)

Permissions (http://advertising.gawker.com/about/index.php#contact)

Content Guidelines (http://legal.kinja.com/content-guidelines-90185358)

RSS (http://feeds.gawker.com/lifehacker/full) Jobs (http://grnh.se/2ctqpi)