---
title: Archinstall
date: 2025-10-05T16:33:24+02:00
index: false
draft: false
icon: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Arch_Linux_%22Crystal%22_icon.svg/640px-Arch_Linux_%22Crystal%22_icon.svg.png
#copied: ["me", "/"]
table: true
---

> I install Arch Linux for french people in this guide. Also, Arch Linux is really popular, but you should checkout alternatives like [Artix Linux](https://artixlinux.org). You should [avoid systemd](https://unixdigest.com/articles/the-real-motivation-behind-systemd.html)

## Setup ~optional~ things

### Keymap

```sh
loadkeys fr-latin1
```

### Wi-Fi

```sh
iwctl --passphrase passphrase station name connect SSID
```

### Timedatectl

```sh
timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Paris
```

## Setup your disk

> The commands in this section will destroy all your data

### Make partitions

I make a 1G partition for the EFI system and give the rest to the Linux Filesystem. You can use cfdisk instead of fdisk.

You must replace `nvme0n1` with the disk you are installing Arch on. You can list them with `lsblk`. 

```sh
(
echo g
echo n 
echo 1
echo
echo +1G
echo t
echo 1
echo 1
echo n
echo 2
echo
echo
echo w
) | fdisk "/dev/nvme0n1" > /dev/null
```

### Format your partitions

```sh
mkfs.fat -F 32 -n ESP /dev/nvme0n1p1
```

```sh
mkfs.ext4 -L ROOT /dev/nvme0n1p2
```

### Mount your partitions

It is really important to mount the ROOT partition first and then the ESP partition.

```sh
mount /dev/disk/by-label/ROOT /mnt
```

```sh
mount --mkdir /dev/disk/by-label/ESP /mnt/boot
```

## Package installation

### Mirrors

It's best to spend some time setting up your mirrorlist located in `/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist`. You can use `reflector` to get a list of mirrors like so :

```sh
reflector --country France --age 10 --protocol https --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
```

### Pacstrap

I like to install these packages.

```sh
pacstap -K /mnt linux linux-firmware sof-firmware base base-devel grub efibootmgr networkmanager terminus-font helix pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber git
```

## Fstab

Generate the fstab to tell to your system how to mount the disk when your computer boots. If you don't see your two partitions in the content of the file, you are doomed.

Fstab copy the order in which you mounted your partitions earlier.

```sh
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
```

## Arch Chrooting

You can now chroot into your future system.

```sh
arch-chroot /mnt
```

### Basic french config

```sh
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Paris /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc
echo 'fr_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8' >> /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen
echo 'LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8' > /etc/locale.conf
echo -e 'KEYMAP=fr-latin1\nXKBLAYOUT=fr\nXKBMODEL=pc105\nXKBOPTIONS=terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp\nFONT=ter-132b' > /etc/vconsole.conf
```

### Setup user and hostname

```sh
echo hostname > /etc/hostname
```

```sh
passwd
useradd -m -G wheel user
passwd user
```

### Install GRUB

```sh
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
```

### Reboot

```sh
exit
reboot
```

## Post reboot

### Sudo rights

First of all, log in as root and uncomment the line starting with `%wheel` :

```sh
EDITOR=helix visudo
```

Then, save exit and log in again as your user.

### Network Manager

You should enable Wi-Fi again :

```sh
sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager
nmcli device wifi connect SSID --ask
```

~~\~

You're done and good to go :)