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Install Arch Linux easily with the Arch Anywhere distribution.

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Installing Arch Linux can be a royal pain, but if you use the Arch Anywhere distribution, this will allow easy installation of an Arch Linux system. Download the distribution here.

https://arch-anywhere.org/.

This Linux distribution will make setting up Arch Linux easier than ever.

Write this ISO to a disc and boot your machine with it, or load it in VMware to test the installation.

Arch Anywhere boot screen.
Arch Anywhere boot screen.

Boot the installation and we are ready to begin.

Run this command to begin the installation.
Run this command to begin the installation.

Now select the language to be used for the installation.

Select your installation language.
Select your installation language.

Yes we do want to begin the installation.

Yes of course.
Yes of course.

Select the country code for where you are living.

Select your country code.
Select your country code.

Select the appropriate keymap for your keyboard.

Now select the keymap appropriate for your keyboard.
Now select the keymap appropriate for your keyboard.

Select the appropriate locale to match your language region.

Select the appropriate locale for your language region.
Select the appropriate locale for your language region.

Give the installer your timezone to setup the date and time properly.

Provide your timezone to setup the date and time properly.
Provide your timezone to setup the date and time properly.

The auto-partitioning option will be fine if this is to be installed on a dedicated machine or a VM.

Select auto partitioning if you are installing this on a dedicated machine or a VM.
Select auto partitioning if you are installing this on a dedicated machine or a VM.

Select the drive to be partitioned. In my case it is /dev/sda.

Select the device to be partitioned.
Select the device to be partitioned.

Select the appropriate filesystem for your partition(s).

Select the filesystem to use. Ext4 is fine.
Select the filesystem to use. Ext4 is fine.

We do need swap space for our installation.

Yes we do want swap space.
Yes we do want swap space.

Set the desired swap space size. 512MiB should be enough.

Set the desired swap space size. 512MiB should be enough.
Set the desired swap space size. 512MiB should be enough.

I chose yes for this option.

I chose yes for this option.
I chose yes for this option.

Now choose write changes on the next screen and the partitions will be created and formatted. Now we need to choose the software to install for our new Arch Linux system.

Choose the arch-linux-base option here.

Choose the arch-linux-base option here.
Choose the arch-linux-base option here.

The BASH shell is fine for our needs, so we choose that option.

The BASH shell is fine for our needs, so we choose that option.
The BASH shell is fine for our needs, so we choose that option.

The GNU GRUB boot loader is required to boot our system, so make sure it is selected.

The GRUB boot loader is required, so make sure you choose it.
The GRUB boot loader is required, so make sure you choose it.

The MATE desktop will be installed, so make sure network-manager is selected.

I chose network-manager as I am installing a MATE desktop.
I chose network-manager as I am installing a MATE desktop.

I chose to install this even though it was not necessary, as I might add a USB wifi stick to my VM.

I chose to install this even though it was not necessary, as I might add a USB wifi stick to my VM.
I chose to install this even though it was not necessary, as I might add a USB wifi stick to my VM.

This might not be necessary.

This might not be necessary.
This might not be necessary.

This option is really not necessary for a Virtual Machine.

This is not necessary for a VM.
This is not necessary for a VM.
Install a desktop environment?
Install a desktop environment?

I am choosing to install the MATE desktop environment for my purposes as it is light and easy to use.

We want to install the MATE desktop environment for our install.
We want to install the MATE desktop environment for our install.

The mesa-libgl drivers are very common and are required to properly setup a working Linux desktop if you wish to use GL apps.

Select the mesa-libgl drivers.
Select the mesa-libgl drivers.
If this is installing on a laptop, choose yes here.
If this is installing on a laptop, choose yes here.

We need an Arch Linux display manager to make sure we can log into our graphical environment.

The Lightdm display manager is required for our purposes.
The Lightdm display manager is required for our purposes.

Now to begin the long process of downloading and installing all of the selected Arch packages.

Now we begin the process of downloading and installing packages.
Now we begin the process of downloading and installing packages.

Multilib support allows the running of 32-bit programs on a 64-bit system, so it would be a good idea to choose this option.

Multilib support is useful, so I choose to install it.
Multilib support is useful, so I choose to install it.

Make sure we enable DHCP at boot to make sure our networking is up and running on boot.

DHCP at boot will enable easy networking setup, so I will choose yes.
DHCP at boot will enable easy networking setup, so I will choose yes.
Setting the computer host name.
Setting the computer host name.

Now the only thing left to do is set a password for the root user and create a new user account for day to day usage. Then choose to reboot the system and it will reboot and soon show you the login screen.

My new Arch Linux desktop up and running.
My new Arch Linux desktop up and running.

This is how easy it is to get Arch Linux installed on a desktop machine or a VM.

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