Arch Linux is one of the most minimalist, pure and customizable distributions that we can find. But it is also one of the most complicated to install, configure and start up, since it requires great knowledge in Linux to be able to master it. Those responsible for Arch want to make life a little easier for users in order to lower the level of difficulty of the system, and for this they have decided to start with a new official installer that greatly simplifies this process: this is Archinstall .
Archinstall is not the first official installer that we can find for this distro. Almost a decade ago, the system came with an installer that made it easy to start up. However, the developers decided to remove it in 2012 after not promoting the KISS principle, leaving only the manual installation of Arch available.
It is true that the manual installation of this Linux usually goes through many users: it is a very long and complicated process, even with a guide. But it is the best way to start this system since that is how we can fully customize your installation. Anyway, to be honest, most users either opt for alternative Arch-based systems (like Manjaro) or decide to use third-party installers, like Aturux-OS .
Thus, Archinstall becomes the new official Arch Linux installer , written in Python. Of course, although the process is much simpler than manual installation, it has nothing to do with the installers that we can see in other distros, such as Ubuntu or Manjaro.
Install Arch Linux with Archinstall
In order to launch this installer, the first thing we must do is, once the system is booted from the ISO, execute the “archinstall” command . Now a simple wizard will start that will guide us during the installation. The steps that we are going to carry out are the same as if we were to install Arch by hand, but here it will be the wizard himself who will guide us through the steps.
First we will choose the language and region of the system. Next, the drive where we are going to install our Linux and the file system that we want to use for the process, along with the encryption password if the system allows it. Then, we will have to choose the name we want to give the host and if we want to enable the “root” user or create common users included within “sudoers”.
At this point we will have to choose one of the most important points: the desktop. We can leave it blank and not select anything to load only a TTY, but if we are looking for a Linux with a graphical interface (something that most users do) then we can choose the one we like the most. We will also select the additional drivers that we want to install, the optional packages (in case we want or need any) and the network interface.
Finally, we only have to check that all the parameters are correct and proceed with the installation and configuration of Arch. In a few minutes we will have our Linux installed and configured, ready to use it.
Download Arch Linux
This new installer has become a default Arch package. That means that all the ISO images that we download from now on will include it, and we will be able to invoke it to be able to install the system on our PC or in the virtual machine.
The latest version as of today, which dates from April 1, 2021, can be downloaded completely free of charge from its website . This version comes by default with Linux Kernel 5.11.11 and the ISO occupies a total of 750 megabytes. And thanks to its Rolling Release update model, we can always keep the system up to date with the latest version of the kernel and the latest packages once the installation is finished.
