Arch Linux is a useless Desktop OS – the ‘Pretender‘ based wannabes have Vanilla Arch as their ‘Foundation of Sand‘ so they are also unstable ‘n buggy; however, I still piddle with it on occasions.

I’ve installed Vanilla Arch many times in the past year or so…there are at least 3-5 methods that are designed to help a user install it. Arch Linux – the slow Grandchild of DOS. One of the problems I have with most Linux Distros is the prompt for the ‘Pesky Passwords’ every time you try to do something in Linux…in recent months I have sought Distros that offer an option or a way to avoid that ‘Pesky‘ Linux password. CentOS is my #1 Linux Distro because of how absolutely stable it is ‘n it allows you to opt out of the ‘Pesky‘ Linux password – only a root password is needed.

I’m testing Linux all the time, and recently remembered that Vanilla Arch may only require the root password. I’ve put together my own method of installing Vanilla Arch, using the Arch Wiki and 5-6 other sources. One addition I have added to the numerous installation sources, is to prep the target disk with GParted…which makes it easier for me, and saves some time:

That is a pic of a 120GB SSD on top ‘n a 32GB SanDisk USB on the bottom.

I am still working on finding the right Desktop Environment (DE), but something is off since either the gnome-terminal won’t open in GNOME DE or there is no terminal in the Cinnamon & Plasma DE’s. Arch is a  “Terminal-Centric Distro” so there isn’t much you can do in a graphical environment with a Vanilla Arch that has no terminal. Anyway, that may be the topic for Part 2. Here was my installation method:

Arch Install:

 

  • Prep target drive w/ GParted – 550mb fat32 … 2000mb swap … rest ext4
  • Use Rufus to create installation media
  • Keymap default is US
  • Internet is easier w/ Ethernet (Wi-Fi difficult) .. ping google.com to check .. Ctrl c ends ping

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Time & Date  # timedatectl set-ntp true

 

Partitions and File system format already prepped w/ GParted.

 

Am not sure, so just in case turn swap on:  # swapon /dev/sda2

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Install base – mount drive:  # mount /dev/sda3 /mnt

Then:  # pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware

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Configure:  # genfstab –U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

Chroot then:  # arch-chroot /mnt    (Note: notice the prompt changed)

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Note: command-line –  ln  – is for creating links between files ..  ls  – lists files & dir, etc.

Timezone:  # ln –sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City/etc/localtime     (Note: my Region is America & City is New_York).

  • To find Region: # ls –sf /usr/share/zoneinfo   (that will list countries – mine is America)
  • To find City: # ls –sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/

With info now known, then type this:

# ln –sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/New_York/etc/localtime

 

Hardware clock: # hwclock –systohc

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Install nano:  # pacman –S nano

 

Localization:  # nano /etc/locale.gen       (Note: my locale is –   en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8    – I need to find that in the long list and “Uncomment” it. Scroll down using the terminal/text cursor as a guide, and then stop it on your locale … hit Ctrl + x … “Y” to save and enter.

 

Next, run:  # locale-gen

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Network configuration … set hostname:

#  nano /etc/hostname

#  karmi    (“karmi” is my hostname – now, Ctrl + x to exit “Y” to save)

 

Host file:  # nano /etc/hosts

Then add the following 3 lines:

127.0.0.1              localhost

::1                           localhost

127.0.1.1              karmi.localdomain           karmi                     (Note: “karmi” is my hostname – use your own.)

 

Ctrl + x, then “Y” to save and enter.

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Root password and users … Note: am always looking for ways to avoid the Linux ‘Pesky Password’, and Vanilla Arch offers the option of not adding users, i.e. I bypassed the ‘Pesky Password’ by just creating a root password and becoming root. Only reason I’m messing with the terrible Arch Vanilla Linux – the other ‘Pretenders’ are useless Distro Arch Vanilla wannabes … Arch Vanilla Linux says this:

 

#  passwd

New password: 123

Retype new password: 123

OK…that creates the root password and I am the only user – root.

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Install grub and boot loader  (Note: hit “Y” when asked to download):

#  pacman –S grub

#  pacman –S efibootmgr dosfstools os-prober mtools

 

#  mkdir /boot/EFI

#  mount /dev/sda1 /boot/EFI

#  grub-install –target=x86_64-efi –bootloader-id=grub_uefi  –recheck

(Note: if entered correctly then after install it should report “No error reported”.)

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

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Install network manager and git:

# pacman –S networkmanager

# systemctl enable NetworkManager

# pacman –S git

 

(Side note: had a perl warning about old perl module ??? falling back to standard locale “C” ??)

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That should do it …  # exit (out of chroot)

#  umount –l /mnt

#  shutdown now                                             (That’ll get us to Arch prompt w/o GUI)

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I am root … no sudo shit for humble me! Let’s get graphical interface (GUI). Update first:

#  pacman –Syu

# reboot

#  pacman -S xorg

  • That brings up Repository list of 49 … select xorg-server #11 (old: “default=all” so hit enter, then “Y” for install)

#  pacman -S cinnamon nemo-fileroller

  • Hit “Y” to install

 

For the ease, I will install LXDM display manager – should work great with me as root!

#  pacman -S lxdm

  • Hit “Y” to install (note: for this post always hit “Y” to install…)

#  systemctl enable lxdm.service

# reboot

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OK…that’s it so far. No terminal & no screen shot utility (maybe Gnome had screenshot app, but I forget now?!?). I may check out another installation tutorial, but it’s installing w/o terminal support ‘n screenshot utility. I may download another ISO in case the one I’m using is bad.

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