Shortcut your Arch installation with Architect Linux or Arch Anywhere
Set 'em UP
Arch's manual installation maximizes flexibility and teaches you about your system, but if you're in a hurry, you might want to try a Live installer like Architect Linux or Arch Anywhere.
Arch deliberately does without a graphical installation routine [1] in order to provide maximum flexibility and ensure a learning experience for the user. Arch derivatives like Antergos and Manjaro take a more user-friendly approach, but they have their own quirks: Antergos comes with additional repositories, through which it provides its own themes, as well as the package management front end Pamac, whereas Manjaro replaces the official repositories entirely with its own sources.
The best way to get a completely clean Arch base is to use the manual installation, which takes several steps but is certainly possible for most experienced Linux users, thanks to the good documentation [2]. If you're looking for an easier path, the Live installer systems Architect and Arch Anywhere offer a menu-driven installation option.
Setting Up Arch
Arch is known for its tech-heavy "manual" installation, and if you're accustomed to the latest generation of GUI installers, Arch will certainly seem rustic. However, with the help of the thorough Arch wiki and the elegant Pacman package manager, you just might find that setting up Arch is easier than you thought it would be.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.
-
Advanced Video Coding Still Under Patent
Brazilian patent BRPI0109962B1 has expired, which means that DivX and Xvid are no longer problematic for Linux, but it doesn’t mean that video is all of a sudden fully unleashed.
-
2,000 Vulnerabilities per Linux Release
Thanks to AI bug hunters, the Linux kernel is seeing record numbers of vulnerabilities, and it's overwhelming developers.
-
Linux Exempt from California’s Age Verification Law
So long as Linux is distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses, the OS is exempt from being required to verify the age of its users in California.
-
Roll Out the Cake: Linux Turns 35
35 years ago, a Finnish student began a humble project that would forever change the course of technology.
-
China Switching from Windows to Linux
China has ordered several government agencies to drop a Chinese-developed version of Windows 10 in favor of either KylinOS or UOS.