“from scratch”
It’s like a page worth of instructions you can follow verbatim excluding bootloader and network. If you watch one video of someone doing it to fill those gaps there is nothing to it.
Source: I watched Kai Hendry speed install arch, bookmarked the video and all my machines are now arch “from scratch” in 10 minutes or less of actual keyboard time.
I think calling it “a page worth” is understating it somewhat, especially if you want a full install to actually use stuff. In reality, when installing at first, you’ll be finding stuff you missed for a while, like hardware video decoding.
Also, are you referring to just the direct instructions for one choice? Because to me, the point of installing manually is educating yourself on the choices, choosing one that suits you, and understanding what you’re doing to set it up. Of course, when you’re doing subsequent installs, you already know that stuff - but at that point you might just want to write an install script instead of running them manually.
I think it depends what you want out of it.
The arch install from the ISO is a layered process. You can always add more, but a bootable install is not much over a page away. I do like to pick what’s best for me, but that’s not a prerequisite for first install. Do it, take notes, refine, and repeat.
I don’t have an installer or anything, but I have pretty comprehensive notes of what I like (bootctl vs grub, network-manager vs systemd-networkd and friends, and so on). But to have a system that boots and optionally has a desktop environment of your choosing is not exactly a Rubik’s cube of difficulty.
I don’t remember the channel anymore, but there’s one guy constantly updating various setups. Like Arch with encryption, Arch with BTRFS, etc. I started with one of those videos and wrote my own step by step guide. Now I’m just following my own guide whenever I install Arch.
Mental Outlaw also has the great guide explaining the install step-by-step in a great detail
except he doesn’t talk about the difference in bootloader installation for uefi
Trve Arch users don’t remember their install process.
All I remember is that I still haven’t memorised the add user command
curl cheat.sh/useraddWhat?
This will be useful the next time I’ll have to install arch
This will be useful the next time I’ll have to install arch
Can confirm. Install once and it lives forever until the hardware dies or is replaced.
I even ported an install once from one device to another just by copying the data and installing the bootloader.
I only remember how long it takes
No big difference between those two methods of install. You get the real medal when a random upgrade breaks some software and you are able to track down the issue and corresponding solution(s).
Yo Arch users. Try daily driving Linux From Scratch. I dare ya. Let’s see what you’re really made of.
The first time I installed Arch there was the old archinstall that was subsequently retired. Is the new script working?
I love arch but I actually haven’t used it since before they added the arch install. I can’t imagine how much easier it is cause it’s still the terminal. The “manual” install was easy as hell
It’s much easier. Just make some choices and it installs. Honestly can’t call it the terminal if it lets me choose options with arrow keys.
Shout out to Julia from Drawfee on youtube for the bottom art. It’s Bobby.
No!! Julia!! That’s Bobby Hill??
I came looking for your comment. Julia birthed a meme
Is that Bobby Hill?!
Sorry
Endeavour Os was the best thing I ever used. Easy to install, out of box is minimal but sufficient. I traded my Linux Mint to be able to customize my workflow, look and feel.
I used it for a while too before I learned about archinstall. eOS has a great community though. I use their forum to look for answers often
me who uses Void Linux 😌 and don’t care about SystemD
Why use Arch when you can do LFS?
idk why, but everytime I try archinstall it breaks in one way or another. I’m sure it works perfectly well for everyone else, I’m just cursed
note: not seeking advice, I prefer my manually installed FDE + secureboot EFISTUB setup anyways
I still install manually just out of habit
I just installed Fedora
Very solid. Loved using it. Tbh, I have very little bad things to say about most of the distros I like all of them so far.
