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#1 2017-11-21 04:29:13

Occam's Razor
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Registered: 2017-11-21
Posts: 2

Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

I want to install Arch linux at my desktop kept at home where I do not have internet access. The desktop currently runs on Windows 10. I have downloaded the arch iso file and  made a live usb. After going through the posts related to offline installation, it seems some base packages are necessary. I am at a loss where from do I download them, in what format, and how to make use of those packages during installation. Can someone guide me in a step-by-step manner on how to install arch linux using a usb? Kindly consider me as a newbie. Thank you.

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#2 2017-11-21 04:43:55

jasonwryan
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From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Of … f_packages

That is the closest you will get to a step-by-step guide. Arch is for competent Linux users, you will not have your hand held here.



Moving to NC...


Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

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#3 2017-11-21 08:37:53

seth
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Registered: 2012-09-03
Posts: 49,992

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

Are you sure you do intended to maintain a rolling release distro without internet access? How do you intend to run updates? Go to where you got internet access, fetch database updates, try an update locally to figure what packages you're going to need, go back to where you got internet access, fetch them in doubt out of the archives, carry them home and install them explicitly?
Sounds like self-torture..

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#4 2017-11-22 02:12:56

Occam's Razor
Member
Registered: 2017-11-21
Posts: 2

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

Thank you @jasonwryan and @seth. Would you please suggest if it will be easy in case I use my mobile as a hotspot and try to install from that wifi?

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#5 2017-11-22 02:29:26

jasonwryan
Anarchist
From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

That would be possible. It would be the same as installing over wifi, but you will incur data charges on your mobile plan that may make you wince.


Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

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#6 2017-11-22 03:37:36

ngoonee
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From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

Unless you have unlimited data on your mobile, take note the charges will be exorbitant if you plan to do this long term. The initial install (depending what you setup) easily uses 1 or 2 GB and updates past that will definitely push monthly data usage quite high.

Arch really isn't a suitable distro for a totally offline machine. Unless of course you plan to run a portable mirror on another machine with internet access to update the offline machine. In which case you wouldn't actually need to be asking this question...

Last edited by ngoonee (2017-11-22 03:38:16)


Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

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#7 2017-11-22 10:09:31

GuillaumeLagrange
Member
Registered: 2017-11-22
Posts: 1

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

Having installed over smartphone tethering recently, I'd say 1 or 2 GB is way overstated. If you mess up the install once or twice maybe you will get up to 1 GB, but a single clean install took me around 600 MB, including xorg and i3. Also depending on where he lives, mobile plans can actually get really, really cheap.

That being said, I do agree that Arch is a weird choice if you plan to never have acess to the internet.

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#8 2018-06-27 20:56:36

Torxed
Member
Registered: 2013-01-10
Posts: 200

Re: Installing Arch Linux without Internet Access

Sorry for necro-bumping this thread, but:

1. This is the top result on search engines
2. It's not marked as solved.

And this: Arch Offline
Is a pretty good alternative/solution to the problem.
(It does however require you to build the offline-able ISO)

Another good solution to the OP's question is:

pacman --noconfirm --dbpath /tmp/ -Syu -w --cachedir /media/user/USB-device base base-devel

Assuming you have a separate USB stick on a internet-connected Arch Machine, this will download `base`, `base-devel` and all their dependencies to your thumb-drive. You can then use that stick to either manually install packages, or create a Custom local repo on that thumb-drive.

Again, sorry for the bumping.
Felt kinda necessary to keep relevant search hits up to date or at least solve them.

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