Arch Linux

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

[SOLVED]Links to guides

I installed arch with the help of my friend once and broke it . I tried reinstalling and managed it somehow after quite a while of trial and error (I did receive a lot of help from him) but i don't understand mostly everything ,can someone help me with links to guides or materials for understanding what i did during the installation ,mainly on efi and process after installing kernels regarding the chroot ,bootloader,etc.
I am mainly posting this because every time i tried to install arch with the wiki or other sight  i fail and i cant even tell why
It would be really helpful if someone could dumb it down for me , but i am good with links too [please dumb it down].

Last edited by trinct (2023-12-14 19:07:16)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

every time i tried to install arch with the wiki or other sight  i fail and i cant even tell why

If you explain exactly what "fail" means and also include the commands you used to install Arch I would be happy to (attempt to) assist you.

Following guides other than https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide is not supported here so we can't help you with that. Sorry.

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

i did manage to install it using one guide i came across , but before that i would usually fail at mostly making a boot loader i presume. I cant show the problem since i didn't take a pic of it

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

i did manage to install it using one guide i came across

If that wasn't the official guide then that precludes you from seeking support here.

I'm in the same boat though — I used a magazine "guide" originally (I was young & reckless back then) and I didn't even glance at the guide when installing this system.

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

Your reply puts me at ease ,also i tried the installation guide in the beginning but it never booted after following it step by step  even after trying it 5 times from the start.(probably because i cant make heads or tails or the bootloader page )

The main reason i brought this question is because while installing arch on this system i didn't use all the free space and since i was yet to be confident on my installation skills i thought of using the free space as a testing ground. but then a question popped what do i do regarding the efi and bootloader since i already have one and i don't know how i managed that.

Soultrigger

Member

From: Brazil

Registered: 2021-11-04

Posts: 111

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

I would advice to read the code of conduct for Arch Linux: https://terms.archlinux.org/docs/code-o … irect%3Dno

And mainly the part about requesting help in the forum: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TLDR of both: be nice to everyone, dont disrespect, be thankful that someone took some of his free time to give you any answer, show that you have read and tried to solve the issue on your own and ask for advice on what you couldnt understand or fix on your own.

As for your query, I could answer you here or trough private message if you prefer. Since you used an external guide I wouldnt advise you to link it here, but you can ask about the commands you used that might make it easier for us to answer.

Be advised that I am a newbe in Linux and I will answer to the best of my lack of knowledge.

But basically, you will decide in a partition scheme, create the partitions, format it, mount them on appropriate folders, configure date, time, keyboard and localization, pacstrap the packages you want (basically install them on your system), configure a boot loader and install whatever packages you need such as Gnome or KDE and create user accounts.

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

bro i think i messed up a bit and accidentally clicking report while thinking it was reply button .Sorry for the trouble ,and this is what i was trying to say
Thank you for your reply ,
If i had to ask i would like to know 
-can't i just set the date and time after boot
-most problems i faces were steps after arch-chroot i believe but i don't know what exactly since they usually give the same response my arch experienced friend gave but it never booted

Last edited by trinct (2023-12-14 17:12:21)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,232

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time

This is the problem with install guides and friends helping you. I'm assuming the reason you are asking here is that said friend isn't available anymore and now you are stuck with a system you didn't set up nor understand. In order to help you with these we'd need information on the system state you can't provide. I strongly suggest reconsidering your choice of distribution at the level you're currently at, because this will only get more frustrating for everyone involved.

There's no problem with sticking to something easier to use like Ubuntu or so and tackling Arch again once you understand how the components fit together so that you're either equipped to help yourself, or can at least formulate questions that can actually be helped with appropriately.

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

I understand ,but its fun in its own way .
The reason I am posting here is ig because i feel bad because how often he helps me and since the system is running i did learn how to use the system a bit i believe enough to download games and play ,its just i have 750 gb of unallocated space
maybe ill find someone else and ask them through dm ig

Last edited by trinct (2023-12-14 17:29:01)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,232

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

If you're serious about wanting to learn, then work through https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide follow the follow up links if you don't understand a section or command.

If you "fail", then make note of the error and ask for clarification here.  There's nothing really concrete in this thread and it's unclear what your remaining problem(s) are.

Soultrigger

Member

From: Brazil

Registered: 2021-11-04

Posts: 111

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

Here is the official install guide https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide

I am linking it so you can have a quick look, it is written in a way to do two things 1) Teach you about Linux and 2) The best order to do things.

As for your question, yes, you can do it all later, but it will give you headache. I am brazillian and we speak portuguese, if I dont set up the language properly it will install in english, not a issue for me, but it will give me trouble to go in each app and download whatever extra packages it needs to change to portuguese. But if I set it properly it will already install whatever extra packages for my language when I install the packages.

Time and Date set wrongly will also create problems for the system such as logs, journal and potentially filesystem with the wrong date/time stamps and will giver you trouble later on.

Item 1.6 gives this command:

cat /sys/firmware/efi/fw_platform_size

This teachs two things, that one of cat functions is to show the contents of a file to screen and that /sys/ folder have files about your system hardware, and in this case if your system uses UEFI system it will report a value of 64 bits. It is described near the command, but their intent as I perceive it is to teach about the command and where it is pointed at.

When you arch-chroot you change from the installation media to your installed system, and then if you didnt install some stuff you want to use they wont be avaliable such as a network manager. (the network manager wont be avaliable, but if your installation media will suply the internet if you are connected in it will work, but if you reboot on your install you will be disconnected).

Last edited by Soultrigger (2023-12-14 17:38:15)

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

I see that cleared a lot of things ,lastly while reading the wiki pages are the links in it optional or do they contain instructions for what i am supposed to do
also how do i close posts

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

how do i close posts

The ports are closed unless a service is "listening" to them. As Arch doesn't enable services by default[1] you would have to open them manually yourself.

[1] Except for the keyring. Still irritated about that.

EDIT: I read "posts" as "ports". Lol. Damn dyslexia...

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2023-12-16 10:14:32)

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

Soultrigger

Member

From: Brazil

Registered: 2021-11-04

Posts: 111

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

As for the guide, it will tell you about a boot loader and a link to another page that will explain what a boot loader is and a list of most of them and their features, if you choose one, then you can go to the specific wiki to that boot loader and how to set it up. Most people will use Grub, my opinion about Grub is that it tries to do too much and I feel a boot loader should be simpler. I would suggest refind or systemd-boot (sd-boot), I use the later because it comes pre installed and it is easier to setup or even you dont need to setup it if you use UKI.

My system now is encrypted every single partition, the partition ID is based on Discoverable Partitions Specification (DPS), I use the Kernel as a Unified Kernel Image (UKI) which systemd-boot auto detects and I let systemd handle the whole system which he automounts root and main partitions based on partition ID and what is not in there will be loaded trough crypttab and fstab. (the first is a text files which unlocks crypto devices and the later a text file that mounts your partitions (what genfstab generates in the guide)).

My first install though was without encryption, setting systemd-boot config and using kernel and initramfs as separate entities instead of integrated as with UKI.

Both works, none is better than the other, but nowadays I can install my system in a flash if I need because it will more or less auto configure.

But Videl comment is sound, Linux in general will require you to read and learn a lot, and Arch Linux specially. I dont mind that at all, I love to thinker with the system and learn, but you would need that kind of mindset to use it on long term. To each user its own.

In last systemd update it kept looking to unlock a partition that even though I supplied the right password to unlock, it wouldnt unlock and kept asking for it forever. I am with that situation for about 5 days now, and today it seems we found a way to fix it on this forum, but that is whay I say about the mindset, it doesnt make me mad to have to spend time and learn new things until I find a fix, and when I do I try to refine it and take useful notes for the future.

If you asked about finishing your post here, just edit the original one and in the title put [Solved] in the beggining.

Last edited by Soultrigger (2023-12-14 19:06:19)

trinct

Member

Registered: 2023-12-14

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED]Links to guides

wow,
i think i had that password problem too i just thought i  forgot the password and i just proceed to delete the partition
thank you anyways