Arch Linux

ElectricArchy

Member

Registered: 2025-02-26

Posts: 1

Creating a Bootable Arch Installer with User Data Partition

Hello everyone,

I need some help creating a bootable Arch Linux installer on my 8GB pendrive, while also having an additional ext4 partition for user data. Here's what I did:

Partitioning with gdisk (first partition with 2GB type EF00 and second partition 5.5GB type 8300).
Then

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX2

and, finally,

dd if=archlinux-version-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX1 bs=8M oflag=sync status=progress

but the resulting pendrive is NOT bootable.

Unfortunately, the resulting pendrive is not bootable. When I use dd directly on the entire device (/dev/sdX), everything works fine, but it overwrites the ext4 partition (/dev/sdX2).

Question: How can I create a bootable Arch Linux installer on the first partition without overwriting the second partition meant for user data?

Thanks in advance for your help!

kermit63

Member

Registered: 2018-07-04

Posts: 370

Re: Creating a Bootable Arch Installer with User Data Partition

Some possibilities:

1. Using GRUB's iso booting feature.
2. Ventoy.

I've seen recent reports that Ventoy has problems with more recent arch ISOs, but have not personally experienced it. Ventoy allows the user to reserve some space on the pendrive, which is consistent with what you specified in the OP.

AFAIK, using dd will consume the entire pendrive.

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NuSkool

Member

Registered: 2015-03-23

Posts: 293

Re: Creating a Bootable Arch Installer with User Data Partition

Try using 'rsync' or do a USB install.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … sing_rsync
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … ble_backup
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … ble_medium

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MAYBL8

Member

From: Florida USA

Registered: 2022-01-14

Posts: 386

Website

Re: Creating a Bootable Arch Installer with User Data Partition

You can also look at my script and take anything you want from it.
This is how I make a bootable USB drive with Arch on it.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 1#p2106581

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