Just recently started diving into the Arch Linux world and I want to take a structured approach. What are, in your opinion, the basic principles to follow when installing and configuring the system without getting lost? Which package management or automation tools do you prefer to keep an installation clean and scalable? I’d also like to hear your tips on partitioning, kernel choice, and setting up a lightweight desktop environment. Your experience and recommendations will be super helpful in avoiding common pitfalls. Thanks in advance for your advice!
How to get started with Arch Linux: methods and best practices
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For Arch, follow the official installation guide: first create an EFI partition, then a root partition (or separate /home), and run the `pacstrap` script; use `pacman` and an AUR helper like `yay` to manage packages, giving you much finer control than a distribution like Ubuntu, which automates partitioning and relies on `apt`. A lightweight desktop environment (e.g., i3 or LXQt) installs quickly with a few extra packages, leaving the system very clean and scalable.
To get started cleanly with Arch, I recommend following the same pattern you'd use with a rolling release distro like Manjaro, but keeping the full control Arch provides. Start by creating a GPT partition table: a small EFI partition (~300MB) for booting, a root (/) partition in EXT4 (or Btrfs if you like snapshots) of at least 20GB, and a separate home partition to avoid conflicts during re-installs. The simplest bootloader to set up is still grub-efi; it configures in two lines and works just as well on Arch as it does on Debian, so you don’t have to learn multiple boot tools.
For package management, pacman remains the core, but pair it with an AUR helper like yay or paru; they offer the same flexibility as Ubuntu’s PPA while staying isolated from the official repos. For automation, create an install script (bash or ansible) similar to what you’d do with Ubuntu Server’s config file—it lets you replicate the exact same environment and keep your system "clean." As for the kernel, start with linux-lts (Long-Term Support) if you want stability, or switch to kernel-zen for better performance, unlike Ubuntu where the kernel is usually updated via standard repos. Finally, for a lightweight desktop environment, i3 or sway are great choices; they consume fewer resources than GNOME or KDE while offering modular configuration similar to Xfce’s approach on Debian. By following these steps, you avoid classic pitfalls (orphaned packages, bootloader configuration) and keep an installation that’s scalable and easy to replicate.