archinstall

Start the interactive installer

$ archinstall

$ archinstall [minimal|unattended]

archinstall [--config <path>] [--dry-run] [--script <path>] [--profile <name>] [OPTIONS...]
archinstall [--help | --version]

The command is typically run without arguments for an interactive, guided installation, or with specific options to automate or customize the process.

--config <path>
    Specifies a JSON configuration file for an automated installation. This file can be generated from a previous interactive session.

--dry-run
    Simulates the installation process without making any actual changes to the system. Useful for testing configurations.

--script <path>
    Executes a custom Python script for advanced and highly specific installation routines.

--profile <name>
    Installs a predefined system profile, such as 'desktop', 'server', or 'minimal', which includes specific package groups and configurations.

--harddrive <device>
    Directly specifies the target hard drive for installation (e.g., /dev/sda), bypassing interactive disk selection.

--disk_encryption
    Enables disk encryption for the installation, typically using LUKS.

--version
    Displays the current version of the archinstall script.

--help
    Shows the command's help message and available options.

archinstall is an official Arch Linux installer script designed to simplify the traditionally complex installation process. Written in Python, it provides a user-friendly, guided, and interactive experience, making Arch Linux more accessible to new users while retaining its core philosophy of user control.

The script automates many manual steps, including disk partitioning, filesystem creation, locale configuration, user account setup, bootloader installation, and even optional desktop environment and display manager installation. It can be run interactively with prompts or fully automated using a configuration file or a custom script. Its flexibility allows users to quickly deploy a basic Arch system or a fully configured desktop environment, significantly reducing the time and effort required for a fresh installation.

While archinstall significantly simplifies the process, it's still an evolving project. Users should be aware that it might occasionally encounter bugs or edge cases. A basic understanding of Arch Linux concepts and the ability to troubleshoot (e.g., via the ArchWiki) is still beneficial. It requires an active internet connection during installation to download packages.

archinstall offers a selection of pre-defined profiles (e.g., desktop, server, minimal, xorg, plasma, gnome) that streamline the setup of common system configurations. Choosing a profile automates the installation of relevant package groups, desktop environments, display managers, and basic utilities, providing a ready-to-use system faster.

Beyond interactive mode, archinstall supports full automation. Users can save the configuration from an interactive session into a config.json file and reuse it for subsequent installations. This feature is invaluable for deploying Arch Linux consistently across multiple machines, virtual environments, or for rapid re-installations without manual intervention.

archinstall was developed by the Arch Linux team as an official effort to provide a more accessible entry point to the Arch Linux ecosystem. It was first introduced to the Arch ISO images in 2021, addressing long-standing community requests for a guided installer. Its development is ongoing, with continuous improvements and feature additions released alongside new Arch ISO versions, aiming to strike a balance between user-friendliness and adherence to the Arch philosophy.

pacman(8), fdisk(8), mkfs(8), genfstab(8), arch-chroot(8)