Installing ArchLinux for newbies. Installing ArchLinux programs. Installing Steam on ArchLinux

The operating systems of the Winows family areleading in the computer market. But sometimes there is a need to use third-party and free software due to personal preferences or the inability to purchase a license for Windows. In this case, Linux comes to the rescue. But not all of them have friendly interfaces and extensive documentation. And the latter, if present, is often only in English, the knowledge of which not everyone can boast. But, unlike closed-source software, Linux-systems have the possibility of much wider customization for a particular user. The article details the features of the installation of ArchLinux and this system as a whole.

ArchLinux. Installation and configuration

There is a very interesting operating systemfrom the family of "Linux". It's called ArchLinux. Its singularity lies in the fact that, unlike packet "ubuntopodobnyh" systems, ArchLinux can be customized to the last "cog". True, this requires extraordinary knowledge in this field, which often frightens off newcomers. And in general, the whole system, unlike batch distributions, is designed for a very experienced user of "Linux-like" systems, who can work with the command line and terminal. Installation and configuration of ArchLinux in many respects differs from the installation of other operating systems. And in this article, we will discuss all the steps of installing the ArchLinux OS.

General Information on ArchLinux

ArchLinux is a branch from the veryminimalistic OS CRUX. This OS was popular with fans to collect the system from the sources and maximize "sharpen" it for themselves. Unlike the "parent" OS, ArchLinux does not require the user to compile the kernel and build dependencies. It can be installed using a standard graphical manager. Although the installation of ArchLinux from the command line begins. But more on this later.

At the moment there are two branches of the development of the OSArchLinux: stable and current. In stable, a stable version of the operating system with trusted programs is used. However, updates for it have to wait a very long time. For fans of everything "fresh" there is a branch current. Here, updates are not late, but the stability of the system is somewhat lame. Installing ArchLinux programs in it also causes some difficulties and errors. Experienced "archers" (as slang called the users of ArchLinux) are advised to use the stable-version of the OS. Let it be not entirely relevant, but stability is above all.

The trouble with ArchLinux is the lack of documentationfor installation in the distribution itself. There are only general guidelines for advanced users of the Linux OS. And they are all in English. True, some of them are translated by enthusiasts. So the installation of ArchLinux for beginners is quite a difficult task, we'll take a closer look at it.

Preparing for the procedure

The first step is to create a bootableUSB-stick with the distribution of ArchLinux. To do this, we need to download the ISO image of the OS from the official website of the project. The image with ArchLinux can be of two types: full and basic. The difference is in the size of the image and the number of programs available "out of the box." The full image of "weighs" about 600 MB, and the base image - only 200 MB. It is better to use the full version of the installation disc.

After downloading, you need to select a program forwrite the distribution to USB-media. If you use Windows, the best option for this purpose will be to take the program Rufus. It can be downloaded for free, it does not require installation. Run Rufus and select the downloaded disk image from the OS. We press the button "Start". During the recording process, the USB media will be formatted and renamed to ArchLinux. Installation on the USB flash drive, in principle, finished. Now you can reboot and try to install the OS on the computer.

Starting the installer

After all the manipulations with the boot order in the BIOSwe start downloading ArchLinux from the flash drive. As mentioned above, the step-by-step installation of ArchLinux is very different from the same batch OS process. Therefore, it is important to consider all the details and features.

The first thing we'll see is the command line. To start the graphical installer, you need to type the command $ / arch / setup. After that, the installer window will appear. There are menu items that reflect all the stages of the installation process:

• preparation of the disk;
• selection of packages;
• installation of packages;
• kernel installation;
• system configuration;
• installation of the loader;
• exit.

If most of the menu sections are coped withbeginner, then with the item "Installing the kernel" will have to sweat even advanced users. That's why the installation of ArchLinux is not an easy task for beginners.

Preparing the Disk

The process of "partitioning" the disk for ArchLinux severalIt differs from the requirements of the other Linux OS packages. The easiest way to allow the program to distribute the disk itself to partitions. In this case, the automation knows best what is needed for the system. However, if you have the necessary files on the HDD, you will have to do manual marking, so as not to lose them permanently. Installation of ArchLinux begins with this.

When manually partitioning a disk, you must create the following partitions:

• root partition with label /;
• section / usr;
• section / opt;
• the / var section;
• the / var / abs section;
• the / var / cache / pkg section;
• section / var / cache / src;
• the "/ home" section.

Now let's look at what they all need.

The root partition must be at leastone gigabyte. It is in it that the installation of ArchLinux is made. The / usr partition is a "swap" - a swap file for improving system performance. Therefore, it should be equal to the amount of installed RAM, multiplied by two.

The / opt section serves to host such large files as QT libraries, iks, and other OS shell files. Its size should be about 4 GB.

Sections marked / var are used to place various system information in order to prevent cluttering of the root.

Well, the / home section is used to store the user's personal data. The preferred file system for all partitions is ext3.

Installing the system

The installation of ArchLinux is divided into severalstages. The first is the selection and configuration of packages. If you do not have a clue about which ones to note specifically for your computer, then just leave all the defaults. After analyzing the "iron", the program itself will decide what is needed and what is not. During the installation of packages, the bootloader will also be installed. In ArchLinux, this is GRUB by default.

The next step is to install the kernel of the system. It's also better to rely on automatic selection and configuration here. The only thing that should be noted on your own is the type of core for your hardware. If you have a PC that supports SCSI technology, then you need to choose this type.

After a successful kernel installation, the time will comeconfiguring the OS. Here you are asked to configure the system using the editing of text configuration files. It is better not to do this, because you can easily "hang" the system during the installation. Setting up ArchLinux after installation is the most acceptable option, since it's much easier to do everything using the graphical environment.

Configuring ArchLinux

After rebooting the system, you need to determineits main parameters. The preferred working environment for ArchLinux is KDE. It is we who will put it. To do this, type pacman -S kde on the command line. After loading the graphical shell, the system setup will go faster. Now we need to install at least a Mozilla Firefox browser to get knowledge of the fine sharpening of ArchLinux after installation. To do this, execute the following command: pacman -S firefox. Now you can easily find out about the secrets of the OS parameters from the "great and mighty" Google.

Installing programs

It's not so simple. Because ArchLinux does not support a graphical installer for software packages, you must install them manually through the command line using the pacman tool. Thanks to some commands it will be possible to get all the necessary software. So, the main command for installing programs is pacman -S package_name. To update the ones already installed, you need to enter the pacman -Syi command. This is how the installation of programs. ArchLinux in this regard is much more complicated than "ubuntopodobnyh" systems.

ArchLinux and Steam

Steam is the working environment for purchases andinstall games under Linux. It is also available for Windows. In the Steam program, you can buy and install various games. And there are "native" versions for Linux. Installing Steam on ArchLinux requires some additional manipulation, which we will now disassemble.

The problem is that Steam does not existofficial support for ArchLinux. Therefore, before executing the installation command, you must first add some repositories and fonts. If you have a 64 bit system, you need to load the multilib repository, and after that the Arial font, because Steam uses it. You can obtain it using the pacman -S ttf-liberation command. After that, you can start installing the "Steam" itself with the command pacman -S steam.

Conclusion

Now we know how to correctlyinstall and configure ArchLinux. Of course, the process is rather complicated, it requires a lot of free time. It's up to you to decide if you really need such an operating system. Moreover, we have even considered such a "terrible" thing, as the installation of Steam on ArchLinux. Of course, it will not be useful to many. But if you are a gamer, then this information will come in handy. In general, ArchLinux is a good OS for replenishing its knowledge base.

If you are not afraid of the difficulties in the development processnew, then ArchLinux will have to your liking. And let the market is still the brainchild of Microsoft Corporation, open source software is gaining popularity every year.