# Simple, modern and secure installation of Arch Linux with KDE Plasma.
  
_If you won't run into any issues, this should take you under an hour from nothing to a graphical interface. Good luck!_

**Load the preferred keyboard. In my case it's "de" for Germany.**  
$ loadkeys de  
  
**List devices to make sure you partition the right device.**  
$ lsblk  
  
**Partition the device using gdisk (assuming /dev/sda).**  
$ gdisk /dev/sda  
  
**Create GPT and EFI-partion.**  
_# Creates new GPT-partition table._  
$ o    
_# Accept._  
$ y  
_# Create a new partition, accept default partition number 1 and first sector._  
$ n  
_# Enter partition size (second sector), 512 MB should be plenty for /boot and accept._  
$ +512M  
_# Mark as EFI._  
$ ef00  
_# New main partition, accept all the following using "y"._  
$ n  

**Print and check your partitions. There should be a 512 MiB EFI system partition and a Linux filesystem filling up the rest of the space**  
$ p  
  
**Write partitions to device.**  
$ w  
_# Accept._  
$ y  
  
**Encrypt primary partition.**  
$ cryptsetup -c aes-xts-plain -y -s 512 luksFormat /dev/sda2  
$ YES  
  
**Open encrypted partition and mount to container "lvm".**  
$ cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/vda2 lvm  
  
**Create LVM physical volume.**  
$ pvcreate /dev/mapper/lvm  

**Create LVM volume group called "main".**  
$ vgcreate main /dev/mapper/lvm  
  
**Create LVM logical volumes for /root and /home.  
Your root volume should be 25-50 GB big, your home volume takes up the remaining space.**  
$ lvcreate -L 25G -n root main  
$ lvcreate -l 100%FREE -n home main
  
**Create the filesystems and mount your volumes.**  
$ mkfs.fat -F 32 -n UEFI /dev/sda1  
_-F specifies the type of file allocation tables used (12, 16 or 32 bit).  
-n sets the volume name (label) of the filesystem to "UEFI"._
  
  
**Create ext4 filesystem on root and home volumes.**  
$ mkfs.ext4 -L root /dev/mapper/main-root  
$ mkfs.ext4 -L home /dev/mapper/main-home
  
**Create mountpoints and mount partitions.**  
$ mount /dev/mapper/main-root /mnt  
$ mkdir /mnt/boot  
$ mkdir /mnt/home  
$ mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
$ mount /dev/mapper/main-home /mnt/home
  
**Optionally update mirrorlist using reflector.**  
_In this case use the latest 10 mirrors from Germany, that have been synchronized within the last 24 hours and sort the by download-rate and write them to the pacman mirrorlist._  
$  reflector --verbose --latest 10 --country Germany --age 24 --protocol https --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist  
  
**Install base system and basic packages (network, editor, sudo).**  
**The package base-devel is not necessary but recommended.**  
$ pacstrap /mnt base base-devel linux linux-firmware networkmanager nano sudo lvm2  
  
**Optional: install all basic packages for KDE Plasma:**  
 $ pacstrap /mnt base base-devel linux linux-zen linux-firmware networkmanager nano sudo lvm2 sddm sddm-kcm plasma-desktop konsole firefox  
  
**Generate fstab.**  
$ genfstab -Up /mnt > /mnt/etc/fstab  
_-U = Use UUID for source identifiers (shortcut for -t LABEL).  
-p Exclude pseudofs mounts (default behavior)._  
  
**Chroot into your installation.**  
$ arch-chroot /mnt  
  
**Set your hostname.**  
$ echo mycomputer > /etc/hostname  
  
**Generate locale.gen for your preferred language (and preferribly english).**  
$ nano /etc/locale.gen  
_Uncomment your language, e.g. de_DE.UTF-8 UTF-8 (and en_US.UTF-8)._  
  
**Generate the locale.**  
$ locale-gen  
  
**Add necessary HOOKS and MODULES.**  
$ nano /etc/mkinitcpio.conf  
  
```
MODULES=(ext4)  
HOOKS=(base udev autodetect modconf block keyboard keymap encrypt lvm2 filesystems fsck shutdown)
```
  
**Create mkinitcpio.**  
$ mkinitcpio -p linux-zen  
  
**Start NetworkManager for automatic network access on next boot.**  
$ systemctl enable NetworkManager  
  
**Enable SDDM to start on next boot.**  
$ systemctl enable sddm  
  
**Set a root-password.**  
$ passwd  
  
**Install systemd-boot bootloader.**  
$ bootctl install  
  
**Create the bootloader config.**  
$ nano /bootloader/entries/arch.conf  
  
**Add the following:**  
```
title    Arch Linux
linux    /vmlinuz-linux-zen
initrd   /initramfs-linux-zen.img
options  cryptdevice=/dev/sda2:main root=/dev/mapper/main-root rw lang=de init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd locale=de_DE.UTF-8
```
  
**Create a fallback config.**  
$ cp /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf /boot/loader/entries/arch-fallback.conf  
  
**Edit the fallback config.**  
$ nano /boot/loader/entries/arch-fallback.conf  
  
**Change it to the following:**  
```
title    Arch Linux Fallback
initrd   /initramfs-linux-fallback.img
```
  
**Edit loader config.**  
$ nano /boot/loader/loader.conf  
  
**Change it to the following:**  
```
timeout 1
default arch.conf
```
  
**Set your keyboard to your language.**  
$ localectl --no-convert set-keymap de-latin1-nodeadkeys  
$ localectl --no-convert set-x11-keymap de pc105 deadgraveacute  
  
**Create a user with a /home-directory.**  
$ useradd -m $myusername  
  
**Set password for your user.**  
$ passwd $myusername  
  
**Add $myusername to group wheel for sudo access.**  
$ gpasswd -a $myusername wheel  
  
**Edit sudoers-file for sudo access.**  
$ nano /etc/sudoers  
  
**Uncomment „%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL“.**  
**Don't forget to also delete the space between the # and %wheel.**  

**Exit and reboot.**  
$ exit  
$ umount /mnt/boot  
$ umount /mnt/home  
$ reboot    
  
**Now you are logged in to your Plasma desktop environment and ready to configure and use your Arch Linux.**  
  
**Suggested packages to install.**  
  
- microcode (https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Microcode)
- kde-gtk-config (Adds graphical settings for GTK apps.)
- kdeplasma-addons („All kind of addons to improve your Plasma experience.“)
- kscreen (Adds screen section to graphical settings.)
- ksystemlog (Graphical system log viewer)
- partitionmanager (Graphical partition manager)
- plasma-nm (Network manager applet)
- plasma-pa (Audio manager applet)
- powerdevil (Adds energy manager to graphical settings.)
- spectacle (Graphical screenshot tool.)
- zram-generator (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Swap#zram-generator)
- reflector (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Reflector)
  
## Work in progress:  
  
- KDE Connect
- UFW
- BackInTime and/or Timeshift
- breeze-gtk?
- Dolphin and/or Krusader
- Linux-Zen
- Pipewire
- rmtrash
- spectacle
- unrar, rar, zip
- yakuake

## Post installation configuration (WIP) :
- Reflector hook
- Installing yay