Yesterday I installed Arch Linux , currently the most popular Rolling Release distribution of GNU/Linux, on one of the work computers.
The task was not difficult, but it was not easy either, and in the process I learned a lot of things and I want to share part of the acquired knowledge with all of you.
I'll start by saying that the last time I installed Arch Linux, everything was much easier, but once you get used to the new installation method, the process becomes very quick. Imagine, by following all the steps I'll show you later, it took me no more than 5 minutes to have the base system installed and running. That said, I have some local repositories, so the delay will depend on where you install the packages.
What a Debian (or other distros) user should know
Perhaps the most difficult part isn't so much the installation as understanding how systemd works . Trying to find the closest possible analogy for Debian users , here's an example:
When we install KDE and KDM (or another service) doesn't start when we boot the computer , what we do is run the following on the TTY:
# /etc/init.d/kdm start
Or what is the same:
# service kdm start
Well, in the case of systemd, we first need to enable the service:
# systemctl enable kdm.service
and then start it:
# systemctl star kdm.service
So far so good, but where does it get complicated? Well, there are other daemons, such as NetworkManager , which, based on the previous example, one might think is activated by typing:
# systemctl enable networkmanager.service
or something similar, but it is not like that, but we have to put:
# systemctl enable NetworkManager
There's another very important detail regarding the network. Forget about ethX and wlanX , no more ifconfig , ifup , ifdown ... things are different now. For example, my network interfaces, both wired and Wi-Fi, are now called (in this order): enp5s0 and wlp9s0.
How do we know this if we no longer have ifconfig? Well, using the command:
$ ip link
In Debian to build an interface we only had to open a terminal and put:
# ifup eth0
And to disable it:
# ifdown eth0
Now to raise or disable a network interface we have to do it using the commands:
# ip link set enp5s0 down
And to lift them:
# ip link set enp5s0 up
If we want to manually set an IP in Debian and derivatives, we just have to put:
# ifconfig eth0 192.168.X.X [otros parámetros opcionales]
However in Arch Linux we have to use the command:
# ip link set enp5s0 up # ip addr add 192.168.XX / 255.255.255.0 dev enp5s0 # ip route add default via 192.168.XX
In the case of WiFi we have to execute:
# wifi-menu wlp9s0
These are the things that most often clash with the experience of users coming from Debian when entering the Arch Linux world . There may be others, but at least for me, these have been the most significant.
Then, we have to adapt to the fact that we no longer use:
# aptitude update
But
# pacman -Su
And that we do not install with:
# aptitude install
But with:
# pacman -S
Of course, if they're so used to Aptitude , we can always create a couple of aliases to run PacMan using the same commands as in Debian 
And finally we must bear in mind that it is possible that the names of some packages or meta-packages differ somewhat in Debian and Arch.
My impressions and my first contact
I really like the speed with which the Laptop starts up, since the Grub passes until the KDM starts it only takes about 5 seconds (without exaggeration and with a SATA HDD).
Another thing that you get used to quickly is the speed with which the packages are installed using Pacman, it is really fast, although I have to find a way to adapt it a little to my preferences, for example, highlight the search results with colors or something like that because as it comes by default it is a bit difficult to find something.
KDE 4.10.5 is already available on Arch Linux, but I'm experiencing a strange issue. With Nepomuk enabled, when it starts calculating and checking for new files, RAM usage increases (without me changing anything), and the Virtuoso window has managed to consume over 1GB on its own. Fortunately, this is something that's being addressed in KDE 4.11.
On the other hand, I understand that Arch Linux is KISS and everything else, but I don't understand why they don't adopt a simpler installer, something simpler especially for the most critical part of the installation, which is the partitioning. For a user somewhat accustomed to GNU / Linux, the way to install Arch may seem simple, but for a newcomer, it seems not to me.
And nothing, that's how my adventure begins with this distribution, which as my colleague KZKG ^ Gaara told me: "Let's see how long it lasts." I have a lot of work ahead of me, reading a lot of documentation and experimenting to be able to do everything I do with my Debian ... And this has been my little ToDo:
- Install the packages I use on a daily basis and get the system ready.
- Install Qemu-KVM
- Install Web Server
In the second part of this installation log we will see how to install Arch Linux without dying in the attempt.. 