How to install Arch Linux minimal for AMD

⚠️ Note: This guide assumes you’re using a system with UEFI and an NVMe drive (e.g. /dev/nvme0n1). If you’re on SATA or BIOS mode, adjust the device names and bootloader config accordingly.

Why Minimal Arch?

If you're someone who values speed, control, and the power to shape your system from the ground up, installing Arch Linux in its minimal form is one of the best ways to do it. This guide is especially tailored for AMD-based systems and focuses on building a clean and functional Linux setup — no bloat, just pure efficiency.

Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Wipe the Disk Clean

We’ll start fresh by removing any existing partition signatures:

wipefs -a /dev/nvme0n1

Step 2: Partition the Drive

Use cfdisk to create two partitions:

cfdisk /dev/nvme0n1

• EFI Partition: 50MB (Type: EFI System)
• Root Partition: The rest of the space (Type: Linux filesystem)

Step 3: Format the Partitions

mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p2

Step 4: Mount the System

mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt
mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi /mnt/home
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot/efi
mkdir /mnt/etc

Step 5: Generate fstab

genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

This ensures your partitions mount correctly after reboot.

Step 6: Install the Base System

Let’s install the base packages:

pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Step 7: Chroot into the New System

arch-chroot /mnt

Now you’re inside your new system, ready for configuration.

Step 8: Essential Packages

Install everything you need to boot and operate comfortably:

pacman -S amd-ucode sof-firmware grub sudo efibootmgr base-devel git nano cpupower xorg xorg-xinit pulseaudio pavucontrol

Tip: Install packages one at a time if your internet is slow — this prevents timeouts or large package retries.

Step 9: Root Password & User

Set a root password:

passwd

Then create a standard user:

useradd -m -g users -G wheel yourusername
passwd yourusername

Allow the user to use sudo by editing visudo:

EDITOR=nano visudo

Uncomment this line:

%wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL

Step 10: GRUB Setup

Generate GRUB config:

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

You may need to install grub to the disk depending on your setup, e.g.:

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=GRUB

Step 11: Disable Journald Logging (Optional)

To reduce disk writes (great for SSDs), edit the journald config:

nano /etc/systemd/journald.conf

Change:

Storage=auto

to:

Storage=none

Then remove existing logs:

rm /var/log/pacman.log
rm /var/log/btmp && ln -s /dev/null /var/log/btmp
rm /var/log/lastlog && ln -s /dev/null /var/log/lastlog
ln -s /dev/null /var/log/utmp
rm /var/log/wtmp && ln -s /dev/null /var/log/wtmp

Step 12: Final Cleanup

pacman -Scc
exit
umount -a
reboot

Take a deep breath — your minimal Arch install is ready.

Step 13: Post-Install Setup

Log in as your new user. First, identify your network interface:

ip a

Use that interface name for manual network configuration (e.g. via ip or systemd-networkd).

Follow your own guide for steps like enabling services, syncing time, etc.

Step 14: Install DWM, Dmenu, ST

Clone the suckless tools:

git clone https://git.suckless.org/dwm
git clone https://git.suckless.org/dmenu
git clone https://git.suckless.org/st

Then compile and install each one:

cd dwm && sudo make clean install && cd ..
cd dmenu && sudo make clean install && cd ..
cd st && sudo make clean install

Step 15: Autostart DWM with startx

Edit your .bash_profile:

nano ~/.bash_profile

Add this at the bottom:

exec startx

Now create .xinitrc:

nano ~/.xinitrc

Add:

exec dwm

Save, exit, and you're done.

Now when you log in and type startx, DWM will launch. Clean, minimal, powerful.

✅ Final Thoughts

Installing Arch the minimal way might sound intimidating at first, but once you've done it, you'll never want to go back. It’s lightweight, elegant, and tuned precisely for your workflow — no extra services, no unnecessary UI, and complete freedom to build what you want.

Let me know if you want a follow-up guide for setting up networking, fonts, or even a polybar or picom config!

Happy hacking