Cozy Guide to Initialize Your Arch Environment

This guide is the perfect companion to my Cozy Guide to Install Arch Linux. It serves as your roadmap to personalizing and improving your freshly installed Arch environment.

I’ll share the essential steps I always take after a fresh Arch installation. These configurations are based on my personal preferences and aim to create a comfortable and productive system. Whether you’re an experienced Linux user or just starting out, this guide will help you set up your Arch system the way I like it.

Checking The Internet Connection

Once the system is installed, it’s recommended to retest the internet connection. This can be done using the ping command.

ping -c 3 www.google.com

If you’re unable to establish an internet connection, you will have to use the nmcli command.

Adding a new wireless connection

To add a new connection, you can use the following command:

nmcli c add type wifi con-name <connect name> ifname <wlan> ssid <ssid>

This command creates a new connection with the type wifi. The <connect name> is the name you assign to the connection, <wlan> is the interface name, and <ssid> is the SSID of the wireless network.

Note: The connect name is a customizable identifier that you can assign to your network. This name is not fixed and can be changed according to your preference.

Connecting to a existing wireless connection

To connect to a wireless network, use:

nmcli dev wifi connect <ssid> password <password>

Note: If your Wi-Fi connection is hidden, you must add the hidden yes parameter to the end of the previous command.

Deleting a existing wireless connection

If you need to delete a connection, you can do so with:

nmcli c delete <connect name>

Configuring the DNS

One of the crucial steps in setting up your internet connection is configuring the Domain Name System (DNS). This step is important to ensure seamless connectivity and to avoid potential issues.

To begin, you need to identify the name of your connection. This can be done by executing the following command in your terminal:

nmcli con

This command will list all your active connections. Identify the connection for which you want to set the DNS.

Once you have the name of your connection (referred to as <ssid>), you can modify its DNS settings. CloudFlare’s DNS servers (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1) are commonly used due to their reliability. To set these as your DNS servers, use the following command:

nmcli con mod "<ssid>" ipv4.dns "1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1"

Replace <ssid> with the name of your connection. This command sets the DNS servers for your specified connection to Google’s DNS servers.

Optimizing and Styling Pacman

In the /etc/pacman.conf file, I highly recommend making a few adjustments to enhance your experience. First, find the line that says Color and uncomment it. This will enable colored output, making it easier to read and understand the information displayed in your terminal.

Next, look for ParallelDownloads and set its value to 5. This allows for multiple packages to be downloaded simultaneously, speeding up the installation process.

Finally, uncomment the ILoveCandy line. While this doesn’t impact the functionality, it does replace the standard download progress bar with a fun, candy-themed one. It’s a small touch, but it adds a bit of whimsy to your Arch Linux setup process.

Firewall Configuration

Configuring the Firewall is a very important step if you want to have a secure system, the easiest way is using the ufw package, you can install it with the following command:

sudo pacman -S ufw

Once installed, you need to configure some rules to set it up:

sudo ufw limit 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw enable

These commands limit the connection attempts to port 22, and allow all incoming connections to ports 80 and 443, which are the standard ports for HTTP requests. It also sets the default policy to deny all incoming connections. It also sets the default policy to allow all outgoing connections. And finally, it enables the firewall.

Battery Optimization

If you’re installing Arch Linux on a laptop, optimizing battery life is crucial. One effective tool for this purpose is auto-cpufreq. This utility dynamically adjusts the frequency of your CPU based on load and power source. Here’s how you can install and use it:

First, clone the repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq.git

Next, navigate to the cloned directory and run the installer:

cd auto-cpufreq && sudo ./auto-cpufreq-installer

Once the installation is complete, you need to activate auto-cpufreq. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo auto-cpufreq --install

Remember, auto-cpufreq requires root privileges to make changes to your system. Always be cautious when using sudo with any command.

With auto-cpufreq installed and active, your laptop should now be better optimized for battery life. For more detailed information about your system’s performance, you can use the auto-cpufreq --stats command to display real-time statistics.

Hiding Grub

Unless you have multiple operating systems, the GRUB menu can often be seen as an annoyance as it slows down the boot process. If you want to hide this screen, follow these steps:

First, open the file located at /etc/default/grub for editing. Remember to use root privileges, which you can achieve with the following command:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Inside the file, find the line that says GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE and change its value to hidden as shown below:

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden

Finally, save the file and update the GRUB configuration using this command:

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

This guide has covered essential post-installation configurations. Remember, this is just the beginning of your Arch Linux journey. The beauty of Arch lies in its customizability, explore different desktop environments, install your favorite applications, and rice your system to perfectly match your workflow.