Arch Linux looks to make installation nice and simple

Arch Linux releases starting this month will include a guided installer, the company has revealed. This is a welcome change for Arch Linux that has a rather convoluted installation process, which has given rise to a stream of Arch-based distros that are easier to install.

Named archinstall, the open source installer has been under development for some time now. Written in Python, the installer was reportedly promoted as an official installation mechanism back in January, and was actively worked upon leading to its inclusion in the installation medium.

The new default guided installer will be of great help for users who prefer a quick and easy route for deploying Arch Linux.

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Long time coming

Users have been calling on Arch Linux for simplifying the installation process for a long time, to bring it in line with other Linux distros. However, the Arch philosophy has always been to put the users in charge of every aspect of their installation, which is the antithesis of automated installers. 

Arch’s well-documented but rather involved installation process has given rise to a whole lot of distros such as Manjaro and ArcoLinux that allow users to experience Arch Linux without putting them through the inconvenient installation process. 

Considered a distro for Linux power users, the new default installer will help make the distro accessible to more users. Linux users who know what they are doing will now be able to use Arch Linux directly rather than through one of the other desktop-friendly options, which also add their own flavouring to the vanilla Arch. 

The new installer offers to automate certain important tasks such as partitioning and the installation of a desktop environment, and reportedly applies a sane set of defaults to various other configurable options.  

And, while it is command-line-based and nowhere near as polished as the one on Ubuntu or Fedora, the new guided installer is still a welcome departure from the existing process. 

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Via: Phoronix

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