I've spent quite a while trying to install Arch Linux, and after five hours of work, I ended up back where I started. I realized I didn't disable Secure Boot before attempting the installation. I've previously used Linux Mint and was curious to give Arch a shot. I followed the installation steps and reached the point of unmounting and rebooting, but when I rebooted, I was sent back to Windows. I'm trying to install Arch on my SATA drive, and I thought I could simply boot from BIOS into that drive. However, I can't even see my SATA drive listed in the BIOS anymore, even though I checked in Windows Disk Management, and it's still connected. Should I be worried about Secure Boot being my main issue, or are there other things I should check?
4 Answers
Just go with Archinstall! It simplifies the process so you won't waste time on the manual setup. The whole point of Arch is to keep things simple, and if you've got an Nvidia GPU, using Archinstall will make installing proprietary drivers a breeze. Plus, it's way less stressful!
It's important to note that Arch doesn't come with a signed bootloader like Mint or Fedora, so if you want to have Secure Boot enabled, you'll have to put in a bit more work. It can definitely be done, but it won't be as straightforward as with those other distros, which usually work out of the box with Secure Boot.
Kudos on your effort! Installing Arch from scratch is a serious challenge, but it’s super rewarding. The Arch wiki is a great resource, and going through the manual installation process will really help you understand the ins and outs of Linux. If you're facing issues, just dig into it and troubleshoot as you go. Good luck!
Honestly, I don’t see the appeal of Arch for most users. If you want a user-friendly OS that works out of the box, there are plenty of great options out there. I mean, Arch is fantastic for those who love tinkering, but it’s not everyone's cup of tea. Who do you think Arch is really for?
Got it! Since I forgot to turn off Secure Boot, I'm not overly concerned if it stays off for now. I'll tackle it later after I get Arch up and running.