I'm new to Arch Linux and have just installed it on a bootable USB. I chose the minimal profile during installation, thinking it wouldn't be too challenging, but now I'm stuck with just the command line interface and no graphical user interface. I have zero experience with Arch, and I'm unsure how to proceed to set up a UI. I've looked at various videos, but they haven't been helpful. Can anyone guide me on how to install a desktop environment or login manager?
3 Answers
I get how overwhelming it can be! Check out the Arch Wiki, especially the sections on display managers and desktop environments. Here's a couple links to get you started: General Recommendations, Display Manager, and Desktop Environment. The wiki has a ton of useful information!
You don't need to build a UI from scratch. A simple way to get started is to install a display manager and a desktop environment from the Arch repositories. Personally, I recommend SDDM for the display manager and KDE Plasma for the desktop, but feel free to choose whichever suits you best!
If you're looking for an easy setup, just run a command like `sudo pacman -S gnome` or `sudo pacman -S plasma` to install the desktop environment. Once you become more comfortable with Arch, you can start customizing and building your own UI.
Yeah, starting with an existing environment is a good idea. Once you're familiar, you can dive into customization!