Introduction
Arch Linux is a distribution known for its KISS philosophy and its rolling release model. On the ARM platform, this same flexibility translates into a lightweight and fully customizable system for embedded devices.
Why choose Arch Linux ARM?
The main advantage lies in the total control it offers the user. From the kernel to user packages, everything is compiled or installed exactly as desired, allowing performance to be optimized for the specific hardware.
Supported hardware
Arch Linux ARM supports a wide range of boards. Among the most popular are the Raspberry Pi (all models), Odroid C2, Odroid XU4, Pine64 RockPro64, and boards based on Allwinner A64.
Downloading the official image
On the Arch Linux ARM downloads page you will find pre‑built images for each platform. It is recommended to verify the SHA256 checksum before writing to the SD card or eMMC.
Preparing the storage medium
Use a tool such as dd on Linux or BalenaEtcher on Windows/macOS to copy the image to the card. The typical command is dd if=archlinuxarm-*.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync.
First boot and basic configuration
Insert the card into the board and connect power. The system will boot into a console. The default user is root with no password; it should be changed immediately with passwd.
System update
Once inside, run pacman -Syu to synchronize the repositories and apply all available updates. This step ensures you have the most recent and secure packages.
Time zone and locale configuration
Edit the file /etc/locale.gen and uncomment the line corresponding to your language, for example es_ES.UTF-8 UTF-8. Then run locale-gen and set the variable LANG in /etc/locale.conf.
Creating a standard user
To avoid constantly working as root, add a user with useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash your_user and assign a password. Then enable sudo by editing /etc/sudoers with visudo.
Installing a lightweight graphical environment
On boards with limited resources, options such as Xfce, LXQt or even a window manager like i3 are ideal. Install them with pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies and enable the display manager lightdm.
Performance optimization
To squeeze out maximum performance, consider compiling the kernel with options specific to your SoC. Additionally, adjust the CPU governor via cpupower and use zram to compress swap memory in RAM.
Network configuration and essential services
To connect the board to your network, edit /etc/systemd/network/20-wired.network for wired interfaces or use netctl for Wi‑Fi connections. Then enable and start systemd-networkd and systemd-resolved
This post is also available in ESPAÑOL.