How to Install Arch Linux with LVM

Installing Arch Linux is a rewarding journey for users who prefer control, customization, and a deeper understanding of Linux. When combined with LVM (Logical Volume Manager), Arch becomes even more flexible, especially for disk management tasks like resizing partitions or creating snapshots. This guide walks you through the process of installing Arch Linux with LVM, from booting into the ISO to the final reboot into your new system.

1. Introduction to LVM

LVM stands for Logical Volume Manager. Unlike traditional partitioning, LVM abstracts physical storage into flexible volumes. You can resize, move, or snapshot these logical volumes on the fly, which is particularly useful for complex setups or systems expected to grow.

Benefits of using LVM include:

• Dynamic resizing of volumes.
• Easier management of multiple file systems.
• Snapshot capabilities.
• Combine multiple disks into one volume group.

2. Prerequisites

Before starting the installation:

• Back up your data: Installing Arch will erase all data on the target drive.
• Have an internet connection: A working network is required to fetch packages.
• Download Arch Linux ISO: Get it from archlinux.org.
• Create a bootable USB drive: Use dd, Rufus, or Etcher.
• Familiarity with terminal commands: This guide assumes basic command-line knowledge.

3. Booting into Arch Linux

1. Boot from the USB drive.
2. At the boot menu, choose the first option: “Arch Linux Install Medium”.
3. Once booted, you will land in a terminal environment.

4. Setting up Networking

Check internet connectivity:

ping archlinux.org

If you are connected via Ethernet, DHCP usually takes care of networking. For Wi-Fi:

iwctl

Inside iwctl, run:

station wlan0 scan
station wlan0 get-networks
station wlan0 connect <SSID>

Verify connection:

ping archlinux.org

5. Disk Partitioning

Identify your disk:

lsblk

Assume the disk is /dev/sda. Partitioning with gdisk:

gdisk /dev/sda

Create:

1. EFI System Partition (ESP) (if using UEFI): 512M, type ef00
2. LVM Partition: Rest of the space, type 8e00 (Linux LVM)

Write and exit gdisk.

6. Creating LVM Setup

Load LVM kernel module

modprobe dm_mod

Create Physical Volume

pvcreate /dev/sda2

Create Volume Group

vgcreate vg0 /dev/sda2

Create Logical Volumes

lvcreate -L 30G vg0 -n root
lvcreate -L 4G vg0 -n swap
lvcreate -l 100%FREE vg0 -n home

You now have three logical volumes:

• /dev/vg0/root
• /dev/vg0/swap
• /dev/vg0/home

Activate Logical Volumes

vgchange -ay

7. Creating Filesystems

Format the partitions:

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1               # EFI Partition
mkfs.ext4 /dev/vg0/root               # Root filesystem
mkfs.ext4 /dev/vg0/home               # Home filesystem
mkswap /dev/vg0/swap                  # Swap

8. Mounting the Filesystems

Mount root:

mount /dev/vg0/root /mnt

Create and mount boot and home directories:

mkdir /mnt/boot
mkdir /mnt/home
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
mount /dev/vg0/home /mnt/home

Enable swap:

swapon /dev/vg0/swap

9. Installing the Base System

Use the pacstrap command:

pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware lvm2 vim nano networkmanager

Generate fstab:

genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

10. Configuring the System

Chroot into the installed system

arch-chroot /mnt

Set time zone

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

Set locale

Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment your locale (e.g., en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8), then run:

locale-gen

Create /etc/locale.conf:

echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf

Set hostname

echo "archlvm" > /etc/hostname

Edit /etc/hosts:

127.0.0.1   localhost
::1         localhost
127.0.1.1   archlvm.localdomain archlvm

Set root password

passwd

11. Installing and Configuring the Bootloader

Install bootloader packages

pacman -S grub efibootmgr

Mount EFI if not already

mount /dev/sda1 /boot

Enable LVM support for the initramfs

Edit /etc/mkinitcpio.conf, find the line:

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect modconf block filesystems keyboard fsck)

Change it to:

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect modconf block lvm2 filesystems keyboard fsck)

Then regenerate the initramfs:

mkinitcpio -P

Install GRUB

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB

Configure GRUB

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

12. Post-Installation Tips

Before rebooting:

1. Enable the network manager:

systemctl enable NetworkManager

2. Exit chroot and unmount:

exit
umount -R /mnt
swapoff -a

3. Reboot:

reboot

Remove the installation media and boot into your new Arch Linux system.

13. Conclusion

Installing Arch Linux with LVM is not overly complicated, but it does require attention to detail and a basic understanding of how disks and volumes are managed. LVM provides significant flexibility and is especially useful for users planning to host multiple virtual machines, grow their storage over time, or snapshot systems before major changes.

This guide gave you a step-by-step walkthrough of the entire process—from booting into the live environment to creating logical volumes and finally configuring a working Arch system. Once your system is up and running, you can customize it to your liking—whether it’s setting up a desktop environment, hardening security, or automating updates.

With Arch Linux and LVM, you’re in full control.