Why is Arch Linux so Hard to Install?

What makes Arch Linux hard to install:

• It is installed from the command line without a GUI
• It does not have an installer.
• You need to manually run commands and edit files based while carefully following instructions.

Why Arch Linux is hard to install:

• Control over all aspects of system setup
• A sense of accomplishment
• Experience with Linux and improved skills (it’s educational)

Arch Linux is hard to install because the installation process does not make use of an installer. Each step is done manually from the command line. You need to know what to do and how things work. To be fair, the instructions are pretty good and if you follow them carefully there is a good chance things will go just fine. It is easy for beginners to get stuck and run into issues.

There are benefits to the Arch installation process. Since you are running everything manually you have the ability to do things exactly the way you prefer. You are given much more control over how the system is set up since each step needs to be manually run. This leads to a sense of accomplishment. This is also a great way to learn and become skilled.

Personally I think there should be an installer program that allows the user to select the most common default choices but still gives the option to override these when desired. This would give users the best of both worlds. Really, in an ideal world, I would take things a step further and fully automate installation with the ability to change things after the fact.

If you want something easier ( and more stable ) you might consider going with Manjaro Linux.