> Arch actually has a guide to do it from within the other Linux, which seems crazy and fun.

It's not as crazy as it sounds, after all installing a Linux system is a matter of populating the rootfs, and passing kernel+initrd images to the bootloader. Just regular file system operations, apart from actually installing the bootloader to the MBR.

You can install Debian-based distros the same way using the "debootstrap" script.

> installing the bootloader to the MBR

You mean copying bootx64.efi onto the ESP, right?

It's 2022... MBR is beyond ancient at this point!

It should be that easy, I myself went from Debian to Arch in the past an it just worked. The Arch install process will probably take more like 20 minutes if you do it for the first time though.

If you want a quick way to install Arch, Endeavour OS works really well. Got me up and running with what is basically an Arch install in about 10 minutes.

It's basically the only way to install Arch. The USB stick just dumps you to a root console of a Linux system and you have to do the rest.

I've been using Arch since 2003 and am still salty about the loss of the text guided installer.

Arch has a new guided installer ‘archinstall’ - present in isos after 2021.04.01

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Archinstall

The installation will be the easy part. Getting to really understand the different parts of your system, configuring it to your liking, forgetting where you put that config file and why this package is installed and getting lost on your own machine will take years, perhaps a decade. Giving up and installing an all-in-one Arch-based distribution with sensible defaults, like Manjaro, will then take 10 minutes, and everything will be smooth again.

Arch is easy to install (if you are comfortable with Linux, terminal and fucking up your partitions)

0. If you have Windows, a bit tiny work to correctly setup secure boot and UEFI

1. Create partitions manually, carefully. For best results I use seperate disks but windows installer still fucks up.

2. Mount and chroot

3. Install packages

4. Install a network manager

5. Reboot

6. Install a favorite login and desktop manager and if have any nvidia drivers

7. Reboot to ensure nvidia drivers load (F** you secureboot)

8. Install a nice font (sorry, yes)

9. Audio mostly works out of the box but if not install pulseaudio or something else.

10. Install yay or any AUR helper to install non-official packages in AUR.

11. Occasionally run pacman -Syu to update system to be not left behind a lot. There are no fixed releases like Ubuntu 22.04 or sth.

It looks complex, I know, but it's fun and there are literally every package with almost latest versions in Arch and if not, in AUR which helps a lot.