Top 10 Things to Do After Installing Arch Linux (Performance & UI Setup)

You did it. You’ve installed Arch Linux — the distro that makes you feel like a real hacker when the terminal finally says “Installation complete.” But now what?

Arch, in its pure form, is like an empty house — solid foundation, but you’ve got to build the comfort yourself. So today, let’s turn that fresh Arch install into a fast, beautiful, and reliable system you’ll love using every day.

Here are the Top 10 essential things to do after installing Arch Linux — from performance tweaks to UI polish.

🧰 1. Update Everything First

Before doing anything else, make sure your system is fully up-to-date.

sudo pacman -Syu

This syncs your package database and upgrades everything. Think of it as giving your new system a health check before you start decorating.

🧩 2. Enable Multilib (for 32-bit Apps & Gaming)

Some apps — especially games and Steam — need 32-bit libraries. To enable them:

sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf

Find this section:

#[multilib]
#Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Uncomment both lines (remove the #), save, and then run:

sudo pacman -Syu

Boom — you can now install software that depends on 32-bit packages.

🧠 3. Install Essential Base Packages

Arch doesn’t include many basics, so let’s fix that.

sudo pacman -S base-devel git wget curl vim unzip zip htop neofetch

• base-devel: required for compiling packages from AUR
• neofetch: just to flex your setup 😎
• htop: to monitor your CPU like a pro

💡 4. Install a Display Manager (Login Screen)

You need something that handles logins visually. For example:

For KDE or GNOME:

sudo pacman -S sddm
sudo systemctl enable sddm

For XFCE or LXQt:

sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
sudo systemctl enable lightdm

Once enabled, you’ll have a friendly login screen waiting after reboot.

🖼️ 5. Choose and Install a Desktop Environment

This is where the fun begins. You can go minimal or fancy — totally your choice.

KDE Plasma (Beautiful & Polished)

sudo pacman -S plasma kde-applications
sudo systemctl enable sddm

XFCE (Lightweight & Reliable)

sudo pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
sudo systemctl enable lightdm

GNOME (Modern & Simple)

sudo pacman -S gnome gdm
sudo systemctl enable gdm

Reboot afterward, and your Linux desktop world will come alive.

🧭 6. Enable Network and Bluetooth Services

Let’s make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work properly.

sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager
sudo systemctl start NetworkManager

For Bluetooth:

sudo pacman -S bluez bluez-utils
sudo systemctl enable bluetooth
sudo systemctl start bluetooth

Now you’re connected and wireless freedom is yours.

🚀 7. Install Yay (AUR Helper)

The Arch User Repository (AUR) is where magic happens — community packages, drivers, apps like Google Chrome, VS Code, and Spotify.

To install yay:

cd /opt
sudo git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER yay
cd yay
makepkg -si

Now you can install apps easily:

yay -S google-chrome visual-studio-code-bin

🧠 8. Optimize CPU and System Performance

Let’s make Arch fly.

Enable Parallel Downloads Edit your Pacman config:

sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf

Uncomment: ParallelDownloads = 5

Enable CPU microcode updates:

sudo pacman -S intel-ucode

or for AMD:

sudo pacman -S amd-ucode

Rebuild GRUB:

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

Enable ZRAM (faster swapping)

sudo pacman -S zram-generator
sudo systemctl enable --now [email protected]

Now your system swaps in RAM instead of slow disk space.

🎨 9. Customize Your UI (Make It Yours)

This is where Arch shines — it’s your Linux, your style.

KDE users: Install some themes:

yay -S sweet-theme tela-icon-theme

Go to System Settings → Appearance and mix your favorite themes.

XFCE users: Install Plank for a Mac-style dock:

sudo pacman -S plank

Add fonts and icons:

sudo pacman -S ttf-dejavu ttf-ubuntu-font-family ttf-font-awesome

Pro tip: less clutter = faster feel.

🔒 10. Security and Backup Essentials

Keep your system safe:

sudo pacman -S firewalld
sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld

And for easy rollback snapshots:

sudo pacman -S timeshift
sudo timeshift-launcher

If anything breaks (and it will, someday 😅), you can restore your system in minutes.

🌟 Bonus: Add Some Style to Your Terminal

Make your terminal inspiring:

yay -S oh-my-zsh-git powerlevel10k

Then set Zsh as default shell:

chsh -s /bin/zsh

Now, every time you open your terminal, it’ll look like you actually know what you’re doing (even if you’re just typing sudo pacman -Syu again).

💬 Final Words by Huzi

Arch Linux isn’t just an OS — it’s a journey. Every command teaches you something new. Every tweak makes your setup feel personal. Once you start optimizing, you’ll realize Arch isn’t hard — it’s just honest. It gives you control, and in return, it asks for a little patience.

So customize it, break it, fix it, and make it yours.

✍️ Written by Huzi 💻 Read more Linux tips, web dev tutorials, and digital life blogs at huzi.pk — where passion meets open-source.