How To Install CachyOS & Partition Guide

Caution

Secure boot must be disabled when installing CachyOS. To setup secure boot after install. Check Secure Boot Setup.

Erase Disk

The “Erase Disk” Option in Calamares will wipe the selected disk and install then CachyOS to the target.

1. Boot into the ISO and click on Launch Installer.

2. Select a Boot Manager that suits your preferences. Check the Boot Managers section for more information.

3. Set your preferred Language and Region/Timezone.

4. Configure your Keyboard Layout.

5. Select Erase Disk and choose a Filesystem.

6. Pick the Desktop Environment you’d like to use, see Desktop Environments.

7. Select the specific packages you wish to install from the provided list, and deselect any that you do not require.

8. Setup your login credentials.

9. Review the installation summary on the Overview Page carefully. If all the settings look correct for you, proceed with the installation by clicking on Install Now. Otherwise, go back and make any necessary changes.

Manual Partitioning

UEFI/GPT

Depending on what Boot Manager you have decided to use. Please follow the instructions for each.

systemd-boot

1. Boot into the ISO and click the Launch Installer button

2. Set your preferred Language and Region/Timezone.

3. Configure your Keyboard Layout.

4. Select Manual partitioning.

5. Create a new partition with the following:

   • Size: 2048MiB
   • Filesystem: FAT32
   • Mount point: /boot
   • Flags: boot

6. Create another partition for root:

   • Size: At least 20000MiB
   • Filesystem: Any, refer Filesystem
   • Mount point: /
   • Flags:

7. Double check that Install boot loader on: is pointing to /boot

8. Pick the Desktop Environment you’d like to use, see Desktop Environments.

9. Select the specific packages you wish to install from the provided list, and deselect any that you do not require.

10. Setup your login credentials.

11. Review the installation summary on the Overview Page carefully. If all the settings look correct for you, proceed with the installation by clicking on Install Now. Otherwise, go back and make any necessary changes.

GRUB

1. Boot into the ISO and click the Launch Installer button

2. Set your preferred Language and Region/Timezone.

3. Configure your Keyboard Layout.

4. Select Manual partitioning.

5. Create a new partition with the following:

   • Size: At least 100MiB
   • Filesystem: FAT32
   • Mount point: /boot/efi
   • Flags: boot

6. Create another partition for root:

   • Size: At least 20000MiB
   • Filesystem: Any, refer Filesystem
   • Mount point: /
   • Flags:

7. Double check that Install boot loader on: is pointing to /boot/efi

8. Pick the Desktop Environment you’d like to use, see Desktop Environments.

9. Select the specific packages you wish to install from the provided list, and deselect any that you do not require.

10. Setup your login credentials.

11. Review the installation summary on the Overview Page carefully. If all the settings look correct for you, proceed with the installation by clicking Install Now. Otherwise, go back and make any necessary changes.

rEFInd

1. Boot into the ISO and click the Launch Installer button

2. Set your preferred Language and Region/Timezone.

3. Configure your Keyboard Layout.

4. Select Manual partitioning.

5. Create a new partition with the following:

   • Size: At least 100MiB
   • Filesystem: FAT32
   • Mount point: /boot/efi
   • Flags: boot

6. Create another partition:

   • Size: 2048MiB
   • Filesystem: EXT4
   • Mount point: /boot
   • Flags:

7. Create another partition for root:

   • Size: At least 20000MiB
   • Filesystem: Any, refer Filesystem
   • Mount point: /
   • Flags:

8. Double check that Install boot loader on: is pointing to /boot/efi

9. Pick the Desktop Environment you’d like to use, see Desktop Environments.

10. Select the specific packages you wish to install from the provided list, and deselect any that you do not require.

11. Setup your login credentials.

12. Review the installation summary on the Overview Page carefully. If all the settings look correct for you, proceed with the installation by clicking on Install Now. Otherwise, go back and make any necessary changes.

MBR/BIOS

Note

GRUB is the only boot manager available for a MBR/BIOS system.

1. Boot into the ISO and click the Launch Installer button

2. Set your preferred Language and Region/Timezone.

3. Configure your Keyboard Layout.

4. Select Manual partitioning.

5. Create a new partition with the following:

   • Size: At least 20000MiB
   • Filesystem: Any, refer Filesystem
   • Mount point: /
   • Flags:

6. Double check that Install boot loader on: is pointing to your boot drive e.g: /dev/sda

7. Pick the Desktop Environment you’d like to use, see Desktop Environments.

8. Select the specific packages you wish to install from the provided list, and deselect any that you do not require.

9. Setup your login credentials.

10. Review the installation summary on the Overview Page carefully. If all the settings look correct for you, proceed with the installation by clicking on Install Now. Otherwise, go back and make any necessary changes.

Common Issues

Key was created in the future

Note

This will be fixed in the September 2024 Release.

The Installation fails with the following error log:

gpg: key B1D99E8932D24EB5 was created 4785 seconds in the future (time warp or clock problem)

This problem is caused by an out-of-sync local time. To be specific, the pacman master key was created when a wrong time set in your OS. This may cause the timestamp of the pacman master key is in the future after you correct the time on your OS (possibly by ntp).

After the installation failed, reboot again to the ISO and run the following commands:

sudo rm -rf /etc/pacman.d/gnupg
timedatectl set-ntp true

Having done that, click on Launch Installer and proceed with the installation.