Arch Linux install console preview
Arch Linux has no default desktop. This mockup shows where you start: the live console, with a working archinstall menu to click through. Nothing downloads and nothing gets installed.
distro.watch rebuilt this console in HTML from official screenshots and default settings, and checked it on Oct 2, 2026.
What does Arch Linux look like?
Arch Linux has no default desktop. The installation image boots to a text console logged in as root, with a short message pointing to the installation guide and the iwctl tool for Wi-Fi. You either follow the guide by hand or run archinstall, a menu-driven installer where you choose disks, users and a profile such as GNOME, KDE Plasma or Hyprland. After installing, Arch looks like whichever desktop you picked, mostly unthemed.
You start at a prompt
The live ISO logs in automatically as root on the archiso host and prints the message you see here, with links to the installation guide and the iwctl and mmcli network tools.
archinstall, the guided installer
Type archinstall to open its menu: language, locales, mirrors, disk layout, bootloader, kernels, users, profile, network and more, then Install. archinstall 4.5 was current when we checked.
Pick any desktop
Under Profile → Desktop you can choose GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce4, Cinnamon, Cosmic, Hyprland, Sway, niri and others. Arch installs them close to upstream, without its own theme.
What it looks like afterwards
Choose KDE Plasma and you get Plasma’s default Breeze look, or choose GNOME for stock Adwaita. CachyOS and EndeavourOS are Arch-based distros that come with a ready-made desktop.
Try the real Arch Linux
This preview shows the layout, theme and default apps. It can’t show speed, hardware support or the real apps. Boot Arch Linux from a USB stick to test those on your own computer before you install.
Sources
Arch Linux desktop: common questions
What does Arch Linux look like?
Arch Linux has no default desktop. The installation image boots to a text console logged in as root, with a short message pointing to the installation guide and the iwctl tool for Wi-Fi. You either follow the guide by hand or run archinstall, a menu-driven installer where you choose disks, users and a profile such as GNOME, KDE Plasma or Hyprland. After installing, Arch looks like whichever desktop you picked, mostly unthemed.
What desktop environment does Arch Linux use?
None by default. Arch Linux installs only what you choose; archinstall offers profiles such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce4, Cinnamon, Cosmic, Hyprland and Sway, each with its upstream look.
Is this preview a real Linux system?
No. It is an interactive mockup that distro.watch built in HTML to match Arch Linux’s default layout, theme and apps. Nothing is downloaded, installed or run, so it can’t show performance or whether your hardware works.
How can I try Arch Linux for real without installing it?
Write the Arch Linux ISO to a USB stick and boot from it. The Arch ISO starts at the same console shown here, and you can run archinstall from it.