Swap, kernels, and troubleshooting on an Arch desktop

This article is adapted from shorinkiwata/archlinuxinstall, preserving the original tutorial's operational detail while anonymizing it and correcting risk-related guidance. Package names, extensions, drivers, and interfaces may change with rolling updates. All commands below are examples for reading; they have not been executed or verified as part of this task.

Prerequisites for maintenance and deletion#

First confirm the currently running kernel, boot entries, fallback kernel, and backups. swapoff must move swapped-out pages back into other available memory/swap space; do not disable swap if there is insufficient memory. Before deleting a swap file, check for references in fstab, hibernation settings, and boot parameters.

Before deleting Linux partitions or ESP files, use Windows/recovery media to confirm that Windows can boot independently, and back up important data and encryption recovery materials. On a shared ESP, modify only directories confirmed to belong to Linux; do not delete Microsoft, OEM, or the entire partition. The DiskPart selection numbers below illustrate syntax only; verify the actual numbers again on the machine. Changing a partition type is not an “absolutely safe” way to delete it, either.

Performance tuning#

Dynamic power management for NVIDIA GPUs

sudo systemctl enable --now nvidia-powerd.service

Adjust GPU offsets with LACT

Swap space

On swap sizing: Swap - Manjaro --- Swap - Manjaro Power management/Suspend and hibernate - Arch Linux Chinese Wiki zswap - ArchWiki zram - ArchWiki Swap - ArchWiki Zram vs zswap vs swap? : r/archlinux Zswap or Zram: at this time, which one is more efficient? : r/archlinux Zram, zswap and hibernation - Support - Manjaro Linux Forum kernel - zram vs zswap vs zcache Ultimate guide: when to use which one - Ask Ubuntu zswap — The Linux Kernel documentation zram: Compressed RAM-based block devices — The Linux Kernel documentation

If you do not need hibernation

If you do not need hibernation, you can disable swap and then enable zram.

sudo swapoff /swap/swapfile

sudo rm /swap/swapfile

• Edit fstab

sudo vim /etc/fstab

删除与swap相关的挂载

Memory compression with zram

sudo pacman -S zram-generator

sudo vim  /etc/systemd/zram-generator.conf

[zram0]
zram-size = ram * 0.5
compression-algorithm = zstd #重视cpu开销和速度选择lz4

• Disable zswap

sudo vim /etc/default/grub

编辑GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""
写入zswap.enabled=0

• Regenerate the grub configuration file

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

• reboot
• Verify that zswap is disabled

cat /sys/module/zswap/parameters/enabled

• Verify that zram is enabled

sudo zramctl
或者
swapon

Install the zen kernel

Changes in power consumption and responsiveness depend on the workload; compare them through actual testing.

• Install the kernel

sudo pacman -S linux-zen linux-zen-headers

• Choose the appropriate DKMS driver for your GPU generation and install matching headers for linux-zen

sudo pacman -S nvidia-open-dkms # 按 GPU 支持分支调整

• Regenerate grub

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

• Reboot

reboot #重启时在grub的arch advance启动项里选择zen

• Optional: Consider removing the original kernel only after confirming that the fallback recovery kernel, DKMS, and boot setup all work. Keeping a fallback kernel is usually safer.

sudo pacman -R linux linux-headers

• Regenerate grub

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

Remove Linux#

The following operations affect boot files and partitions. Do not assume that example disk 0/partition 1 is your target.

When sharing an efi partition with Windows

(Remade) Completely remove unused boot entries after uninstalling Linux - bilibili Press win+x and select Disk Management to identify the disk and partition containing efi. Press win+R, enter diskpart, and press Enter. Use select disk to select the disk containing the efi partition; numbering starts at 0, so the first disk is numbered 0.

select disk <VERIFIED_DISK_NUMBER>

Use select partition to select the efi partition; numbering starts at 1, so the first partition is numbered 1.

select partition <VERIFIED_ESP_PARTITION_NUMBER>

The commands above illustrate selection syntax only. Verify the actual disk/partition before assigning an unused drive letter.

assign letter p

Run Notepad as an administrator, press ctrl+s to open the Save dialog, select drive p, and delete the Linux boot-related files in it. Remove the drive letter afterward.

remove letter p

When using a separate EFI partition

Consider deleting this partition only after confirming that Windows does not depend on it at all and that recovery materials are available. The historical partition-type conversion command below is retained for explanation; it is not a necessary or generally recommended uninstall step: Original reference: Delete a separate EFI partition in Windows After selecting the efi partition in diskpart, enter:

 SET ID=ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7

Converting the partition type may allow a tool to delete it later, but does not establish that deletion is safe. First determine whether the system still depends on that ESP, then use a trusted partition-management tool and confirm each item.

issues#

Incorrect time and Windows disk checks at startup

Synchronize time in a dual-boot system - CSDN Blog Open powershell as an administrator and run:

Reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation /v RealTimeIsUniversal /t REG_DWORD /d 1

Create file symlinks in nautilus

Creating Symlinks in Files under Wayland : r/gnome Copy the file with ctrl+c, then press ctrl+m.

NAUTILUS cannot access smb shares

If your router or another device provides smb file sharing, installing gvfs-smb lets you access those files in nautilus.

sudo pacman -S gvfs-smb

Temporary failure in name resolution

Resolve the “Temporary Failure in Name Resolution” error in Ubuntu - CSDN Blog

sudo vim /etc/resolv.conf

If /etc/resolv.conf is managed by NetworkManager or systemd-resolved, configure DNS in the actual manager instead of overwriting the file directly. Use the following configuration structure only for a statically managed setup:

nameserver <DNS_SERVER_IP>
nameserver <SECONDARY_DNS_SERVER_IP>

Install custom fonts

• Copy fonts into this directory (you can freely create subdirectories)

~/.local/share/fonts/

• Refresh the font cache

fc-cache -fv

Expand the Windows efi partition

NIUBI partition Editor free edition

GRUB lag

Check the GRUB graphics mode, resolution, firmware, and relevant driver conditions. Save logs and observations before investigating further; do not attribute the issue directly to a particular brand.

Appendix#

Common pacman commands

• -R removes packages, -s also removes dependencies that are no longer needed, and -n prevents managed configuration from being saved as .pacsave. Configuration in the user's home directory must be handled separately.

sudo pacman -Rns <PACKAGE>

• Search for packages

pacman -Ss <KEYWORD>

• List all installed packages

pacman -Qe # 列出显式安装的包；全部已安装包用 pacman -Q

• List all installed dependencies

sudo pacman -Qd

• Clean the package cache

sudo pacman -Sc

• List orphaned dependency packages

sudo pacman -Qdt

• Remove orphaned dependency packages

sudo pacman -Rns <CONFIRMED_ORPHAN_PACKAGE> # 先用 pacman -Qdt 检查

CPU resource priority

ananicy-cpp adjusts process scheduling priorities according to rules. Test benefits and effects against the current rules and actual workloads; do not treat historical individual cases as universal conclusions.

sudo pacman -S ananicy-cpp

sudo systemctl enable --now ananicy-cpp.service

TLP notes

sudo pacman -S tlp tlp-rdw

yay -S tlpui

For configuration instructions, consult the official documentation: Settings — TLP 1.8.0 documentation. The following reflects the original tutorial's configuration approach and must be adjusted for driver support and actual test results; it is not a universal configuration:

processor选项卡中

CPU DRIVER OPMODE
AC active
BAT active
# 是否适用取决于 CPU scaling driver，不是所有机器都有此选项

CPU SCALING GOVERNOR
AC <SUPPORTED_GOVERNOR>
BAT <SUPPORTED_GOVERNOR> # 先检查驱动支持列表

CPU ENERGY PERF POLICY
AC balance_performance
BAT power

CPU BOOST
AC on
BAT off

PLATFORM PROFILE
AC balanced
BAT low-power

MEM SLEEP
BAT deep

• Enable the service

sudo systemctl enable --now tlp

Install alhp

ALHP is a third-party optimized repository. The following is a historical example of its configuration structure. Overriding official packages with repository packages changes the support and trust boundaries. Check current repository names, signatures, and CPU instruction-set compatibility rather than enabling it blindly. * Reference: ALHP: Optimize your Arch Linux performance - bilibili

• Check CPU support and note the x86-64-v level shown in the output

/lib/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 --help

• Install the keyring and mirror list

yay -S alhp-keyring alhp-mirrorlist

• Edit the configuration file

sudo vim /etc/pacman.conf

• Search for core and add the following above it

   [core-x86-64-v4]
   Include = /etc/pacman.d/alhp-mirrorlist
   [extra-x86-64-v4]
   Include = /etc/pacman.d/alhp-mirrorlist
   [multilib-x86-64-v4]
   Include = /etc/pacman.d/alhp-mirrorlist

• Refresh the repositories

sudo pacman -Syyu

ibus input methods

Choose an IBus setup to suit your typing habits. ibpinyin is a Chinese Pinyin input method, and anthy is a Japanese input method. Log out once, then find Keyboard in Settings and add an input source.

sudo pacman -S ibus ibus-pinyin
更好用的中文输入法：
sudo pacman -S ibus-rime
日语输入法：
yay -S ibus-mozc

• Configure the input method: under General, enable candidate words and sort them by frequency; under Pinyin Mode, enable cloud input; under Dictionary, select the dictionaries; under User Data, clear all selections. * Log out and test whether input works correctly.

Preview images in ranger

sudo pacman -S python-pillow ranger kitty

vim ~/.config/ranger/rc.conf

set preview_images true
set preview_images_method kitty

Style kitty

Compatibility between the terminal and tiling extensions depends on their versions. If problems occur with multiple monitors, test the extensions individually.

sudo pacman -S kitty

# 下载配置文件 https://github.com/catppuccin/kitty
以frappe为例，下载frappe.conf，复制到~/.config/kitty/目录下，重命名为kitty.conf

# 编辑配置文件
写入：
linux_display_server x11 #修复kitty奇怪的刘海
hide_window_decorations yes #隐藏顶栏，隐藏后无法调整窗口大小，建议配合tiling shell扩展使用
background_opacity 0.8 #设置背景透明度
font_family 字体名
font_size 字体大小数字

# 如果波浪号在左上角，配置文件写入：
symbol_map U+007E Adwaita Mono
# 强制指定notosansmono字体，也可以选择别的

# 示例配置
hide_window_decorations yes
background_opacity 0.8
font_family Adwaita Mono
font_size 14

# 重启终端

Official verification resources#

ArchWiki: Swap.

ArchWiki: Zram.

ArchWiki: Dual boot with Windows.

ArchWiki: Domain name resolution.

zram-generator.conf(5).