Note this is written in 2012

Install

Download core iso file: archlinux-2011.08.19-core-x86_64.iso

Download checksum: sha1sums.txt

Install md5sha1sum:

brew install md5sha1sum

Check integrity:

sha1sum --check sha1sums.txt                                                                                             

zsh: correct 'sha1sum' to 'shasum' [nyae]? n
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-core-dual.iso': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-core-i686.iso': No such file or directory
archlinux-2011.08.19-core-x86_64.iso: OK
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-netinstall-dual.iso': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-netinstall-i686.iso': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-netinstall-x86_64.iso': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-core-dual.iso.torrent': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-core-i686.iso.torrent': No such file or directory
archlinux-2011.08.19-core-x86_64.iso.torrent: OK
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-netinstall-dual.iso.torrent': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-netinstall-i686.iso.torrent': No such file or directory
sha1sum: stat 'archlinux-2011.08.19-netinstall-x86_64.iso.torrent': No such file or directory

Burn the .iso file to dvd (note: note as a volume but as a iso image)

Create a new virtual machine in virtual box, start it and boot from dvd.

Choose Boot Arch Linux

Then follow the Arch Linux Installation Framework. I've chosen ext3 for / and /home

Configuration files (Important!!)

/etc/rc.conf : kept keymap as us /etc/fstab : filesystem /etc/resolv.conf : DNS /etc/hosts /etc/local.gen : used by /usr/bin/locale-gen to generate locales /etc/pacman.conf : uncommented [multilib] and all the uk mirrors /boot/grub/menu.lst : add vga=0x318 to [kernel] line

After installation:

Refresh package db

pacman -Syy

Change keyserver in /etc/pacman.d/gnupg/gpg.conf to hkp://pgp.mit.edu:11371*

Initialize pgp keys:

pacman-key --init

for key in FFF979E7 CDFD6BB0 4C7EA887 6AC6A4C2 824B18E8; do
    pacman-key --recv-keys $key
    pacman-key --lsign-key $key
    printf 'trust\n3\nquit\n' | gpg --homedir /etc/pacman.d/gnupg/ \
        --no-permission-warning --command-fd 0 --edit-key $key
done

Sync the entire system had to do this twice as pacman itself needed update

pacman -Syu

Add non-root user, and add it to wheel group(all according to beginner's guide)

Installed xserver and twm for testing, haven't installed any desktop environment.

Installed Guest Addition for virtualbox, configured ~/.xinitrc

cp /etc/skel/xinitrc ~/.xinitrc

There must be one exec command not commented in .xinitrc, then add VBoxClient-all & to the first line.

startx works, but without a windows manager it seems impossible to extend xterm to a bigger resolution, even the automatic resize works for the x windows as a whole. There seems no way to have automatic resize in the console. Tried to use gpm for console mouse support, but it's horrible. In the end I decided to install and start sshd, and login to the box via ssh from my mac.