In this guide, we will create two partitions:

Root Partition

EFI Partition

A Swap Partition is optional and not required for a normal setup, so we will skip it.

EFI Partition: 1GB (Type: EFI System)

Root Partition: 15GB (Type: Linux Filesystem)

Use the lsblk command to view details about available disks:

lsblk

Identify the disk on which you want to create partitions (e.g., nvme0n1).

In this example, the disk is vda

Use the following command to start partitioning:

cfdisk /dev/vda

Example: cfdisk /dev/YOUR-DISK-NAME

cfdisk

If you don’t see this screen, simply continue from Available Options in cfdisk.

Choosing Partition Table Type

Use GPT when:

  • Your system uses UEFI (most modern PCs & VMs)
  • The disk size is larger than 2TB
  • You want modern features and flexibility

Use MBR (DOS) when:

  • You are using old BIOS-only systems
  • You need compatibility with very old OS/tools
  • You are setting up legacy configurations like dual-boot

Here, we will select GPT and press Enter.

cfdisk-2

Available Options in cfdisk

At the bottom bar, you will see:

  • [New]: Create a new partition
  • [Quit]: Exit without saving changes
  • [Help]: Show help information
  • [Write]: Save all changes to disk (required to apply changes)
  • [Dump]: Output the current partition table (for review/backup)

Use left/right arrow keys to navigate the bottom menu.

Creating the Root Partition

Select free space using up/down keys. Then choose [New] using left/right and press Enter.

cfdisk-3

Set the partition size:

Partition Size: 15G

Press Enter.

cfdisk-4

Select the newly created partition /dev/vda1 using up/down.

Example: /dev/YOUR-DISK1

When the partition is selected, additional options appear:

  • [Delete]: Delete the selected partition (applied after writing changes)
  • [Resize]: Modify partition size (if possible)
  • [Type]: Change partition type (e.g., Linux filesystem, swap)

Setting Partition Type (Root)

Select the partition and choose [Type], then press Enter.

cfdisk-5

Choose Linux Filesystem as the type for the root partition and press Enter.

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Creating the EFI Partition

Now create another partition for EFI.

Select the remaining free space → choose [New] → press Enter.

cfdisk-7

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Set the size:

Partition Size: 1G

Press Enter.

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Select the newly created partition /dev/vda2 using up/down.

Example: /dev/YOUR-DISK2

Then choose [Type] and press Enter.

Select EFI System as the type for /dev/vda2 and press Enter.

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Final Partition Layout

You should now see:

/dev/vda1 : Linux Filesystem : 15G
/dev/vda2 : EFI System : 1G

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Saving Changes

Select [Write] using left/right and press Enter. Type yes to confirm.

cfdisk-12

cfdisk-13

You will see a message:

The partition table has been altered

Now select [Quit] and press Enter.

Verifying Partitions

Run the command again:

cfdisk /dev/vda

Example: cfdisk /dev/YOUR-DISK-NAME

to verify the created partitions.

cfdisk-14

Next : Mount partitions

/posts/tech/installing-archlinux#step5