Arch Linux is known for its cutting-edge rolling release system, but that often comes with the risk of updates breaking your system. If you’re a new user, encountering a black screen or non-functional graphical interface after a system update can be alarming especially if you don’t know how to perform a downgrade.

Fortunately, you can safely restore your system using the Arch Linux Archive and access to a TTY (terminal interface).

Step-by-Step Downgrade Using TTY

  • Access TTY

    • Even if your GUI doesn’t load, you can usually still access a TTY.
    • Press Ctrl + Alt + F1, F2, F3, etc., to switch to a terminal.
    • If successful, you’ll get a login prompt. Log in with your regular user or root credentials.

  • Edit the pacman.conf File

    • We’re going to force pacman to use a previous snapshot of Arch Linux packages.
    • Edit the config using a terminal text editor like nano: sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf
    • Then append or modify the repository section to match a specific snapshot date from the official Arch Linux Archive:
    [core]
SigLevel = PackageRequired
Server=https://archive.archlinux.org/repos/2025/05/08/$repo/os/$arch

[extra]
SigLevel = PackageRequired
Server=https://archive.archlinux.org/repos/2025/05/08/$repo/os/$arch

[community]
SigLevel = PackageRequired
Server=https://archive.archlinux.org/repos/2025/05/08/$repo/os/$arch

In this example, we’re using May 8, 2025 as the rollback date. You can choose another date if needed.

  • Update and Downgrade All Packages
    • Now, run the following command to synchronize the package database and downgrade all installed packages to the specified date:
     sudo pacman -Syyuu
  • -Syy forces a refresh of all package databases.
  • -uu downgrades packages to match the specified snapshot.

  • Reboot the System Once the downgrade is complete, reboot the system:

    •  reboot

Conclusion

Downgrading Arch Linux using the Archive is a powerful way to recover from a bad update especially when you can’t access the GUI. As a new user, this may seem daunting, but with TTY access and a few careful steps, your system can be restored in minutes.