Specifically, one must understand: the command line, partitioning, the boot process, networking, file systems, change root, mounting and unmounting, environment variables, file permissions, redirection, package management, and many other specifics. The links I referenced will help a newbie get up to speed and make the installation process a learning experience rather than an instrument of torture. (And by 'newbie' I do not mean someone who is new to Arch, but has extensive computer experience... I mean someone who is new to the whole process of installing and maintaining a computer!)