From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
I see there is a lot of concern(hate?) over Manjaro. I have used it on three machines continuously for the last 6 years without any major issues. Some updates would break some packages but going to the forum gave me answers.
I know about the issues they have had but I don't agree with the negativity.
Manjaro isn't recommended. They made lots of weird decisions and mistakes in the past, maybe still do. Wouldn't trust them. Endeavour or Cachy are the current recommendations for "easy Arch". If you're able to install and maintain vanilla Arch, I'd recommend Arch though. Cut the middleman.
Hell yeah I use Arch btw. It's been a really solid experience and nowhere close to as sweaty as one might assume.
But I’ve been wanting to tell people that I use Arch.
Biblically accurate arch user
Hi, in my opinion, the best distro is always the one that everything builds upon. So if you want maximal control, etc. Just use arch. Its also great if you want to learn how to troubleshoot.
EndeavorOS is my go to for arch based systems. But with the archinstall script I'd say just give vanilla a go
Vanilla arch
In no case manjaro
Here, I fixed your post for you:
I’ve been wanting to tell people that I use Arch.
I’ve been considering the following distros:
- Arch
- Not Arch
- Not Arch
- Any others?
I’m leaning towards Arch or Not Arch.
The only Arch distros I know that are solid are Arch itself, Steam OS, and Cachy OS. The latter 2 have meaningful optimizations for their intended use which is really the only excuse for a new derivative IMO besides things like different release schedules.
Stay away from Manjaro.
I've heard great things about Endeavor and Cachy, but personally use Garuda. Highly recommend it.
Woah I used Garuda years ago and loved it at the time. Surprised it's still going strong!
Tried Manjaro for a few months before it broke. EndeavourOS has been treating me well for about a year now.
Same. Tried manjaro twice, fully broken after a few months every time. Thought Linux was just too much work and I wasn't smart enough. Been on Garuda for over 3 years without issue.
I feel like manjaro keeps people from adopting Linux. I have friends that will argue about my Linux experience because they tried manjaro and think that's how all Linux is.
Just plain Arch, been using it for the past 5 years. Haven't told anyone unless askes though.
Same here, just plain Arch (BTW). I also don't mention it IRL unless someone asks, and they never have lol.
EndeavourOS is my first choice, CachyOS is my second choice.
EndeavourOS. It's like Arch, but a bit easier with a few automation and gui stuff builtin. It's still heavy on terminal usage and it comes light out of the box. I switched from Manjaro to EndeavourOS, because Manjaro gave me some problems (especially their package manager and because of the AUR too, and I didn't like the maintainers, no further comment). It's my daily driver for years now. I use it for everything, daily usage, little programming, gaming on Steam and especially RetroArch too. I'm a huge RetroArch fan. :-) So if you plan to use base Archlinux or Manjaro, then I can recommend to use EndeavourOS a lot.
Cachy OS is probably a good choice too, because their focus on performance optimizations. But they do also have a bit more, let's say bloat, out of the box and their branding is a bit strong it seems. It's a bit farther away from base Archlinux than EndeavourOS is.
Same, I use endeavorOS. Its just arch with a nice installer.
I was teaching a friend Linux, by ways of running through the manual Arch installation process and finally got to be on the other side of the 'Ok, now that we've spent a ton of time doing this the hard way, here(endeavorOS) is how you use tools to do it in 3 seconds'.
Arch if you want to do the install completely by yourself and/or have some setup that can't be replicated by the usual installers.
EndeavourOS/Cachy if you want a simple GUI installer for Arch, but you don't get bragging rights.
Don't use Manjaro
I was using Endeavour, btw. Needed almost zero tinkering and was good to go straight away.
But I run Linux on an ancient 2012 MacBook Pro, so eventually swapped over to Debian, btw.
Cachy
i use cachyos, runs swimmingly for me. I'm not sure arch is good for your usecase tho.
Mediacenter/homeserver? I'd personally choose something like fedora, but debian sounds fine too
I use cachyos on my homelab/media server, but that's mostly because I've got more familiarity with it, which makes troubleshooting easier
I used to be a diehard Fedora user and suggested it to everyone. Then they started allowing AI generated code, and I flipped. Moved to CachyOS on both my PC and Laptop, and they have been incredibly solid for about 3 months now.
EndeavourOS is the way to go, btw.
I use cachy os for the optimizations on modern hardware and access to newer packages. I use it on ny pc for gaming and laptop for development. I find it more convenient than arch. But I can't say if it is better.
I prefer plain old arch
Probably not a universal answer as you are optimizing for different things.
I will say that EndeavourOS is essentially vanilla Arch once installed. If you really love configuring everything yourself, vanilla Arch is what you are looking for. If you like Arch but just want to fire up a system with sensible defaults, EndeavourOS adds a lot of value without corrupting the purity of the base system.
So, my vote is for EndeavourOS.
Cachy adds the most additional functionality but also changes the base system the most. If you have a T2 MacBook, this is the best option for sure.
I would avoid Manjaro.
Garuda has fans. A bit much for me.
I switched from Windows to EndeavourOS, liked it and used it for a while. (now on Bazzite tho)
Manjaro is the best, but you'll have to see it for yourself.
Don't trust the "wisdom of the crowd." It does not exist.
Wait...so you're looking for a solution with zero problems because of...clout or something? I don't get it.
If you like Debian, just stay with Debian. Especially if you're not familiar with what running Arch really means in the deeper sense. Mostly that the guardrails are off, in a sense.
CachyOS puts a ton of work into adding UX helpers that makes it pretty user friendly, but it's still going to have a lot of manual intervention required, but that's a feature to some.
If you have an AMD laptop, maybe look into installing SteamOS and Kodi as a non-steam app. That could be your sweet spot.
Used to be Manjaro, because it's got sane opinions and I'm not looking to make maintaining that machine a new hobby. I don't mind the curated "almost" rolling release, but they're getting worse about simple things (like maintaining their own certs) and I've decided to move on.
can someone who runs arch btw on weak hardware, like dual-core U-series i5 and such, tell me how they're handling AUR and friends? every time I bring that up I get downvotes as if I'm some MICROS~1 agent paid to besmirch arch btw's good name and whatnot...
the idea that I hafta build and compile shit on a puny dual-core in 2026 is fucking ludicrous to me, never mind the bloat and cruft from all the build tools and deps for every possible stack. so what obvious solution am I missing? like, how do you handle a full system upgrade, say you got like ten things from AUR in addition to regular packages, what does that look like?
One suggestion is to look for -bin versions of the packages you want. Those are precompiled and should install only marginally slower than a regular pacman package.
Back in 2015, I was using Arch on a single core Intel Atom 1.5GHz processor with 1GiB of RAM
Most packages came from binary packages, and the AUR was the exception when I needed something specific outside of the main repos
You can use an AUR mirror repo to avoid compiling. Chaotic looks like the most popular one.
I use Arch btw. The best Arch distro is just normal Arch linux. If you really want stuff from other "Arch distros", you can add their repos or customize your configs. There's nothing you can do in an Arch distro you can't do with Arch itself.
I use plain Arch for desktop, but for servers I use headless debian. A media center is sort of in between, so up to you. In terms of resource usage on an older laptop, I expect the choice of DE would matter more.
I use plain Arch, but if you are just gonna use it as a media center, use Debian or something like it. A media center doesn't need to be up to date if you're just using it for TV and retro gaming. However, how mediocre are we talking? Are you intending to run full steam games or are you planning on streaming them from another computer?
If the latter, I think Debian or even a healthy rPi running RetroPie might be up your alley because you can install Kodi and SteamLink on that.