Arch Linux is a Linux distribution that is made specifically for x86-64 computers (the standard desktop computer that uses a Intel or AMD CPU). I’ve been using it for many years and even though it is ranked in the top 20 on distrowatch.com, meaning that it is quite popular among Linux users, I still wanted to talk about it.
Arch Linux is not too hard and not too easy, so I would consider it being somewhere in the middle, allowing it to be a really versatile distribution. What I mean by this is that it doesn’t hold us by the hand like the more mainstream distributions would do, but it also doesn’t go too deep into the stuff that is relevant only to the experts (while still letting us the possibility to do it if we really want to).
Why is it easy?
The fact that we don’t have to care about compilation of the packages that we install and all the stuff related to it. Some distributions rely quite heavily on compilation to install software, and unless we are interested in optimization and know a lot about the inner workings of the process, it may seem like a waste of time to recompile the applications on every update. Some applications, like music and video players, web browsers and office suites take many hours to compile. While we can still use the computer at the same time, its performances will be reduced due to the compilation requiring a lot of processing power. But Arch Linux is not one of those, the packages are already pre-compiled and optimized for the system. Also, most if not all of the “standard” Linux conveniences are there by default, so anyone with prior Linux/Unix experience will be able to use it.
Why is it hard?
We have to rely quite a lot on the command line, at least to build the whole system. No installer is included with it, so we have to install the system by strictly using the command line to do so, but don’t worry, there is a guide to help us. Once we are done with the installation, we end up with a basic system without any graphical interface, and it is up to us to decide how to mold that system to our needs. Making it as complex, powerful or simple as we want/need it to. But even if we install a graphical interface, most of the maintenance stuff will, by default, have be done from a console or terminal. This means that we need to know the basic Unix/Linux commands and some more, and also to be at ease working with configuration files. Naturally, all this takes more time than simply clicking on a button that do everything automatically behind the scenes.
An interesting feature of Arch Linux, is that it is a rolling distribution, meaning that if we regularly update the system, we are always up to date with the latest version of the OS. There will be no need to format the disk and reinstall the latest release of the system because there is no “release”. Keep in mind that if you use it as your main desktop computer, it may still become bloated from years of daily use just as any system would.
There is one more reason why I would recommended Arch Linux, even for beginners (if they are interested in learning Linux). This reason is the Arch Linux Wiki website, if you already use Linux and have searched about Linux stuff on the internet before, you probably already ended up on it, even if it isn’t the distribution that you use at the moment. Because there is so much information about so many things, it is a gold mine of information. If a software or package is available for the system, and that its installation requires anything more than just calling the package manager, there will most likely exist a page explaining the steps necessary to have it working. So even if you are a Linux beginner, just this Wiki site has enough information for you to survive on Arch Linux, provided that you are willing to do some reading and finding answers by yourself.