Arch Linux

[leica]

I'd like to dedicate a thread to my favorite Linux distribution in hopes that some of you guys will try it.

Things to Know About Arch:

1. It isn't for noobs
Arch definitely isn't really that hard, but you need to know your way around a Linux command line. By default, it does not come with a GUI like the more popular distros, though one can be added. But you must deal with a terminal interface until your desktop environment is set up. It helps if you to know about things like partitions and filesystems during the install. You may also need to know a little about Linux config files. However, here is a Beginner's Guide available on the Arch wiki, which should guide you through the install as long as you know the basics.

2. It's very minimal, and as a result, lightweight
A basic Arch installation can run on approximately 200MB of disk space and 64MB of RAM. This is a command-line interface with basic daemons and such. When you're setting up your Arch system, you get to choose exactly what packages you want installed on top of this base system. If you want to set up a Web server, you can just install a few daemons and be good to go. If you want a desktop environment, you can install Xorg and alsa and pick any one you want. But the most important thing is that what you choose to install is all that gets installed. Distros like Ubuntu aim to work out of the box for everyone, and thus come with loads of junk you will never need. And just because it's lightweight doesn't mean it can't be sexy either. It is very easy to customize an Arch system to be beautiful.

3. It is a learning experience
If you don't know much about Linux, Arch will teach you. The Beginner's Guide teaches you a lot, but the actual process of setting it up does a much better job. You know exactly what is going on behind the scenes on your computer, plus you pick up a few command-line commands on the way too.

4. pacman is the greatest package manager
Debian, Ubuntu, and related distros use a package manager called apt. Arch Linux uses pacman. It does not have issues with dependency resolution that I always encountered with apt. pacman is fast and lightweight and does everything you need it to without problems. By default, it is a command line only tool, however graphical frontends exist. I prefer to use the command line anyway.



Learning About, Getting, Installing, and Using Arch

The homepage of Arch Linux is Arch Linux
ISO downloads can be found at Arch Linux - Downloads
The wiki: Main Page - ArchWiki
**Beginner's Guide**: Beginners' Guide - ArchWiki (seriously, read it)