For my first post on this new platform, I have chosen to talk about the Linux distribution I’m using every day: Arch Linux. I tried some distributions before this one: Mandriva (previously named Mandrake), Ubuntu, Debian and then, two years ago, I switched to Arch Linux.
Arch Linux uses a rolling release model, it means that a simple system update is enough to get the lastest version of Arch software. There’s not really distribution releases; you just have to install, configure then update your distribution to always be up to date. It’s a choice, you always get latest versions of your software, but you’ll get latest bugs too. Hopefully, as soon as there’ll be fixes, you’ll get them.
Here’s the message on Arch Linux website:
You’ve reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple.
The second aspect of this distribution is simplicity. Each package is provided with a simple and minimal configuration, it’s up to you to customize it to fit your needs. A fabulous wiki will provide you all the help you’ll need to configure your system, and more. Don’t forget that it’s not easy, but I learned a lot spending time on it. Again, it’s a matter of choice.
I would like to talk about the packaging system too. First there is the incredible pacman, the package manager. This is the fastest installer I have ever seen, generally the longest operation on my workstation is the download. It’s pretty simple to use and a local package cache allows you to roll-back a package to an older version when it’s too buggy. Even if the repositories contain a lot of software, sometime you’ll need to build something yourself. Hopefully AUR is there. AUR (for Arch User Repository) contains packages description and allows you to build a package from sources almost auto-magically. It’s an easy way to try something without dirtying your system.
Conclusion: I’m a fan. The better way to try it is with a virtual machine, you won’t break your system and you’ll be able to evaluate the amount of work. Don’t forget that it is not a distribution for whole beginners but if you want to learn, it’s a good way !
If you wanna try:
Enjoy !