this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024
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So the thing with Debian and any Debian based distro like Ubuntu or Linux Mint is there is no big centralized software repo like the AUR. Yes there is the apt repository but if you want something that's not in there, get ready to read the documentation or follow random guides.

For example, one of my friends wanted to download an audio tool called Reaper. On Windows this is just looking up the application and clicking on the .exe. It really depends on the dev if they include a .deb, sometimes you might need to download the .sh file or they may tell you to compile it yourself. Perhaps, you have to add a ppa. On Arch, all I have to do is Paru -S Reaper, if there are multiple Reapers I can look for that by typing Paru Reaper.

Now that Arch is so easy to install with the Archscript, and the software repo so vast and easy to use, is Debian really user friendly if you have to jump through several hoops to download programs?

Edit: yeah yeah there's flathub and stuff but that's more of a last resort, optimally, you want to get it the correct way.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (8 children)

Everyone is downvoting OP, but OP is literally the common case of what users actually want...

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

You gotta add the fact, that ArchLinux sometimes requires you to fiddle a lot when a update failed and broke a lot of stuff, there's also the installation process, Debian is much more stable (and while archlinux is too), debian is generally a better option for beginners to its approach, And also Reaper is practically Avaliable on a crapton of distros, the fact that it provides binaries officially, and also that its avaliable on FlatHub.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

TRY ARCH

PS: Just a meme to joke, if you want to analyze, please don't point at me.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian

You really should never download a Debian package or install via a script. The proper way is to use a container or flatpak.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You should check out Nix (the package manager). NixOS's Nix package manager can be used outside its own system. It supports the vast majority of Linux operating systems as well as MacOS.

Nix's package repository is gigantic like you wouldn't believe, and Reaper is in it.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

You took one narrow use case whose significant downsides you're unaware of and made an OS ease of use judgement based on that. Therefore while you're entitled to it, it's not a useful judgement. ☺️

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

My narrow use case is just installing packages. There are lots of packages not in the apt repository. All I'm saying is that aur has more stuff. Now, if apt repository has around the same amount as the aur then I could see how debian based distros are functionally as easy to use.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (9 children)

Do you look at the stuff in the aur? Because any of that stuff you install from there could be messed with because it's a user repository. I specifically left arch because I had to look into all the packages I installed from the aur, and the stuff from the official repos was pretty limited compared to something like Debian. That took a lot of time. Or, you could always just install whatever you find with zero concern about security.

I've been running Debian for decades with maybe 2 problems I had to manually resolve with apt. I ran arch and manjaro for maybe a year, and had a handful. I'm certainly not going to say not to run arch, but it's in no way easier to keep running than Debian. That's literally Debian's whole gig.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

When you download new programs how do you do so? You just install flatpak or what?

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

All I’m saying is that aur has more stuff.

Sure, but that does not equate to the premise you made that Arch is easier to use than Debian.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

So it's much easier to install stuff since it has everything you need.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Imo Flathub/Flatpak is the correct way most of the time. I see zero need to install desktop apps any other way on Arch these days. It takes a lot of headaches away from users and developers. Different story for core packages and in case you actually want to compile stuff yourself of course, but I don't see why I need an Arch-native version of LibreOffice or something. For some apps the Flatpak experience is even better than native (e.g. Lutris, Firefox).

The AUR and Arch's packaging system are still amazing tho, because of the great flexibility they offer. I agree that setting up Arch based distros (not Arch itself, sorry :D) are easier to setup than Debian based ones partly because of this. Another big reason is the info readily available in the Arch Wiki imo. But maybe I'm just used to setting up Arch.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Reaper is as easy to install on Linux (any distro) as it is on Windows or OSX. Any packaged versions of it, other than the tar file that you can download from Reaper.fm, are maintained by a third party and have nothing to do with the distribution.

PS: IMHO, you want tools like Reaper and Bitwig to install directly unto your system rather than Snap, Flatpak, etc., due to the low level audio hardware interaction.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

Congrats. Now you know why distrobox is so good. The package manager of the host doesn't matter anymore. Nix package manager also works on any system. And finally, nowadays you use flatpak to install apps whereever possible.

You can't take the package manager as a reference to judge which OS is better.

Arch is not only about installing but keeping up to date. A normal person does not want to read about selinux. Debian doesn't use it either but uses something comparable. On arch you have to take care of it. On debian the maintainers take care of it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Nah, I'd rather put together my own PKGBUILD on Arch, so I have an mostly repeatable build for a package that doesn't exist in repos. Bonus, I can share that if I wish and make others life easier.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago

yeah yeah there's flathub and stuff but that's more of a last resort, optimally, you want to get it the correct way.

Dude, there is no correct or wrong way. Many prefer Flatpaks, because they ship with all they need and work on every distro.

Also, you can just use Distrobox on any distro and use anything you want.

But calling Arch easier than Zorin or similar is just wrong.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

At least for me, AUR is last resort. I mainly use Flatpak, then offical repos, then finally AUR

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