this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
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Linux

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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.

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Arch is aimed at people who know their shit so they can build their own distro based on how they imagine their distro to be. It is not a good distro for beginners and non power users, no matter how often you try to make your own repository, and how many GUI installers you make for it. There's a good reason why there is no GUI installer in arch (aside from being able to load it into ram). That being that to use Arch, you need to have a basic understanding of the terminal. It is in no way hard to boot arch and type in archinstall. However, if you don't even know how to do that, your experience in whatever distro, no matter how arch based it is or not, will only last until you have a dependency error or some utter and total Arch bullshit® happens on your system and you have to run to the forums because you don't understand how a wiki works.

You want a bleeding edge distro? Use goddamn Opensuse Tumbleweed for all I care, it is on par with arch, and it has none of the arch stuff.

You have this one package that is only available on arch repos? Use goddamn flatpak and stop crying about flatpak being bloated, you probably don't even know what bloat means if you can't set up arch. And no, it dosent run worse. Those 0,0001 seconds don't matter.

You really want arch so you can be cool? Read the goddamn 50 page install guide and set it up, then we'll talk about those arch forks.

(Also, most arch forks that don't use arch repos break the aur, so you don't even have the one thing you want from arch)

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

What kind of beginning you mean? If you start to learn linux than use Arch or Archman specifically. If you just want to use Linux as desktop go other alternatives.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

A beginner to what, to pacman, to arch, to rolling distro, to linux, to unix, to a PC, to using man-made tools ...

I made an installation to an old pc once, I though it would last a while, and since the users could barely understand what an on/off button does, they just wanted google and facebook, so it was a wm with two browsers, daughter already knew what chrome was, and in the login shell I wrote a script that each new day it booted it attempted pacman -Suy --noconfirm then once a week the cache was emptied and the logs trimmed.

That was before covid, a couple months ago I met her, she said it has been working fine every since.

So there is your dinner

PS Actually it wasn't arch it was artix with runit but that is about the same

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

It was my second distro after mint. It's very fun to learn as long as you got time to kill.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

But but but SteamOS!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

LINUX IS AN EXPERIENCE NOT SOMETHING TO ENDLESSLY DEBATE ABOUT.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

I went from Windows to Mint, to Pop-OS, to EndeavourOS and haven't left EOS.

My time with Mint and Pop were about a week each. I switch from Windows to Linux 2 years ago.

For my experience, jumping into Arch feet first has been a great learning experience. My desktop PC is a gaming PC first, so having the most up to date packages has been great. It's helped 'de-mystify' Linux for me. I've had to troubleshoot issues, but thanks to Arch's excellent and extensive documentation, with some light reading I've manages to make it work.

I'm now moving on to setting up my own Homelab/Server, which will NOT be Arch based (...unless...?), because the experience with learning how to navigate Linux with Arch has given me the confidence to tackle something I have absolutely no experience in (NETWORKING).

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

It's a good beginner distro if you want to stumble, fall, and learn things. It's not a distro where everything is all good right out the box. For that, maybe try something like Linux Mint Debian Edition or Bazziteos

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

quick, quick, explain in one sentence whether the newb should go with musl of gliMBc ... hurry ... the screen is about to turn black and the installer will be gone

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

go musl with no hassle wink wink

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

I want linux to be as welcoming as possible to everyone and the newbie question of what distro to use will come up a lot. I dont think it's helpful in any way to bicker about why my choice in linux is better. We should be giving them the tools to make the best decision for themselves

What if we built a beginners linux community (Linux, Where Do I Start -> LWDIS) and point to all the distros communities, and on those distro specific communities they had beginner friendly install, setup, rice, maintenance instructions and advice along with a difficulty rating. I don't know if stickies are a thing here but could be helpful in keeping relevant info on top. This could be a place for fanboys to shine on there favorite distro while keeping the basic inclusive LWDIS community free of bickering about distros that might cause confusion and turn people off.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

https://xkcd.com/927/

spoiler"Fortunately, the charging one has been solved now that we've all standardized on mini-USB. Or is it micro-USB? Shit."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Fair enough!

I very much appreciated the xkcd, gave a good chuckle.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

The LWDIS page should have a basic overview of the different distro family's and maybe a breakdown of their specialty's or focus. Probably have a breakdown for windows and mac specific easy ways to burn an ISO in the stickie.

Then people could field questions and guide people to the distro that might suit OP's needs best instead of sponsoring their favorite distro.

From there they can go to the individual distros for more complete information and questions. If that distro and their community feels like a fit for their needs I think we could have a better retention rate than what we have been doing.

The other day I saw one of these which distro posts and most replies were not very helpful and mostly fanboy sponsorships which i don't think would be very helpful to the OP. But their was one person there patiently and thoroughly answering OPs questions with the best info he could provide. It was tip top! That's how we grow together!

I get it, the fanboy thing, I've got it bad for arch, endeavour and garuda. Im also the geekiest twat in my town. I don't really recommend them to people I dont intend to be their IT guy when shit goes wrong. For the most part I recomend distros that have great communities people can draw from. If a newbie goes to the arch forum and hasn't at least read the docs and researched their problem, provide logs or terminal output they arent getting helped. At least not how they might need. But on the mint, ubuntu, fedora forum's they can plow through just about any problem with a little hand holding if that's what they need, and that's not a bad thing.

Friendliness, inclusion, understanding of the users personal needs, computer usage and goals is the way to keep people and expand our linux community IMO.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Literally never had EndeavourOS break in any way.

Last time might have been the GRUB issue that affected all of Arch. If you use GRUB that is, since it's not the default on EndeavourOS. Next time might be old package repos being shut off, but only if your install is older, plus there's already the second announcement with simple instructions regarding that on Arch News. Also, it will just block updates.

I've put two people without any prior knowledge on EndeavourOS, didn't hear any complains either. I myself had no prior knowledge in Linux and hopped from Kubuntu to OpenSUSE Tumbleweed to Garuda Linux in short succession. I only switched to EndeavourOS after Garuda repeatedly broke. Been on it for 2 years without an issue I think.

I know this is not a representative study and as a computer scientist, I do grasp things quickly, but I strongly oppose the notion that EndeavourOS is not beginner friendly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

I use Debian ftw.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I started with real arch and loved it. Different strokes different folks

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Once you learn pacman is hard to go to anything substandard and slow, so you are hooked.

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