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So I installed Arch Linux... Is this it?

I’m a little bit underwhelmed, I thought that based off the fact so many people seem to make using this distro their personality I expected… well, more I guess?

Once the basic stuff is set-up, like wifi, a few basic packages, a desktop environment/window manager, and a bit of desktop environment and terminal customisation, then that’s it. Nothing special, just a Linux distribution with less default programs and occasionally having to look up how to install a hardware driver or something if you need to use bluetooth for the first time or something like that.

Am I missing something? How can I make using Arch Linux my personality when once it’s set up it’s just like any other computer?

What exactly is it that people obsess over? The desktop environment and terminal customisation? Setting up NetworkManager with nmcli? Using Vim to edit a .conf file?

verdigris ,

The meme is mostly a relic from the days when installing Arch was a very involved and mostly manual process – it wasn’t to the level of LFS, but you had to configure most of the base system, and it would leave you with a pretty bare-bones setup (no GUI by default, etc). So it was a pretty big hurdle and successfully installing it did give you a bit of nerd cred, though even then the “arch BTW” meme was tongue in cheek.

These days it’s just one of the most well-supported rolling release distros, and it’s got automated installers and GUI spins just like any popular distro. The two biggest assets are the AUR and the wiki.

NixOS does kind of feel like the spiritual successor in terms of effort to set up, and in that immutable OSes are kind of the next big thing, like rolling release was fairly unconventional when Arch was taking off.

olympicyes ,

I use Ubuntu but the Arch wiki is top notch and has helped me solved a lot of problems, especially technical issues like VFIO. I think you’re right that Arch love largely started as a meme to celebrate getting it installed, kind of like the jokes about being unable to exit VIM.

Mango ,

OP forgot the socks. Classic mistake.

vikingtons ,
@vikingtons@lemmy.world avatar

there’s arch socks?

foreverunsure ,

I think they’re referring to the socks you’re supposed to wear when programming :3

vikingtons ,
@vikingtons@lemmy.world avatar

o shit I was expecting merch lol

Mango ,

lemmy.world/c/[email protected]

paperd ,

Good now wipe it and install NixOS. You’re ready.

keyez ,

But I have nvidia hardware :(

paperd ,

nVidia drivers on NixOS are easier and more pain free that on any other distro I’ve used.

SentientFishbowl OP ,

Not too familiar with it, in what way would you consider it better?

paperd ,

It is better in all the ways. Newer packages, no imperative config, reproducible.

mathemachristian ,

After that guix

okrakai ,

😂

atzanteol ,

Most distros are very similar - it’s mostly the same software just using a different package manager.

This is why “which distro should I use” is the most annoying question in this community.

lobut ,

It is definitely annoying but I think it’s understandable from people that are coming in from the outside.

ayaya ,
@ayaya@lemdro.id avatar

There is a pretty big difference in terms of usability between Arch and everything else because of the rolling release model and the AUR. Lots of things you would have to manually install from a git repo or track down a PPA for can be installed like a normal package.

Shinji_Ikari ,
@Shinji_Ikari@hexbear.net avatar

I’m gonna comment and say that’s the point.

You start out with bare minimum and install what you need. As you go you generally have an idea of what is and isn’t on your system. It’s not as annoying as Gentoo with all source compiling, not as anal as nix.

If something breaks, you go to ArchLinux.org and 95% of the time it’s mentioned on the front page so you follow the instructions and move on. It’s a very transparent distro, little drama to follow unlike Ubuntu/canonical or fedora/redhat.

It used to be harder to install and which gave some street cred, but they simplified it a bit which is nice.

The Stans give an unbalanced look at arch. I use arch because I want the latest packages, I don’t want to segment my packages between my repos and tarballs when there’s a game stopping missing feature on a package pinned to a 2yo version. I don’t want to learn a whole scripting language to carefully craft my OS like nix either. I want a current OS that’s easy to fix and easy to install packages so I can go back to what I was doing.

bismuthbob ,
@bismuthbob@sopuli.xyz avatar

Arch offers a combination of rolling software updates, a simple but easily customized base, pacman for the package manager, the AUR, a barebones installation process by default, good documentation, and active development. That may or may not be a good combination based on your goals.

Other distros offer a different combination of characteristics. Those characteristics are a starting point and you can get to the same destination no matter what you use. The trick is figuring out what starting point is closest to your destination or which starting point makes the journey fun for you. For some people, Arch is that. For plenty of people, Arch isn’t that.

Andromxda ,
@Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

The AUR is pretty awesome. If a piece of software exists on Linux, it’s in the AUR. Even software that doesn’t have a native Linux version can sometimes be found these, e.g. repackaged versions of Electron apps for Windows.

And once you start really customizing your system, you’ll see the value of the Arch Wiki. If there’s something you can do on Arch, the Wiki probably has a well-written guide for it.

moody ,

I used the Arch wiki to get gamescope working on Pop OS. It’s a great resource regardless of your distro. In many cases the info on there is not even Arch-specific.

Thann ,
@Thann@lemmy.ml avatar

100% its the Wiki and AUR!

On every other distro, once you want a program not in the package manager, it will likely be broken by the next update. On arch 99.995% of the time it will be in AUR and you can just make a simple PKGBUILD when its not, so your updates will automatically recompile all of your personal projects!

ari_verse ,

Well these days we have flatpak to solve the “not in the repo” (or ‘old version in the repo’) problem.

Andromxda ,
@Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Only for (some) desktop applications. The AUR has everything, including CLI tools, configurations and even some niche scripts

Quill7513 ,

Welcome to realizing the Memes are all bullshit and its just a solid distro that’s worth using for the simpleness. Just go use your computer like the average user is and roll with it

vort3 ,
@vort3@lemmy.ml avatar

Yep, all this «how do I learn linux» stuff is weird. You don’t learn your OS, you use it. Did you need to «learn» Windows? You just launch it and click your browser / file manager / media player and browse, manage files and watch or listen to your media files.

You can just use your PC as you would regularly use your PC and find solutions once you face some issues. Yes, Linux issues are different from Windows issues.

SynopsisTantilize ,

You got downvoted but as a Systems Engineer when I get home from work, I want my OS to get out of my way. All these other people are crazy.

knova ,
@knova@infosec.pub avatar

This x 1000. I’ve had a buddy razz me over using plain, simple Debian because it’s not bleeding edge and the packages are out of date in some cases. bro I don’t care I just want to play some games and occasionally use LibreOffice for some stuff.

prime_number_314159 ,

Modern operating systems have made it take very little knowledge to connect to WiFi and browse the internet. If you want to use your computer for more than that, it can still take a longer learning process. I download 3D models for printing, and wanted an image for each model so I could find things more easily. In Linux, I can make such images with only about a hundred characters in the terminal. In Windows, I would either need to learn powershell, or make an image from each file by hand.

The way I understand “learning Linux” these days is reimagining what a computer can do for you to include the rich powers of open source software, so that when you have a problem that computers are very good at, you recognize that there’s an obvious solution on Linux that Windows doesn’t have.

electricprism ,

Did you use arch-install or manual classic install

GolfNovemberUniform ,
@GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml avatar

Isn’t the archinstall command just one word?

electricprism ,

Never used it, memory fuzzy I’m sure you’re right

SentientFishbowl OP ,

Both :) Manual classic install doesn’t strike me as particularly complicated.

communism ,
@communism@lemmy.ml avatar

Do people really make Arch their personality? Ive been using Arch-based distros since forever and never really met someone like that. I thought it was just a meme.

I like the minimalism and ability to control more parts of your system as opposed to an automated install process doing everything for you. But you don’t have to do that much manually. The main pacstrap step basically sets up your whole system anyway. It’s not that different to other mainstream distros. I have always just used it like any other distro.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the bleeding-edge packages and AUR are nice features too. And being rolling release to a lesser extent, just my preference.

Toribor ,
@Toribor@corndog.social avatar

I thought it was just a meme.

I see way more complaints about ‘elitist Arch users’ than I ever do comments from actual elitist Arch users.

llii ,

Also, I never saw anyone saying anything about a “year of the Linux Desktop”. It’s just a meme.

weststadtgesicht ,

Both were a thing in discussions many years ago. That’s why they became a meme.

But since then it’s basically only used ironically because people quickly noticed they’re a meme.

floofloof ,

It was certainly said seriously in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was the kind of phrase you’d find in computer magazines that came with a Linux CD-ROM stuck to the cover.

This guy from Intel claims to have been the first to use it in 1999, but I think it was a more widely used hype phrase around that time, when desktop Linux was becoming just about usable.

bluewing ,

It’s become a meme now. And I certainly don’t take it seriously myself. It’s more in fun to me as anything serious. (I don’t use Arch by the way).

If you can’t joke about yourself about something you do, then you may have a problem and should perhaps consider some therapy perhaps.

arbitrary ,

I worked with a guy who had a flag with the Arch logo and his Arch forums username on it hanging above his desk.

Thann ,
@Thann@lemmy.ml avatar

FOSS is my personality and Arch is my distro

communism ,
@communism@lemmy.ml avatar

Funnily enough one of the points where Arch distinguishes themselves from other distros is that they’re not strict about only including free software in their repos and are completely fine with including proprietary software alongside foss. There’s Parabola if you want Arch but with a strong political line on free software

Nibodhika ,

That’s like seeing the Otaku gang, deciding to give this Anime a go, watching Dragon Ball and asking “what’s so special about this?”.

Some people make some random thing their personality, others enjoy the same thing without making a big fuzz about it. Arch is great because of the wiki and the AUR, other distros have their own pros and cons.

dutchkimble ,

You’re forgetting the finest feature - you have to tell everyone in the real world and online that you use arch btw.

dharmacurious ,

I like to do this to irritate people because I have a steam deck.

“I got a steam deck for Christmas. It runs arch, btw”

dutchkimble ,

That must be fun, when you’re not busy doing crossfit or planning your vegan meals.

Thann ,
@Thann@lemmy.ml avatar

oh, he didnt forget

Thann ,
@Thann@lemmy.ml avatar

now start using it for a while and you will notice the difference!

you will see you have all of the latest versions of programs, that other distros wont have for 6 months!

you will learn that the AUR has every package you could ever want!

you will see that the Wiki has extremely comprehensive answers to every question!

Arfman ,

Uhh, I thought this was just a meme

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