Arch Linux

sirthom

Member

Registered: 2008-06-16

Posts: 2

Should I switch?

I'm running Xubuntu right now on an HP Pavillion tx1115nr (a line of machines that is notriously linux unfriendly).  After I initially bought the thing (I bought it for *nix), I had tries to get openSuSE running, failed to get it working witht he broadcom, and shelled out cash for XP to run that for a year.
I feel ok with general usage of the command line, I've taught myself a few programming languages (nothing super advanced or that uses a graphical interface).  I am absolutly not a super-hacker who knows the inner workings of the OS super well, or can edit the xorg.confg without someone telling him what to edit and how.
Basically, I'm more interested in fast and reliable then flashy.  I switched from gnome to xfce and I have compiz turned off (on this AMD 64 bit dual-core with an nvidia card).  Except for basic personal stuff like backing up DVDs, browsing the web, word processing and some graphic and video editing, I use it mainly for mathematical software and simulations, things like gretl, R, Octave, OpenOffice spreadsheet, Mathematica, and rarely writing little programmes in FORTRAN77.  I've been meaning to pick up Python, but haven't gotten around to that yet.
My crrent setup seems generally pretty fast for my use, and faster then what I am used to with to-days bloated commercial operating systems.  Would there be an advantage to switching to Arch?

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: Should I switch?

Arch is great. But unless you really have a problem with Kubuntu it's probably not work the headache. I only say this because you mentioned "I am absolutly not a super-hacker who knows the inner workings of the OS super well, or can edit the xorg.confg without someone telling him what to edit and how."
The setup program does most of it pretty well but you will need to do a little bit of inner work to get things functioning just the way you like.
Someone may like to prove me wrong though

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vogt

Member

From: Toronto, Canada

Registered: 2006-11-25

Posts: 389

Re: Should I switch?

My crrent setup seems generally pretty fast for my use, and faster then what I am used to with to-days bloated commercial operating systems.  Would there be an advantage to switching to Arch?

You seem to have answered your own question: if your current setup works, the only reason to switch is if you enjoy configuring stuff multiple times slightly differently, and to see for yourself that the end result is the same (basically the same xorg, openoffice...).

Then again, there is this promotional info:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/The_Arch_Way

You can of course dual-boot arch, to see if it is really that good

sirthom

Member

Registered: 2008-06-16

Posts: 2

Re: Should I switch?

I've recently reconfigured my system a few times, reworked everything from the ground up (when I tried to delete gnome and KDE I accidentally screwed up my system pretty badly and had to start again) and I'm also an experimental person.  Arch sells itself on being light and quick, and ubuntu more as being easy for people used to other systems to transition into.
I might try dual-booting to see how I feel about it/

droog

Member

Registered: 2004-11-18

Posts: 877

Re: Should I switch?

I accidentally screwed up my system pretty badly and had to start again) and I'm also an experimental person

That is the slogan for 99.4% of archers you'll fit right in. go for it.

/edit
arch is alot more transparent that ubuntu so screwing it up beyond repair will be a thing of the past

Last edited by droog (2008-06-16 04:41:34)

iBertus

Member

From: Greenville, NC

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 2,228

Re: Should I switch?

I accidentally screwed up my system pretty badly and had to start again) and I'm also an experimental person

That is the slogan for 99.4% of archers you'll fit right in. go for it.

/edit
arch is alot more transparent that ubuntu so screwing it up beyond repair will be a thing of the past

I don't know, I accidentally rm -rf /'d once. It really screwed it up beyond repair, as it was easier to reinstall than try to fix otherwise. This is why it is ALWAYS better to keep your /home on a separate partition on a separate disc.

Stythys

Member

From: SF Bay Area

Registered: 2008-05-18

Posts: 878

Website

Re: Should I switch?

rm -rf / by accident? ...wow

anyways, you can do that with ANY linux distro. doesn't say anything about arch

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