Arch Linux

Gregory_M

Member

Registered: 2024-11-30

Posts: 5

Considering Arch Linux

Hi, I'm not new to Linux, but am considering Arch.

(Disambiguation: Here, I'm using DM to refer to Display Manager and
WM to refer to Window Manager / Compositor [e.g. OpenBox, labwc, sway])

Here are some of the things that I am seeking:

1. systemd-boot

2. Clean and configurable e.g. DMs, WMs, themes, lightweight desktop

3. Understandable (at a basic level) boot process from boot to DM/WM

4. Ability to install latest versions of clang, gcc, rust etc.

5. Up-to-date and available documentation (or links to it)

6. WiFi support a plus

7. Simple package management (does Arch use package repositories?)

8. Not strictly tied to or dependent upon a particular heavyweight shell, e.g. "bash"

9. A community that agrees with much of this list

Regarding #3: What starts what? E.g. what starts the DM?, ...what starts X or the Wayland Compositor?
Can we have a menu to use OpenBox (X11) one session then use sway (or labwc) Wayland for another
session? The ability to control and understand these processes is helpful. I say basic level, because I
don't need in depth information about each part of the boot, I simply like to know how the various
pieces are connected. E.g. What starts up the Display Manager, etc.?

Regarding #4: For example, if the system uses a particular version of gcc, I would like to be able to install
a newer version of gcc. But installation alongside the system default is fine, not seeking to update the
system version if the system requires a specific version. Perhaps Arch has a better approach to this, such
that this concern (#4) is N/A.

Regarding #5: The documentation for my current distribution on the distribution's website is incomplete and out-of-date.
I'm technical but I prefer not to spend time scrounging around for basic information. Even links to information is fine.

Regarding #6: I downloaded and installed custom driver for LinkSys (6300 V1, not V2).
Performed routine system update, and WiFi stopped working.
I expect to be able to get it working again but I prefer not to spend time chasing side issues like this.

Regarding #8: Not critical, but I use zsh for interactive shell, and I think that a lightweight system shell
(e.g. non-interactive, boot process, etc.) is good.

I produce a web server software product, so an environment for the development tools is key.

Excited to have found Arch because it may be the right distribution for me.
Thanks Kindly!

Last edited by Gregory_M (Yesterday 00:37:25)

Allan

Pacman

From: Brisbane, AU

Registered: 2007-06-09

Posts: 11,476

Website

Re: Considering Arch Linux

All are possible if not the default.

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PGP Key: F99FFE0FEAE999BD | I develop pacman - buy me a drink!

dakota

Member

Registered: 2016-05-20

Posts: 337

Re: Considering Arch Linux

Welcome,

3. Understandable (at a basic level) boot process from boot to DM/WM

Arch Boot Process

Answers for all your questions are  available in the Wiki, but individual pages can contain hundreds of links. If you are hitting something totally new, it can takes days to read through all the material. That's both good and bad, obviously.

Cheers,

Last edited by dakota (Yesterday 01:55:41)

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"Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment chop wood, carry water." -- Zen proverb

Gregory_M

Member

Registered: 2024-11-30

Posts: 5

Re: Considering Arch Linux

Thanks! The key is up-to-date and available.

I like customizability/understandability to save time and focus on my work and not my distribution. At the same time though, I don't like bloated desktop environments that pamper but also hide everything, so I use OpenBox and also am interested in labwc and sway. Are those popular here?

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,230

Re: Considering Arch Linux

Thanks! The key is up-to-date and available.

I like customizability/understandability to save time and focus on my work and not my distribution. At the same time though, I don't like bloated desktop environments that pamper but also hide everything, so I use OpenBox and also am interested in labwc and sway. Are those popular here?

First, congratulations on getting a response from Allan on with your first post;  that is an honor.

The only other Distro with more flexibility than Arch is Gentoo.  Neither are for those who are unwilling to study and learn,  I think you will do just fine.

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

Gregory_M

Member

Registered: 2024-11-30

Posts: 5

Re: Considering Arch Linux

Perfect.

...congratulations on getting a response from Allan...

That fact wasn't lost on me, I assure you, I was still absorbing a few additional details information before answering.
I recently migrated from Windows, and when looking into mingw for clang and gcc, I was informed to use pacman (Msys2), so it's even used outside of Arch which speaks for pacman.

Last edited by Gregory_M (Today 09:18:06)

Gregory_M

Member

Registered: 2024-11-30

Posts: 5

Re: Considering Arch Linux

Thank you kindly @Allan, @ewaller, and @dakota! I plan to install Arch.

Gregory_M

Member

Registered: 2024-11-30

Posts: 5

Re: Considering Arch Linux

I have installed Arch. One note, the efi entry pointed to by loader.conf needed to use UUID not PARTUUID for the root= kernel param. The sample entry file shows PARTUUID. The boot process failed with "...New_Root... can't find ..." until I changed to use the UUID. (For PARTUUID, I was using the partition UUID so it wasn't a matter of mismatch with ID value vs ID type. Rather the kernel may use the UUID arg by design. This may be for logical reasons because the kernel may not be interested in the partition because it simply wants to mount the file system and the partition is side information.)

I'm grateful for such a well documented system. I learned so much about the boot process during my new installation! BIOS (UEFI) loads systemd (bootloader) which loads the kernel and passes any args in loader entry file to kernel. Purposely noting this for reference for myself and any others who go through "boot camp".  Pun not intended but I see it's humorous so that's fine.

In my OP I referred to seeking to know what starts what and now I can see that your process provides that kind of information very well!

Next, can anyone recommend a lightweight window manager (preferably Wayland)?

Excited to be working with my Arch system! Thanks again!!

Last edited by Gregory_M (Today 09:15:03)

jl2

Member

From: 47° 18' N 8° 34' E

Registered: 2022-06-01

Posts: 463

Website

Re: Considering Arch Linux

Next, can anyone recommend a lightweight window manager (preferably Wayland)?

If you want tiling I recommend sway (or hyprland for animations), otherwise wayfire (has some nice animations, pretty sure you can disable them). see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Wayland#Compositors for a list.

How many tries did you need to install? I forgot the bootloader on my first attempt

edit: And see the hyprland wiki and the sway wiki for some nice software list like bars, notification daemons, wallpaper daemons etc.

Last edited by jl2 (Today 10:36:51)

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Why I run Arch? To "BTW I run Arch" the guy one grade younger.
And to let my siblings and cousins laugh at Arsch Linux...