Amount of Time Required

Haptic · 2010-01-10 23:18:48

How long did it take you guys to become comfortable using Arch? (Assuming you've had no linux background prior to Arch)

Gen2ly · 2010-01-10 23:23:55

Well, if you're not comfortable right away, you might want to consider another distribution. Arch generally is for people who have been using Linux awhile so new users with prior experience usually feel comfortable pretty quick. If you're not having a good time, try another distro, there are plenty out there and DHing can be fun.

ngoonee · 2010-01-11 01:37:34

I came from another distro (several others actually). I wouldn't recommend using it as your first distro, but I have seen posters who said its their first and that they're happy with it. Would like to have a statistical analysis on their IQ level and amount of free time as compared to the forum average though.....

pyther · 2010-01-11 02:33:07

If you do plan to use Arch as your first distro be prepared to spend a lot of time reading documentation. Arch isn't a distribution that you can just install and "forget" about.

sHyLoCk · 2010-01-11 02:40:06

I used slackware and BSD for long before coming to Arch. Took me a couple of installs to get things right.

willxtreme · 2010-01-11 03:32:51

4 dedicated days

.:B:. · 2010-01-11 12:14:31

A lot of prior reading should greatly improve the efficiency of your installation process.

fauxdeluxe · 2010-01-11 12:34:23

I came from Ubuntu 8-9 with fairly minimal Linux knowledge compared to some. Some of the configuration may seem daunting at first, but the excellent arch wiki should guide you through what Arch will throw at you for the best part.

I've been up and running for a few days now, and with anything, it gets easier the more time you invest in it

Have you thought about installing onto a VM and giving yourself a bit of a flavour as to what you would be letting yourself in for?

Last edited by fauxdeluxe (2010-01-11 12:35:22)

drcouzelis · 2010-01-11 13:06:04

I started using Linux around 2000. I think I would say it was many months before I was pretty comfortable with it, but I suppose the state of Linux was kind of different back then. When I first started, I remember being so confused! I distinctly remember two thoughts:

Where is the C: drive??

Does "root" mean "administrator" or "the top of the file hierarchy"?? (Didn't anyone who designed Unix realize the same word had two meanings?)

I wouldn't say Arch Linux is not for new Linux users. I think it's perfect for someone who wants to "learn Linux". I think I could learn everything I learned using Slackware by using Arch instead. It has an easy (or easier) package manager than Debian to help you out. And with a rolling release schedule, it's always current, which means I can spend more time learning how to do stuff IN Arch Linux, instead of learning how to install the new version of the OS and try to get all of my applications working again.

I think the bad thing about "learning Linux" with Arch Linux is that, on top of all of the reading you would do to learn about Linux, you would have to learn Arch Linux specific things too.

Last edited by drcouzelis (2010-01-11 13:06:31)

mythus · 2010-01-11 13:27:28

I wasn't quite sure about Arch Linux on my first install. In fact I did some distro hopping again right afterwards, my mindset was just not ready for Arch at the time.

When I decided to give Arch another try though, I found myself fully enjoying the whole experience, especially the installation. Anytime I get a chance to install a fresh new arch linux my face literally lights up.

If you aren't enjoying arch linux and comfortable with it yet, then perhaps you need o explore some other distros for a while. It is possible that Arch just isn't what you are looking for right now, and it is possible that it never will be. One one person likes, you may hate. At least with linux, you have the choice and the freedom to explore other distros. Who knows, perhaps later you will find yourself wanting to give Arch another try, and find yourself enjoying it from the time you type root.

Misfit138 · 2010-01-11 13:59:22

mythus wrote:

I wasn't quite sure about Arch Linux on my first install. In fact I did some distro hopping again right afterwards, my mindset was just not ready for Arch at the time.
When I decided to give Arch another try though, I found myself fully enjoying the whole experience, especially the installation. Anytime I get a chance to install a fresh new arch linux my face literally lights up.
If you aren't enjoying arch linux and comfortable with it yet, then perhaps you need o explore some other distros for a while. It is possible that Arch just isn't what you are looking for right now, and it is possible that it never will be. One one person likes, you may hate. At least with linux, you have the choice and the freedom to explore other distros. Who knows, perhaps later you will find yourself wanting to give Arch another try, and find yourself enjoying it from the time you type root.

Great post. :)
I think you raise a great point. Assuming you come to embrace the Arch Way and believe it is the best way of doing things, I could see that installing other distros might give a good contrast and contribute to one's overall competence, therefore making returning to Arch a refreshing experience.

Mikko777 · 2010-01-11 14:40:47

Haptic wrote:

How long did it take you guys to become comfortable using Arch? (Assuming you've had no linux background prior to Arch)

Took me about 6+ months can't really remember. Forums are a really good measurement of arch comfortability level, when nothing new rarely/ never pops up and/ or you know the answers to most/ all questions then atleast I was comfortable.

Edit: After that you can ofc look beyond Arch and into more general and advanced linux topics. And voila! theres years and years worth of additional learning to do

Last edited by Mikko777 (2010-01-11 14:44:42)

MrAllan · 2010-01-11 15:08:00

When I started to use Linux, I used Xubuntu for about 2 hours, didn't like it, and installed Arch. You can set everything up by following the beginners' guide on the wiki.
After about a week of moderate usage I felt comfortable (oh, and I have neither a high IQ, nor endless amounts of free time).

broch · 2010-01-11 15:24:19

I installed first BSD in 95' and linux in 96'
At the time most of the stuff one had to figure out himself (OBSD was using slices, not partitions). Since then I would say that linux or BSD installations are child's play (including Arch). Everything works the same from one distro to another with exception of three things: OS file location, package manager and OS flexibility afterwards.
I would say that one does not need much time really.
Most of today's user problems is related to the fact that people prefer to first try (to install), then ask, then (still not necessary) read. This is a main reason of different failurers and long time of adoption.

If one reverse the order and read first, then in most cases one can realize that all this is pretty easy and quite standard.

Arch is really EASY distribution even for first timers if one make an effort and read first very nice wiki.

CUPS, Samba, Cyrus, postfix, firefox, openoffice, ntpd, digikam and so on are exactly the same from distro to distro.

reed9 · 2010-01-11 15:33:16

First install of Arch was in 2008, about a year into using linux, primarily linux mint and mandriva. Following the Beginner's Guide, I got everything working in a couple of hours, but I didn't really understand what I was doing. I loved it right off the bat, but it probably took a couple of weeks to feel comfortable with it, and a couple of months to feel confident. I only wish I had discovered linux far earlier in life. I remember switching from DOS to Windows back in the day, and I hated windows and using a mouse all the time, I felt helpless without a command line.

I have absolutely no background or formal education in computers or computer science outside of using Windows for years in general day to day use - email, web browsing, light word processing or spreadsheets. But Arch now just seems easier to me than other distros and far easier than Windows, which I'm still stuck using at work.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-01-10 23:18:48

Amount of Time Required

#2 2010-01-10 23:23:55

Re: Amount of Time Required

#3 2010-01-11 01:37:34

Re: Amount of Time Required

#4 2010-01-11 02:33:07

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#5 2010-01-11 02:40:06

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#6 2010-01-11 03:32:51

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#7 2010-01-11 12:14:31

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#8 2010-01-11 12:34:23

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#9 2010-01-11 13:06:04

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#10 2010-01-11 13:27:28

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#11 2010-01-11 13:59:22

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#12 2010-01-11 14:40:47

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#13 2010-01-11 15:08:00

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#14 2010-01-11 15:24:19

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#15 2010-01-11 15:33:16

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