The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

compaq615 · 2010-04-19 19:47:14

Just my two cents...
I've been playing with linux for about a year now, and have been distrohopping a bit (puppy, ubuntu, debian, crunchbang, slackware, mint,...), and now I was going for "the difficult one"...just to see how far I'd get...
That was 2 days ago, now I'm on the internet, wireless (broadcom 4312 - not evident to get going on some distros), have my sound working (virtualy impossible on some distros-at least for me), running XFCE - looking the way I want it, and have only those applications installed that I actualy use, and the whole thing starts up in no time. And I don't even have to start over again in 6 months since it's a rolling release... all this to say: wow, impressive: Arch rules!
(not in the least thanks to the amazing detailed and idiot-proof wiki-pages)

Kooothor · 2010-04-19 20:06:43

______________
< /me luv Arch >
--------------
\ ^__^
\ (oo)\_______
(__)\ )\/\
||----w |
|| ||

rsw · 2010-04-28 19:06:26

Ubuntu has been dropping support for libraries my applications require left and right, with little justification; so it's back to Arch for me

donovan1983 · 2010-04-30 21:42:11

I have only been using Arch for a couple weeks but I plan to stick with it for a long time. Only switched exclusively to Linux on my desktop (except for a Windows XP VM) about a month ago and was using Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a nice distribution, don't get me wrong, but didn't provide the configurability or customization I wanted. I'm no Linux newbie and have been playing with Linux for over a decade, as well as other Unix-like systems. I just built a new desktop a couple weeks ago as the first machine I have ever built specifically intended for Linux but Ubuntu just wasn't cutting it on here. Not to mention I had the choice between the older and buggy 9.10 version or the newer but even buggier 10.4 beta, the latter of which had completely broken power management. I may have a desktop but I want both suspending and hibernation to work.

I had never tried Arch before a couple weeks ago although I have heard about it years before. It has come closer than any other distribution to what I want. I prefer a rolling release, a comprehensive package management system, a system that only minimally customizes (if at all) the packages compiled for it, a system that truly lets me decide what to install, system upgrades don't destroy my changes to configuration files, and a system I don't have to fight for control with (Linux for me is about having things my way). And that's pretty much what I found with Arch. Sure, it has required a lot more reading to set up but I have yet to lack documentation for anything I've wanted to do. I have no issues with text configuration files since it's what Unix-like systems use natively anyways. The BSD-style init system is a nice bonus since I loathe and detest the SysV init system used by most Linux distros although of course I'll tolerate it. Gentoo and Slackware were also on my consideration list (I've used both before), but the former's dependency on constant compilation and the latter's lack of a package management system were issues for me.

I have to give extra kudos to the Arch team for having a distribution of KDE that not only actually works, it works better than the versions of KDE packaged as the default desktop environment on most other distros (Kubuntu, OpenSUSE, etc.). I've preferred the looks and better integration of KDE for a while but it seems the focus is on GNOME for most distributions. GNOME is also the first desktop environment I tried to install and use on Arch and its lack of integration and functionality really showed itself. I couldn't even get Compiz Fusion to integrate properly with it. But switching out for KDE was easy. Within hours of installing KDE I even had near-perfect integration between GTK and Qt apps with rather little effort.

Yes, Arch requires more effort to get going at first than distros like Ubuntu. But I actually have spent less time configuring it than Ubuntu since it keeps things simple and I can make changes to a configuration file that stick. I found it easier to get a fully-functional system with Arch than Ubuntu and more stuff just works. I get to spend more time using my system than administering and troubleshooting it, which is how it should be.

ebal · 2010-05-07 14:45:16

archlinux is a rolling distro and thats what i hate (love) the most !

Everybody else (eg. ubuntu ,fedora) are planning releases party every now and then, but i use a rolling disto and i 've never been invited to a release party

spidernik84 · 2010-05-07 18:51:11

ebal wrote:

Everybody else (eg. ubuntu ,fedora) are planning releases party every now and then, but i use a rolling disto and i 've never been invited to a release party

Oh God, i never thought about that!
Well, we could manage to celebrate a... birthday party?

ssri · 2010-05-07 22:17:46

ebal wrote:

Everybody else (eg. ubuntu ,fedora) are planning releases party every now and then, but i use a rolling disto and i 've never been invited to a release party

Maybe you have to be drunk to run 'sudo apt-get dist-upgrade' on a perfectly working system, no?

scar · 2010-05-09 08:39:50

I use archlinux since more than a year intesively on my desktop.

It gives you the possibility to do whatever you want.

Some problems can show up but never around the core system, and I think it is really the best distro I've ever had.

Love it.

However to use it as a server it is a bit dodgy I think - on my servers I still use debian and ubuntu server edition.

ngsupb · 2010-05-12 07:32:20

Still happy Arch linux user

have been using it aroud 1.5 year already or so.

LOVE IT.

xelados · 2010-06-03 08:11:25

I agree; a good discussion of the issue should be done before it goes to the bugtracker (or perhaps in tandem) in order to garner the most attention. Remember "Given enough eyes, all bugs are shallow"? Well, the bug can't be shallow if you post to JUST the forum or JUST the bugtracker. Do both, and you maximize the attention that the issue gets.

psyomn · 2010-06-04 22:32:03

Kind of newbie to arch. Love this Os, congratulations for your hard work!

No more OS jumping for me.

brova · 2010-06-10 09:04:35

LOVE my arch linux .

i have been using it for a long time now, and i think its just great . i will never change my distro !

I have arch installed on my laptop, which had a "Powered by windows" sticker, naturally, that was unnacceptable so i ordered one of these stickers:

found here on the arch schwag website.
http://schwag.archlinux.ca/product/laptopsticker/

Gremnon · 2010-06-11 15:54:03

I finally got my desktop working on Arch. Two tiny issues fixed, and it's all good. That was a while ago, actually, I just got distracted by the odd bit of work, and running around customising it. A lot.
The only other distro that's ever come as close as Arch has to being the best, though I hate to say it, was Fedora, with Ubuntu a close third. Ubuntu isn't good for those who want to go digging behind the scenes though, and Fedora and I fell out because I can't stand SELinux.
Those aside... even then Arch trumps them.
I like Arch. It's nice, simple, and works just how you expect and want it to.

xione · 2010-06-12 00:35:54

Fast, tidy, extremely responsive and puts the control in the hands of the user. For actual usage, whatever that may mean to the individual, for whatever software I happen to be running, the snappiness of applications and efficiency of resources frequently surprises me. I have yet to find a comparable distro, within any operating system.

I would say Arch is a refreshing and incredibly intuitive distro to use and is as elegant as it is stable.

On the down side, now that I've finished playing about with it for a bit, there's really no excuse to get some work done.

Gremnon · 2010-06-12 00:59:37

Oh, I don't know about that. I can usually find something new to experiment with. Finding a new app for something, trying a new way of doing something, or just looking through the AUR and finding something interesting.

shak · 2010-06-17 11:08:39

I'm so grateful for this distro . It really is the best , i just love the ease and speed of arch . Oh and pacman , it's superfast the best package manager out there

I've been using arch for about 3 years and i won't be changing this distro

switch86 · 2010-06-20 04:45:24

I'm back to Arch after absence from the distro for quite some time. I never was very active here, mainly because Arch just works if you have a modicum of *nix experience and step through the (excellent) wiki documentation.

Had some time over a school break to finally get around to axing Fedora 12 (meh) off my AA1 (before that it was Ubuntu, and before that was the OEM WinXP install). Getting Arch up and running on my netbook turned out being a lot less work than I figured it would. It's working great. I have a soft spot for Gentoo, but I don't have the patience for the build time on a netbook, so Arch seems to be a very good fit for my netbook. (It'd take a lot for me to give up CentOS on my servers, but that's beside the point.)

crucki · 2010-06-27 16:57:26

I used other distros for years. But everytime, there was something that didn't fit. With Arch, I'm happy now :)

Last edited by crucki (2010-06-27 16:59:17)

Kobussie · 2010-06-28 19:12:16

I'm back!

After more than two years working with Debian (Lenny & Squeeze) I'm back at the GREAT Arch Distro .
I installed it on my latest 'small footprint' hardware: Asus AT4NM10-I with a (fanless) Intel Atom D410 and 1 G memory. Easy installation (Netinstall) and a simple and clear configuration. Just what I was missing in Debian.
Thanks to everyone who has been, or still is working to make this Distro what it is!

ClosetMonkey · 2010-06-28 20:43:10

Arch is awesome... ...so am i

~ >>> Truthfully speaking, iv tried over
-openSuSE (actually i always try each release) - love the green
-Ubuntu (n00bz) (my opinion!)
-Kubuntu (n00bz ver. 2) (my opinion ver.2)
-Debian (no comment)
-FreeBSD (ok, this should'nt be here)
- & some other wierd ghost raped solutions

~ >>> Then we got Arch....

 ____________ 
< OWH YEAHHH >
 ------------ 
        \   ^__^
         \  (**)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
             U  ||----w |
                ||     ||

Last edited by ClosetMonkey (2010-06-28 20:48:02)

Mannex · 2010-07-08 13:13:11

Well, time to bump this topic. Yay I came from Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Debian and raged at the slow update progress from their main repos. And I had to try ArchLinux, Rumor: how much harder it was to install and I found it quite fast and easy instead. Sure the installer is not full o' Graphics and pre-configuration. But after you've followed the beginners guide you're all set with X-servers, Drivers, Graphical Workspace and Internets. LOL jokers!

Now I feel like home, latest stable KDE 4.4.5 moving towards 4.5 workspace, Xorg-server 1.8.2(rc) and up to date Nvidia drivers. Could not be any happier at this moment It has worked wonderful since the start for me.
If I ever feel like I need anything, I could just find it in the AUR or compile it myself from git/svn. No more Repository Searching needed to get the latest things. (Yeah I like updated stuff.)

Some bash_aliases later and it's a breeze to update and remove/clean packages, It's stable, awesome and free. You learn so much about Linux and all the software while maintaining it! Even bigger view about other Operating Systems!

To everyone involved making this distro work as great as it has for me. THANK YOU!

CyrIng · 2010-07-17 11:40:07

Back 20 years a go with my Linux 0.XX , only Arch still carry the spirit of a deep control of the OS

Running the Arch x64 release with a Core i7, it just rocks !

Check also my blog about tweaking Linux with a SSD : http://blog.cyring.fr/?page_id=271&lang=en

CyrIng , France

valium97582 · 2010-07-18 18:15:20

 BTW Lets use lolcode to say arch is best!
HAI
CAN HAS STDIO?
VISIBLE "HAI WORLD! ARCHLINUX FTW!!!!"
KTHXBYE

mjheagle8 · 2010-07-19 23:16:05

@valium, there's a whole thread on code to do that.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=47306&p=1

FleeceJohnson · 2010-07-28 17:04:35

I've been using linux for about 2 months now. I have tried ubuntu and fedora but Archlinux is a billion times better than the former 2. Installation was smooth and everything works. i love how i dont have any crap that i dont need and i can have openbox without some other DE i will never use. Thank you archlinux devs and contributers!!!

Arch Linux

#451 2010-04-19 19:47:14

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

#452 2010-04-19 20:06:43

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

#453 2010-04-28 19:06:26

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#454 2010-04-30 21:42:11

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#455 2010-05-07 14:45:16

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#456 2010-05-07 18:51:11

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#457 2010-05-07 22:17:46

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#458 2010-05-09 08:39:50

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#459 2010-05-12 07:32:20

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#460 2010-06-03 08:11:25

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#461 2010-06-04 22:32:03

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#462 2010-06-10 09:04:35

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#463 2010-06-11 15:54:03

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#464 2010-06-12 00:35:54

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#465 2010-06-12 00:59:37

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#466 2010-06-17 11:08:39

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#467 2010-06-20 04:45:24

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

#468 2010-06-27 16:57:26

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#469 2010-06-28 19:12:16

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#470 2010-06-28 20:43:10

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

#471 2010-07-08 13:13:11

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#472 2010-07-17 11:40:07

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

#473 2010-07-18 18:15:20

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#474 2010-07-19 23:16:05

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

#475 2010-07-28 17:04:35

Re: The Official Unofficial 'Arch is Best' Thread

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