Another successful convert to Arch

defex · 2010-06-30 00:39:41

I would like to show my appreciation to the Arch linux team and community.

I've been trying to make the move to a linux desktop for a long time now, but I always end up bouncing back to Windows. After only one day spent with Arch linux, I already feel right at home and can envisage a very bright future between us. So to the people working on Arch's code base, congratulations are in order. You've acheived what many other distros fail at.

Also to the community at large, I've been reading threads on the forum here and there while figuring out some problems and I don't have one bad thing to report about anyone. You all seem to be a top notch bunch of people. That's hard to find anywhere on the internet which makes the Arch community some sort of haven .

Well done to all, and I hope this encourages you to keep up the fantastic work on this project. I will most likely be hanging around like a bad smell from now on.

Last edited by defex (2010-06-30 00:40:34)

Acecero · 2010-06-30 03:18:37

Welcome to the forums defex!

While the threads here can be very informative, do not just read the forums, read the WIKI.

The Arch wiki is the first place to be if you are willing to spend time reading and picking up information.

Most of your problems can be solved there, except for some, which can be asked here.

Enjoy your time and don't forget to say hello here.

rsantiba · 2010-06-30 15:55:31

I am using Arch since two yers ago by suggestion of Kjon. Great and Simple Linux Distro

defex · 2010-07-01 04:20:17

@Acecero: Thanks. I've definitely got my eye on the wiki. It's been invaluable. It feels like every package (or at least the common/major ones) have their own complete documentation in wiki, covering everything you would need to know from installation through to config tweaks. I guess you need that level of documentation with such a roll-your-own style distro, but this really is excellence in the third degree.

Right now i'm installing and comparing all the different packages that are available, deciding which I like and which I don't. On the other side, I should be able to reinstall arch with a clear idea of what packages i want/need. I swear I've died and gone to geek heaven!

@rsantiba: I totally agree. We just connected on some level there :-)

murffatksig · 2010-07-02 18:40:46

defex wrote:

You've acheived what many other distros fail at.

Welcome to Arch. Just curious, could you give an example of your favorite thing Arch succeeds in doing better than other distros (I konw there's a bunch of choices)?

Inxsible · 2010-07-02 19:42:30

murffatksig wrote:

defex wrote:
You've acheived what many other distros fail at.
Welcome to Arch. Just curious, could you give an example of your favorite thing Arch succeeds in doing better than other distros (I konw there's a bunch of choices)?

For that you should look at this thread, which is in this very sub-forum

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=100202

One of them reasons is probably going to be what the op sees in Arch

Last edited by Inxsible (2010-07-02 19:43:16)

dcc24 · 2010-07-02 19:58:52

Welcome! I hope you'll enjoy your time here

@murffatksig: I know that you have no bad intentions here, but "why is Arch better than distro X?" type of questions usually turn into a flamewar. Let's hope it won't be the case this time

defex · 2010-07-05 03:02:00

murffatksig wrote:

defex wrote:
You've acheived what many other distros fail at.
Welcome to Arch. Just curious, could you give an example of your favorite thing Arch succeeds in doing better than other distros (I konw there's a bunch of choices)?

Just one thing? That's a big ask . I would have to expand that to three things since there isn't a single "golden bullet" that makes arch more appealing to me. I'll avoid the already well known reasons since they're, well... already well known.

The directory structure is intuitive. I often found myself lost in the directory structures of the major linux distros. Partly because there's a whole lot of packages installed in the base system already making it harder to become acclimatised, and partly because sometimes it seems like they deliberately go against the norm and hide files where you wouldn't likely look which is a common tactic by people that don't want you to tamper with such things and really goes against the linux ethic . This is fine for the people who either develop for, or devote their time to that distro, but I just get lost and it irritates me when it would be so simple to just put things where they are meant to go in the first place. Arch's file system seems far more intuitive (if such a thing is possible for linux). When you install a package, the files end up in bin, lib, var and etc, named accordingly, and as one would expect. No funny business here, so no confusion and best of all, no time wasted thinking "where on earth did that file actually end up on my system". I would love to claim that it follows the guidelines to the letter, but I do not know that for sure yet.

Arch also seems to be a rather honest distro, in the fact that it's not trying to be a Windows Alternative, or super-user friendly, or an enterprise oriented... Arch is just... well... linux... if you catch my drift. With so many distros trying to imitate or take the place of leading distros (which themselves are striving to be mac or windows like in nature), it's really refreshing to have a linux distro that's not afraid to admit "yes I'm linux, use me if you have a reason to, or if you're bored" instead of saying "I know that I'm only linux to you, but look at all the things I've managed to achieve that your OS already does, doesn't that make you want to try me?". If I'm going to be flamed for anything, this will probably be it.

Uninstalling packages is a breeze. I haven't had any dependency issues when uninstalling packages so far, and I've been uninstalling a lot while trying to build my own perfect workstation. I can say for certain that this is directly related to packages being left as the original developers intended since original developers would have written their software with as few dependencies as possible. In a major distro, I wouldn't dream of uninstalling one desktop environment and then installing another. In arch... I've done this a few times already and am yet to encounter any consequences. The feeling I get from this is like freedom. On major distros, I just put up with what I'm given, but with Arch I've already been able to get a taste of all the consoles, panels, window managers, file managers, and so since I'm not locked into a single configuration. Throw away KDE one day, adopt openbox the next. It really is that simple.

This has been a bit of a rant by me. I hope you have enjoyed the views expressed in this post but if you intend to flame, wait while I get some lighter fluid

Awebb · 2010-07-05 11:12:36

defex wrote:

The directory structure is intuitive

I think this is because you are so closely in touch with your system. You don't have to research out of a ready-made DM how things work, since you built most of the user interaction relevant parts by yourself. You know where software writes it's files to, because you read the PKBUILD and so on.

Before I installed Arch the first time I really wondered wether it's time-consuming to maintain. I found out very soon that you just have to do a good job when installing it, then any further additions and changes to the system. Since it's so easy to maintain, I developed a bad habbit: I don't use a single logfile anymore where I take down notes about changes I did, I just make a comment in the respective config files. So I got lazy, because it's so easy. On other distros, where changing system settings is 50-50 done by gui and cli, this might result in an useless documentation... at best.

gazj · 2010-07-05 15:06:57

Arch's file system seems far more intuitive (if such a thing is possible for linux)

The linux filesystem even on Arch seems so alien when you come from windows. Eventually though you see huge benefits over the windows system and you can never go back. Want to back up your config files. Just back up /etc is just one example from the top of my head.

electricaltape · 2010-07-05 15:25:27

Oh my goodness, the intuitive directories are my favorite thing about Arch. I actually understand what the computer does! I really like having it out in the open.

ancient_archer · 2010-07-05 19:59:00

I agree with all of you and like to add that as for me, I really appreciate these 5 things: 1) rolling distro nature, 2) its speed, 3) cleanness of the distro, 4) freedom of choice, 5) fairly a lot of packages - everything important is there and if not, there is still AUR

With Arch, no need to do a complete distro update. Even if some things get wrong by updating it, the problems usually can be solved by downgrading the package(s) which is really so easy: pacman -U name-of-the-package.extensions. Also I really like its cleanness as manifested by e.g. /etc/rc.conf which I REALLY like and elegance of Pacman. Then a freedom of choice is really great. And I also like that Arch comes with fairly a lot pre-compiled packages (just enough to cover everything important) and even if something is not there, you can either find it in AUR or install manually so no big deal.

For all these things I like Arch so much.

defex · 2010-07-06 10:08:57

There's something to be said for doing things the hard way isn't there . Down with the abstracted installer! Viva la revalucion

Arch Linux

#1 2010-06-30 00:39:41

Another successful convert to Arch

#2 2010-06-30 03:18:37

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#3 2010-06-30 15:55:31

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#4 2010-07-01 04:20:17

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#5 2010-07-02 18:40:46

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#6 2010-07-02 19:42:30

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#7 2010-07-02 19:58:52

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#8 2010-07-05 03:02:00

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#9 2010-07-05 11:12:36

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#10 2010-07-05 15:06:57

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#11 2010-07-05 15:25:27

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#12 2010-07-05 19:59:00

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

#13 2010-07-06 10:08:57

Re: Another successful convert to Arch

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