this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2025
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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It annoys me how much crap people still give Arch because it did honestly deter me from trying it myself when all this time it was exactly the distro for me. A lot of it is the nature of the rolling releases and pacman just feeling more clean and simple then apt and the inevitable Franken-Debian installs I end up with.
The archinstall script makes installation much easier. After that, choosing all my own apps and having to read the wiki and perform minor configurations on them could be seen as tedious when something like Mint is just more out-of-the-box, but it both helped teach me more about Linux so I have a better understanding of how my own system works when things do rarely go astray and it helps me feel like my system is very personalized and my own. Sometimes I still go, "Wait, why don't I have this very basic thing or why isn't it working?" And I find out it's because I didn't install a necessary package, but then I learn and build
As far as rolling releases, I update daily because I'm a geeky maniac and I have had better stability doing that the past 2 1/2 years than I ever did in Windows. Truly, no lie. Part of that is Microsoft setting a low bar, but also my system is a simpler build. That's not to say there have been no issues whatsoever, but I wonder at the people making these claims how much they've really used Arch.
My point generally being: don't let the opinion of some Linux snobs deter you. Try Arch, it may very well be your thing, too.
I used arch extensively. I still have it in a laptop I switch on from time to time. I stopped running it mostly because it is rolling release. I didn't get many problems, but sometimes you do and sometimes you have to spend an hour figuring out what the problem is and how to fix it. I don't want to wake up in the morning with an important video call set up and be unable to participate because the pipe wire config file has been corrupted during update.
Other than that, arch is a good system. But I'd rather keep it on hardware I know I can be without for a day or two if the case comes up.
Oof, I feel you on the video call thing. I use a semi-complicated setup of switching between (7.1 surround) speakers and headphones, plugged into two separate sound cards, too... And a Zoom recorder connected with USB for sound, and Droidcam for a webcam. So many possible points of failure. I had it all working during COVID, but when I have to video call now, I just install the needed app and use my phone 🙈
(Of course, being able to do this stuff in the first place is a testament to the freedom Linux provides.)