Should you switch to Arch Linux from Windows?
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If you are a Windows user, you may have always wanted to switch to Linux. But you may have been afraid of the terminal, or the lack of software support. But I am here to tell you that you can switch to Arch Linux from Windows, and you will not regret it.
Here are some reasons why you should switch to Arch Linux from Windows:
- Arch Linux is a rolling release distribution, which means you get the latest software updates as soon as they are released. This means you do not have to wait for the next version of the distribution to get the latest software.
- Arch Linux is a minimalist distribution, which means you only get the software you need. This means you do not have to deal with bloatware that comes pre-installed with other distributions.
- Arch Linux has a great package manager called pacman, which makes it easy to install and update software. This means you do not have to deal with dependency hell that comes with other package managers.
- Since this is one of the most popular Linux distributions, support is available everywhere online. Moreover, ChatGPT exists now.
The thing with Arch Linux as your first switch to Windows is that it is not generally recommended. It is recommended that you switch to simpler distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora first, and then switch to Arch Linux. But if you are feeling sigma, you can switch to Arch Linux from Windows directly. This will make you less afraid of the terminal (as one of the core features of any distributions, not just Arch, is the terminal) and will make you more comfortable and confident with Linux in general.
Why should you switch to Linux though? It's because it's simpler, cooler, and easier to do tasks on. In Windows, you have to click through multiple buttons to install a simple software, but in Linux, you can just type sudo pacman -S firefox to install firefox, instead of downloading the installer, double-clicking it, and clicking through multiple buttons. There are also a load of other features that Linux has that Windows does not, like the ability to customize your desktop to your liking, or the ability to install software without having to worry about viruses.
What's a distro/distribution? These are just different "flavors" of Linux. Different distributions offer different user experiences, but the core, the Linux kernel, stays the same. Which means, most of the stuff should and will remain similar. However, the most two common distributions are Ubuntu and Arch. Ubuntu is more user and beginner-friendly (mostly because it's based on Debian), whereas Arch is more garnered towards more tech-savvy users, and is more minimalistic. There are also other distros, but there's a good chance that it's either based on Debian or Arch.
Will my software even work? Chances are that, if it's a popular software, like Discord or Spotify, there's a Linux native version of it. If not, there's a thing in Arch that gives it an edge above other distributions - it's called the AUR (Arch User Repository). This allows the community to make "ports" of software and upload it to the AUR so that you can download it easily and use it on Arch. Moreover, if that still isn't available, some Adobe software, you can always rely on WINE (Wine Is Not an Emulator). It's a compatibility layer that can run Windows software on Linux. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.
Speaking personally, I switched to Linux in 2020, with Ubuntu being my first distribution. I got comfortable with Linux, then slowly switched to Arch, and regretted not choosing this as my first ever distro. It's a very beautiful distro and really, really cool. The amount of time saving while the customisation is really amazing. And there are more awesome stuff in Linux in general, like watching anime through the terminal.
In the next few blogposts, I will make a guide on how to switch to Arch Linux from Windows, and how to get comfortable with the terminal. Stay tuned!