Finally, I’ve decided to make a list of the best Arch-based Linux distros I’ve used and tried so far. I was a full-time Debian user. And, because I am a distro hopper, you will find me moving to and from various Debian-based distros. In fact, most of the beginners in Linux tend to go for Debian. Because it’s easy to use and there are tons of prebuilt packages. But when I came to know about Arch Linux for the first time, I fall in love with it.
However, I will not suggest the vanilla Arch Linux to the newbie users. It’s because Arch follows a rolling release model, and you can build your own OS image based on your favorite packages. This leads to some complications, which might be annoying for beginners. But apart from that, if you want complete flexibility and customizations with the latest packages, there’s no alternative to Arch Linux. In fact, if you are a power user like me, you will even get a performance boost in Arch.
Best Arch-based Linux Distros
As I said earlier, configuring Arch Linux and installing the packages is a bit complex process. You will need to use command lines more than any other distros. But due to some obvious advantages of Arch, there’s a growing community of Arch Linux who are constantly developing this distro with more features and benefits.
They have come up with various custom distros based on Arch to overcome the minor issues with the original Arch Linux. Here, I’ve created a list of the best Arch-based Linux distros that you should try out.
1. Manjaro Linux
Manjaro Linux is the most mainstream Linux distro out there based on the Arch source code. So, as always, you are getting the cutting-edge software packages in this distro. Manjaro is fully open source, and there are a lot of official and community editions consisting of different desktop environments.
It is designed with Windows users in mind, and hence if you have just shifted from Windows, you will feel at home. Overall, if you are looking for a balanced distro in terms of performance and stability, this is a no-brainer.
Distro Highlights
- You can configure Manjaro as you wish by removing or keeping your desired application packages.
- It has an auto-installer for the proprietory graphics cards such as AMD or NVIDIA.
- The distro is privacy-oriented, and you can control every aspect of user-generated data and how it will be used.
- A built-in function will help you switch your current Linux kernel to a different one.
- It comes with XFCE, KDE Plasma, and GNOME desktop environments for your convenience.
Pros: Manjaro is much more stable than the vanilla Arch Linux. The developers push updates after extensive testing, and you don’t have to worry about breaking the system after an update.
Cons: You won’t find all the prebuilt packages in the repository like Debian-based distros, which is technically a negative side.
popular Linux distros either come from Europe or America. There are several good distros from Asia, but they are mostly of Chinese origin, which some people consider fishy. Finally, an Indian distribution that has got positive impressions from the Linux community all over the world.
Anyway, this is yet another distro based on Arch Linux, but there’s something special about this distro. Of course, you can apply themes on any Linux distro and make it look gorgeous. But the specialty about Garuda is that it comes preloaded with colorful icons and a customized desktop environment that look stunning.
Distro Highlights
- The developers have used a modified version of the Calamares installer for quicker setup.
- It is preloaded with shell themes, a variety of icon packs, and a special effect on the window backgrounds.
- Garuda Linux uses the BTRFS files system to use this distro on sensitive servers and storage systems.
- It will automatically create snapshots of the entire system that can be restored right from the GRUB bootloader.
- This distro uses the same Pacman package management system with an innovative graphical UI for the newbies.
Pros: Garuda has one of the most beautiful UI straight out of the box. Of course, there are some fancy distros like Deepin in terms of aesthetics. But if you want a gorgeous stock alike look, then Garuda should be your pick.
Cons: This is a pretty heavy OS, and the recommended system requirements are relatively higher. So, it may not run smoothly on your old computer.
your favorite desktop environment and packages, or just go with the predefined settings in the Calamares installer. Even they have a proprietary app that will enable you to choose from 21 different desktop environments to choose from even after installation.
Distro Highlights
- It has three different editions for different types of users such as ArcoLinux, ArcoLinuxD, and ArcoLinuxB.
- The distro is bundled with almost all the desktop environments currently found for Linux.
- There are some themed versions of this distro that come pre-customized, and you don’t have to worry about the aesthetics.
- Building your very own ISO image is quite easier using the ArcoLinuxB project.
- There is a forum with a ton of resources related to Arch, especially the AroLinux for beginners.
Pros: This distro provides maximum freedom in terms of choosing the desktop environments. This is great for the people who had to ditch a distro just for the DE it came with.
Cons: This is pretty easy to use, but if you are just starting with Linux, then there are much better alternatives than this.
security and pen-testing tools that come with the distro.
Even you will be surprised to know that the BlackArch repository contains more than 2000 security tools that can be accessed for this distro. Also, you are getting support for the classical AUR package repository and Pacman.
Distro Highlights
- The tools can be installed in groups from the official repository to save time.
- The default theme and icons of the distro bring a hacker vibe and add up to the aesthetics.
- You can either go for the Full ISO or the Netinstall ISO, which is smaller in size.
- The official documentation is available in various languages, which is a plus point.
- You will get to see the list of the available packages right on their official website and install them from there.
Pros: If you don’t want to miss the functionalities of Kali Linux and want that rolling release model of Arch Linux, then this is the perfect distribution for you.
Cons: The developers discourage the new users from starting using this because of the steep learning curve.
most lightweight Linux distributions. And for this obvious reason, it is perfect for using it as a portable system.
It comes with support for live ISO, and you can install it on your system either by using the command lines or using the graphical installer. Despite having some bugs here and there, Archbang is very popular among a niche community.
Distro Highlights
- The UI looks decent with the i3 window manager and pre-configured Conky monitor.
- The size of the ISO file is just a few hundred megabytes, which is great for computers with small storage.
- It doesn’t come with any fancy tools out of the box, but you can install Arch packages later.
- Zen Installer is very easy to use and will guide you through the full installation process.
- The terminal enthusiasts will prefer this distro over others because of the fewer graphical distractions.
Pros: For IoT devices and portable computers, this distro is a no-brainer. You won’t find any kind of lags or hiccups.
Cons: A few people reported some bugs here and there while installation, but the live ISO works perfectly. This is a thing to consider.
Our Recommendation
Recommending a particular distro to anyone is the toughest thing to do. Because it depends on various factors, but still, I’ll give you some hints so that you can decide your sweet spot from the above-mentioned distros.
If you want maximum stability and reliability, I’ll ask you to stick to the Manjaro Linux. Garuda Linux is also great for artistic people. But the system requirements are quite high. If you love to tinker around backdoors and security, then BlackArch is the thing to go for. This is also pretty lightweight.
Final Thoughts
As you can see the Arch Linux is somewhat different from the Debian distribution. It is a bit difficult for the new users too. This is why some people try to avoid Arch, and even I don’t recommend arch to beginners. But if you are impressed with the special arch features and have a secondary PC to try out, there’s nothing wrong with going with Arch Linux.
I hope these Arch-based Linux distros will be able to fulfill your needs throughout your Linux journey. Don’t forget to appreciate our works by sharing this article with your friends and family.