Arch is very nice IMO, but frequent updates waste bandwidth and make for maintenance headaches. It's probably good for 3D gaming, audio or graphics work, and other things that require high performance and/or realtime capabilities... But I do none of those things, and find it too much of a nuisance to use on the desktop. If you don't mind frequent updates, though, then it's probably worth trying.
Also, the community is one of the best in the Linux world - huge, knowledgeable, and very friendly.
salix vs. arch
Re: salix vs. arch
Both distributions are similar because they follow the KISS principle. And they *don't* split libraries and headers, which is a plus.
The major difference is that while Salix offers a fully-functional Desktop environment out-of-the-box, while Arch offers a system from scratch. And by scratch I mean scratch - it was very annoying to manually install 'tree', 'mlocate' and 'most' for goodness sake! There should be a pacman group, 'cli-tools' or something. BUT... you can make anything out of Arch, just read the (vast) documentation and you'll be fine. And don't forget to install iptables!
About rolling-release... well Arch is updated frequently but not as frequently as, let's say, Ubuntu or Fedora.
The major difference is that while Salix offers a fully-functional Desktop environment out-of-the-box, while Arch offers a system from scratch. And by scratch I mean scratch - it was very annoying to manually install 'tree', 'mlocate' and 'most' for goodness sake! There should be a pacman group, 'cli-tools' or something. BUT... you can make anything out of Arch, just read the (vast) documentation and you'll be fine. And don't forget to install iptables!
About rolling-release... well Arch is updated frequently but not as frequently as, let's say, Ubuntu or Fedora.
Re: salix vs. arch
Hi...
I've messed around with many Linux's over the years : Fedora / Mandrake / Suse (Red Hat based), Mepis / Sidux (Debian),
Sabayon (Gentoo), Bridge (Arch), and now Slax / Salix (Slackware)... Like the guy that got me into Linux long ago stated that Slackware was the best and now I've come around to using as you get to learn the rudiments Linux without system always breaking... Arch (mentioned elsewhere) upon updating breaks the system and you have to figure out how to fix all the time. Also to mention just because Ubuntu / Mint has issues don't discount Debian because folks made a distro based on it and BROKE it... But yes Slackware / Salix / other Slack based are real good for many reasons, especially learning Linux properly I'd suppose...
I've messed around with many Linux's over the years : Fedora / Mandrake / Suse (Red Hat based), Mepis / Sidux (Debian),
Sabayon (Gentoo), Bridge (Arch), and now Slax / Salix (Slackware)... Like the guy that got me into Linux long ago stated that Slackware was the best and now I've come around to using as you get to learn the rudiments Linux without system always breaking... Arch (mentioned elsewhere) upon updating breaks the system and you have to figure out how to fix all the time. Also to mention just because Ubuntu / Mint has issues don't discount Debian because folks made a distro based on it and BROKE it... But yes Slackware / Salix / other Slack based are real good for many reasons, especially learning Linux properly I'd suppose...
Re: salix vs. arch
Some very nice choices ..Sidux (Debian),
Sabayon (Gentoo), Bridge (Arch), and now Slax / Salix (Slackware).
Slackware ( Manjaro ) Salix, AntiX, Bunsen, Calculate
Re: salix vs. arch
@GJones says Regarding Arch
While most agree that Arch is - huge, knowledgeable, (Great Wikis) there is a Very Large group of Users that find the Arch Forums hostile much more often then other popular forums. I read this complaint a lot.... a lot..
Just pointing out that when you hear a constant squeak then there is probably a problem to be address.
As you may be aware I have been using and installing Linux since 1995. That doesn't make me any smarter but it does mean that I have seen and read a lot from other users in the Linux community. I must say as sometimes Arch User.Also, the community is one of the best in the Linux world - huge, knowledgeable, and very friendly.
While most agree that Arch is - huge, knowledgeable, (Great Wikis) there is a Very Large group of Users that find the Arch Forums hostile much more often then other popular forums. I read this complaint a lot.... a lot..
Just pointing out that when you hear a constant squeak then there is probably a problem to be address.
Last edited by sqlpython on 6. Jul 2013, 15:54, edited 1 time in total.
Slackware ( Manjaro ) Salix, AntiX, Bunsen, Calculate
Re: salix vs. arch
To balance, if I may add from my personal experience with the Arch community, the "hostility" in Arch's forums is not of the "bad" kind.
They are like a good and tough teacher who expects you to work at least as hard as he when solving a problem. Personally, I prefer that, it makes you better.
They are like a good and tough teacher who expects you to work at least as hard as he when solving a problem. Personally, I prefer that, it makes you better.
Re: salix vs. arch
^ I agree with that aspect.
I was not referring to that particular sternness .
The complaints and repulsion from the part of users had to do with the refusal to consider any kind of helping hand to Any but a parochial Arch install. That together with sometimes a nasty scolding.
Never has happened to me But I have witness such.
Unlike that behavior, Debian, Slackware, Gentoo, Ubuntu, Fedora, and the like would politely and effectively handle like spinoff Distro questions. Sometimes, with an after add that perhaps you can also look at the correct Distro page. Arch behavior is not so charitable and stands practically singularly in that approach with perhaps the exception of FreeBSD.
That was all I meant to imply.
All and All Arch continues to be a fine Distro.
I was not referring to that particular sternness .
The complaints and repulsion from the part of users had to do with the refusal to consider any kind of helping hand to Any but a parochial Arch install. That together with sometimes a nasty scolding.
Never has happened to me But I have witness such.
Unlike that behavior, Debian, Slackware, Gentoo, Ubuntu, Fedora, and the like would politely and effectively handle like spinoff Distro questions. Sometimes, with an after add that perhaps you can also look at the correct Distro page. Arch behavior is not so charitable and stands practically singularly in that approach with perhaps the exception of FreeBSD.
That was all I meant to imply.
All and All Arch continues to be a fine Distro.
Slackware ( Manjaro ) Salix, AntiX, Bunsen, Calculate