7 Month Distrohopping (From Linux Mint to Arch)
So, I haven't touch my Bearblog for almost 7 months. Just rarely make posts in Fosstodon, or commit a code to my projects. A lot of things has changed i(my)rl, I start improving my English writing, for example in this one. I didn't using a translate, I use English as primary language in my devices. But not expert yet, sometimes I need to work around missing vocabulary, slang expressions, or less common grammar... So, like the topic, this Is my experience at "D i s t r o h o p p i n g"!
The first time I touching a Linux distro, 7 months ago, the fasting month.. with Windows 10 and VMWare Player. I had that best time when I starting figuring out on how to configure git, base HTML and CSS elements. When talking about what OSes programmers use, what I will hear is Linux distros. What I was used to hear is Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Arch. Nothing about the less common one.
I watching some tutorials and searching on how to setup Linux Mint in my VMWare. It took me a day to only downloading the ISO and start installing it tomorrow. My experience is like "So this is Linux they say? Very classic and outdated look". Even though, i choose the Cinnamon one. But it starting to grow at me. I saving some of my files on that, customizing the theme, and I start loving how customizable Linux is, like you can't even change the system font, or even the icon pack. But there's a catch: I learning about Linux, but never touching the terminal. I was kinda scared to touch a terminal in Linux, for me it's like a bottomles pit to editing and even removing every bytes of the system. I rather using the Software Manager and forgetting it. But, my bad, I removed the whole vm just becuase I think the taskbar broke. I just enabling the Edit mode in taskbar. And I need something new to love.
Then, I use Elementary OS in VM, and I was like "Wow, it's beautiful. Linux should be as beautiful as this". So I straight switching to that thing, but the customization is just lesser than the Cinnamon one. I confused on how to downloading icon packs. And I saw an blog on how to do it, and It's using terminal. So my innocent brain, just straight up copy and pasting the codes to terminal without even understanding what it does. If you was like "Didn't you used to using npm, installing libraries and packages in it? Didn't it using terminal?" So this first experience was long before I start to real coding with tools and git. But, it just too limited. And I was too lazy to opening VMware everytime I want, and waiting for minutes to boot. So, I leave them in void, never touching it, and it just staright up gone due my hardisk get corrupted.
I think these VMs is just too stupid for me. I didn't even learning a single commands like even the basic one "ls, sudo, .."
A months without experiencing Linux, I almost forgotting about that thing. I was just comforted by my coding environment in Windows. For me, It was like "it just works". But I already have a lot of thoughts like using the command prompt, disk manager. In June, I was getting in Recommend like "Revive your old PC with Linux!". I was like, is it will make my old laptop 2x faster? newer? better? So, I grab the ISO, the internet is not slow anymore. But I don't have a empty or unused USB. So I searching for "without USB" dual boot. I was choosing Linux Mint, because I was already familiar with it. First, from KMDTech, but it didn't work with setid. I think that PC is already too ancient to using some modern commands. I almost give up, but then, I searching again and get a brand new fresh way from all things I searched, using Unetbootin. So, I starting that like a project and it works!
But because I choosing Cinnamon, It was... Painfully slow... I was kinda disappointed, because I think it will make my old laptop 2x harder, better, faster, stronger. And i just using it as my CD reader, and the saddest thing, when I open that laptop once, The battery breaks for no reason. yeah, it's 14 years old not changeable, so I think not being too confused for it. i never touch it anymore. But since I can install dual boot Linux Mint in that PC, I got 2 new learns: BIOS, Grub and Dual boot. But I'm not straight up want to dual booting my fresh PC.
I was home from school, after achieve top performance in class, I straight up opening my PC. Like usual, I not coding, just vibing to music, checks AOTY, watching YouTube, and I really love anything about Linux developments. I mostly watching Chris Titus Tech, Enderman, Nobel Tech, and The Linux Experiments. They're all about Linux, i was really love to watching a lot of improvements and recommendations anywhere. So, I was searching for "perfect" linux distro, not for beginner, and you know, I end up with
CachyOS, because.. It's based on Arch. I always thinking Arch is the best distro, it has a god level wiki and every single packages existence and known for ricing and customizing aspects. But the installation was like a big wall to me (Didn't know about archinstall back then) I start dualbooting, use the way that worked in my old PC but it just didn't work. Then I use the KMDTech way, and that's work! That makes me happy. I go to my BIOS (del del del del del del del) and straight up go to Exit tab and choosing the most bottom "UEFI OS". (I already disabling the Secure Boot too). And then, i waiting a little of bit, and It's go to desktop. I don't playing too much. Just use the YouTube guide, and it's always leave me sweating when configuring the disks. Then, I click Install (Bismillah) and yeah! It works! But... It's really long! I didn't know what is happen in background, I just like waiting the whole time and finished in 2 hours for that downloading progress. My wifi isn't too slow, but not fast too.
And that is my first love with Linux. I starting to learn about sudo, lsblk, fdisk, editing files with nano and vim, sudo, and the pacman and yay. I really love the package manager! It's like having a whole every possible packages ever. I installing the flatpak, and install Sober which is (Roblox emulator for Linux). And it's really smooth! I got a lot of FPSes more than what I have in Windows, like ~100 FPSes from what I check the "Flex FPS" game. It's become my addiction. I even wake up faster just for opening my PC and starts to learning even more things about Linux! But, it's just my first REAL experience on linux. Until you find out that my now daily driver being Arch with GNOME! My experience with the KDE desktop even make me happier, the customization is reminds me the day when I amazed to how Cinnamon is customizable. I was screaming in my heart! The taskbar, font, icon, theme, login screen, widgets, browser (No more Edge) It's all about CUSTOMIZATION! And this distro is done, I was using it for a week and no miss! If this is rolling-based which is (not inherently) "unstable" then how about the "stable" one?
Debian, looks like more like "outdated" than "stable". I mean what's the thing is really stable? When I want to configure the "New" badge in start menu, there's nothing. I confused, and then I installing fastfetch and it's still 6.3.6. Like, why this thing can't be simply updated? The installaton was dead simple and dead fast! I just left the installation when I go to bathroom, and.. It's done? Good! But, the first thing I see is, that annoying popup about nonsense iBUS notifications. But glad it simply can be fixed! Now i know what is the point of stable distros, it just dont frequently updated. It should be for servers! Powerusers like me that wants a real fast updates will just not comfortable with these distros like Debian. That's why I always use Arch-based distros,
Artix, The Art of Linux! I really like Debian, it doesn't need a WiFi and waiting forever. Instead, all is built-in to the ISO and straight up installing, that's why I really think Debian is perfect for server, even it's easier than installing Ubuntu or Linux Mint. So, Artix has a special place in my heart. It's like the distro what I want, It's arch-based, have KDE, and dead simple offline installation! And, I really like the built in theme and font, It's give the distro more personality. The things that they advertise is "init system freedom", I don't care so much about that, like what should I choose? OpenRC? Runit? S6? or..Dinit?? I searching in the Google, they say that OpenRC is "stable" and "more simplicity" but idc, just download it. And since then, now I understand about these init system things, and why systemd looks bad. Installed, and.. when I starting to update with pacman, I confused that things really different. It's has system, world, galaxy, like what even is that thing? But come on, it just works! Then, I don't know is my WiFi is laggy or the Artix issue, the package manager is super slow than what I have then in CachyOS. Mayble I should change the mirror or something? Because I forgot about that thing. So, if I want to looking back to this distro, that might be my favorite distro! The saddest thing is, GNOME is now unsupported, as I really comfortable with GNOME now, but due for they pro-systemd rule. But KDE is good too.
Then, the final boss, Arch. I tired of thinking about Arch-based distros, so I give the distro itself a try. I watching the KMDTexh tutorial, and I like hey. That's so easy! I just need to configure my network, configure the disk, and archinstall. So, I trying to figuring it out, and It was failed at the first time. I didn't do something wrong, because it's my first time, I already checking every single tab that I configure and there's should nothing wrong. And I'm right, I'm not wrong, It's the KDE and pipewire issue, and the issue just created a weeks before I get this issue. My WiFi not upgraded yet, so it's a bit slow, and it just takes like ~30 minutes to download the whole kernel and packages. It's even faster than the user-friendly CachyOS installation! So this time I not give up, I already know the basics, and I try again... tomorrow
So, I home from school, and my mind was already like "Install arch!" It was easy, I still keep the old ISO, and I have a better way, I installing another DE before installing KDE. I go with LXQT, because it is based on old KDE, and it's even also lighter than XFCE which is based on old GNOME! And yeah! I use the installation method like before with using LXQT desktop and all works! Then, I just need to chroot and install the grub. Now, I just need to install the KDE. But, I become like LXQT so much, My PC is already fast and powerful, with LXQT, everything is just instant. I click the explorer and it just straight opened, firefox even just in 1 second! But I didn't like it more than KDE! So, searching how to install KDE in arch, setting the login manager, and it's all done 👍. I even deleting the LXQT :q It's all alright, nothing really groundbreaking from CachyOS for me, the boot is slightly faster, the package manager too. And the powerful weapon, fastfetch! Yeah! I really proud for it! I telling all in GitHub, AOTY, last.fm, Fosstodon, Bluesky like it's a badge! Well, just for myself I think. And now I think Installing arch is not difficult no more with archinstall. The manual installation is better, 101%, the docs for installation is well made! Also videos are well made! But I think, my purpose is making an simple and perfect installation, I can learn more about how Linux works when I go inside.
And, it's out of my countrol, I break my arch for the first time. Idk is it because an update issue or corrupted package. But i got freezed on KDE login. But be honest, I was want to use LXQT back, so I installing it and sign out, but when I want to click it, it's doesn't work for some reason (freezes), I setting the arch to login automically everytime I boot so I disabling it and end up stuck in it everytime I boot to it. It's just breezes, nothing I know. And what I do? Nah, just deleting the partition and delete the arch boot partition override. My next distrohopping
Garuda Linux, They say it's optimized for gaming, packed a lot of tools! Bit for me, it's mean more performance, power usage, and good GUI tools. I didn't want to use the KDE anymore (cause my mistake too), and also the KDE in Garuda is heavily customized, which is will have incredibly high power usage, so I choosing Cinnamon. It's like the best world of KDE and GNOME. Customization and flexibility of KDE, and it's... based on GNOME? Is it even a compliment... But It's great! Like what I used dreaming with Artix, arch-based, and dead simple installation! And everything works! The disks is automically mounted which is a big deal for me. And the Roblox performance is great! (It's got AMD Radeon 2048SP!) and with some Sober FFlags config to override FPS, I can get up to ~500 FPSes! Great! Basically, everything works here. I spend a week with it and time to distrohopping again.
NixOS, it's harder than Arch! Like you need to edit the config everytime you want to install package. sudo nixos-rebuild switch and, ta-da! You got an portable config that you can use to any computers installed NixOS! So, you know, I really love the ElementaryOS look, it's has its like has element of ...comfort and modern look and what I see, the Pantheon desktop is here, straight up exist in NixOS installation!! It's made me even stronger to install the NixOS, because the ElementaryOS itself has a some issue that i don't understand. It's not offline installation, so I should wait for it and it's installs faster than what I expected! And everything works, like in Garuda, the disks are mounted (Even though it's not that big deal, but I like everything works simply.) . Since I know how to use it and installing package proper, I starting to like it! I have everything installed! And google chrome (dont judge me) just runs like in LXQT! It's really fast, like in 1 second! And the booting is also fast! I searching in google why js NixOS boot fast, and what I see is NixOS boot slow issue. So, is it just me or there's something? So far so good. I like it! But looks like, I want to use GNOME, because Pantheon it seems have small zone of extensions and customization. So I backup the config,
Reinstall NixOS with GNOME, and the problem is, I just copying the whole config, and the Pantheon, even the wallpaper is all back like what it used to be! There's also no simple way to recover the config, I found out in the boot, there's like a generations, so I choose the Generation 1 before 2, and It's goes to the GNOME! Good! So I want to grab this config, but It just has the config that I already contaminated before. I really confused, there's no simple way to do it back. So I just delete out all the rest, and finding again something good.
Garuda, but with GNOME. I don't have too much to say, because it basically the same like before, but with GNOME, but all I can say is everything works! The GNOME itself is straight fresh GNOME without any Garuda themes like in KDE and Cinnamon. So I like it! And I start to loving GNOME, The customization is not straight up exist in settings, but you can use the Extension Manager. You don't have to use browser to installing extensions! Just download the app in flathub and I never had a issues about it. This is the most "just works" distro for me. And the way the desktops works is gorgeous. Just drag and drop and I now have an elegant and clean workspaces! No bug, no crashes, this is like a brand new fresh air for me!
But I still not had enough, I really enjoyed my vanilla Arch installation, basically I feel like the king on my own PC, I can do basically everything I wanted! So, today I flexing the way installing Arch. I already remember the commands that I use to install it. From iwctl, fdisk, and archinstall itself. And I choose GNOME, glad the GNOME/KDE with Pipewire issue is not exist (yeah), and it's all just work in under 10 minutes! Especially that my WiFi is already changed with more speed and more stable than before. So after all, Arch is basically the distro that I deserved. I like a complete control to my PC. And it's lighter! And about mounting, I just need to open the Disks app, select disk and partition, edit mount option and click the switch. It's simple!! If you was like "Arch is breakable, it's not stable". Then you wrong. If you don't do anything excessive, it can be your permanent home, with always updated packages and kernel, and it has like more than hundreds of thousands packages exist from AUR (94,609 as this written), the holy wiki, and big community! And a badge to say "I use arch btw" on every single linux thread possible! So with a confidence, you can use Arch like it's your sweet home.
And about the old PC, I installing it Puppy Linux. It's now usable, I can install LibreOffice and 2 tab browsing, YouTube now not broken, it's really usable now! Except the battery...
Soo... basically, If you a beginner and wanted to try Linux, you can simply start from Linux Mint! You don't need to touch that terminal always. Slowly your ability will be continues to increase!
Thanks for your time till this bottomless pit :) (Gonna add more resource link when possible, and I should learn to tomorrow exam bruh)