Arch Linux vs. Ubuntu

Arch Linux is an independently integrated x86-64 general-purpose distribution of Linux that strives for providing the latest stable releases of most software by pursuing a rolling-release design. The default installation is a basic base system, constructed by the user for only adding what is required purposely.

Pacman, the package manager specifically written for Arch Linux, is used for installing, removing, and updating software packages. Arch Linux applies a rolling-release design meaning that no major releases of fully new system versions are available; a basic system update is all that is required for obtaining the latest software of Arch; the installation images published every month via the Arch team are generally up to date snapshots of the primary system components.

Arch Linux contains comprehensive documentation, containing a community-run wiki which is called the ArchWiki.

Pros of Arch Linux

Arch is what we wish it to be

Arch Linux provides crazy amounts of customizability to its users. A clear installation of Arch does not even contain a Window Manager or Desktop Environment. The user creates their system through the ground up. Also, this approach makes Arch Linux extremely lightweight as no pre-installed bloat on the computer is available but the user has complete freedom of what we wish and when we wish it.

Bleeding-edge

Arch Linux pursues a rolling-release design. It essentially means that we get every new update and feature as early as the rollout. There is no requirement for several versions when upgrading or updating our system boils down to a general command mentioned as follows:

pacman -Syu

AUR

AUR stands for Arch User Repository. It is a specific feature that makes Arch Linux stand out among several distributions. It includes package descriptions that permit us for compiling a package through source using makepkg and install it by pacman.

AUR was designed to share and organize new packages with the community and to aid expedite the inclusion of popular packages into the community repository. The Arch User Repository increases the software offerings of the official repository of Arch much beyond and further.

Arch Wiki

Linux is one of the most well-documented distributions of Linux out there. The Arch Wiki is a stuff of legends among Linux enthusiasts. It is well massive and documented. Probably, the Arch Wiki contains the solution already if we run into a few troubles with our system.

A Bridge

Pacman, an Arc Linux package manager is pretty specific in its right. It's flexible enough for supporting the binary package's installation with the Arch repository and binaries compiled using source by makepkg. It makes Arch the bridge between the distributions which permit the binary package's installation by their management systems and the distributions which permit their users for compiling binaries with the source using variable configurations.

Develop our Linux understanding

The installation process is quite complex because most of the things we will be doing would not be GUI-assistant and we will be applying CLI commands. However, this type of complexity may sound creepy to new users, but it still contains its perks. The installation process teaches us a lot about how actually Linux works which we would not bother learning as modern-day GUI installers think of that for us.

Bonus

We should have heard of Black Arch if we are into cyber security. The Black Arch repository includes an extensive list of security tools for security researchers and testers. The drawback of installing Black Arch for a few users might be its extensive size because it provides every tool that contains the ones we are never going to apply. The good news is that we can develop the Black Arch repository in our Arch system and get the tools we require on-demand through the repository.

Other famous Linux distros based on Arch are listed below:

• RebornOS
• EndeavourOS
• ArcoLinux
• Manjaro Linux

Cons of Arch Linux

It's an advanced distro

However, we might see Arch Linux to be a likely contender for our next distro, but it isn't a newbie-friendly distribution. It's not suggested that a newbie of Linux tries out this distro. Arch provides in question with customizability, it is likely that a user might break their computer system attempting to configure it in a wrong way.

If we really wish to give Arch Linux a try and we are not confident with our Linux skills, it's much better to try out it on a virtual machine and after that make a jump on the actual system when we are enough confident.

There are also some other cons of Arch Linux in addition to the pros of using it, including:

systemd

• In the AUR, the software is not always to be reliable to be up to date, and safe.
• Smaller community as compared to other distros (such as Ubuntu)
• A basic installation process can be complicated for new users
• It is often time-consuming or difficult to repair Arch Linux if it breaks.
• Providing bleeding-edge application can lead to stability issues

Introduction to Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a Debian-based Linux distribution and composed mostly of open-source and free software. Officially, Ubuntu is published in three different editions: Core, Server, and Desktop for robots and IoT devices. Every edition can execute on the system alone or inside a VM. Ubuntu is a famous OS for cloud computing along with OpenStack support. Since the 17.10 version, the default desktop of Ubuntu has been GNOME.

Ubuntu is integrated by Canonical (a British company) and other developer communities upon a meritocratic governance model. Canonical gives security updates and all Ubuntu version support, beginning from the version date and until the version reaches its created EOL (End of Life) date. Canonical produces revenue from the premium service sale corresponding to Ubuntu.

Features of Ubuntu

• Lock screen
  Ubuntu OS includes a good design of lock screen which also provides notifications. In Ubuntu, if we change our desktop, it will also reflect inside the lock screen. The lock screen will modify if we change our desktop.
• Open-source and free
  Ubuntu is open-source and free which means that we can forever use it at no cost. We do not need to purchase any license to use it. If we wish to use macOS and Windows, it's not free then. Also, Ubuntu source code is available for which we don't need to pay anything. We can check the operating system code and if we wish to change the code, we can do it as well.
• Do not disturb
  Ubuntu provides the option, i.e., "Do not disturb". We can move our mouse on the screen top and press time, and a popup window will occur. We will find "Do not disturb" in the pop-up window bottom. If we turn on the option, it will not show desktop notifications over the screen.
• Support several devices
  We can install Ubuntu OS on a huge variety of devices including Virtual Machines, servers, PC, Mac computers, and others. Almost all cloud-based technologies use Ubuntu OS to host websites and applications because it is free. Also, we can use this OS for robots and on IoT devices.
• Modify icon size
  We can increase or decrease font and icon size by using fractional scaling. If we have more than one screen such as a laptop or other monitors, we can set distinct scaling options (i.e., 200%, 175%, 150%, 125%, or 100%). The fractional scaling will increase font and icon size on different types of screens if we have any high-resolution screens.

Drawbacks of Ubuntu

• Few customizations
  Linux has many other distros such as Linux Mint which is much lighter as compared to Ubuntu. Ubuntu OS requires higher system requirements and it is not very customizable as well.
• Fewer games
  Fewer games are available in Ubuntu operating system. Most developers consider creating games on other famous operating systems such as macOS and Windows as Ubuntu is not a universally used OS. Also, Ubuntu hardware drivers are not compatible to play games.
• Lack of famous software
  Adobe software including Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop isn't available in Ubuntu. Also, other mostly used and renowned software isn't available in Ubuntu.
• Issues with MP3
  In Ubuntu, MP3 is by default not supported. We need to install third-party applications to play MP3 files.
• Non-responsive community
  We can feel trouble receiving help through the online community if we face any problem with the operating system. It sometimes takes months for getting our issue resolved with the community's help.
• Hardware issues
  Most hardware vendors do not make hardware drivers with Ubuntu. The graphic drivers aren't available in Ubuntu for most graphic cards for that reason. The graphic acceleration isn't helpful for this operating system. We can't play highly graphical games on Ubuntu.

Difference between Arch Linux and Ubuntu

Both Arch Linux and Ubuntu offer entirely different experiences on the desktop. Often, it is hard to select one of them as our daily driver, especially when we can't ignore the advantages of Ubuntu and Arch Linux. Here, we highlight several differences between Arch Linux and Ubuntu that can help us decide what we need to use.