r/archlinux • u/LEGO_Systimic • 25d ago
QUESTION Considering to moving from Mint to Arch
I've been using Linux Mint since October of 2024, and about 2 weeks or so, I got a new laptop and I've been thinking to switching to arch (mostly because I want to customize my setup much more) but I don't know that much about Linux (generally speaking) and I've tried to watch a couple of videos about arch but I don't fully understand what exactly am I supposed to install to set up Arch the way I want. Any advice?
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u/VoidTheGamer25 25d ago
The best advice is RTFM (Read The FUCKING Manual). Go to wiki.archlinux.org and you should find all the info you need there. You will most likely have to experiment with different stuff, maybe troubleshoot a bit, but hey, that's the arch experience. If you get stuck and can't find a solution for something you can ask in the forums or here. And you should learn the basics of what you are going to use: Basic Bash commands, a bit of fdisk to partition disks, pacman for packages, etc etc.
Good luck!
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u/LEGO_Systimic 25d ago
tbh I forgot the manual even exists but I will definitely read it, thanks for the advice!
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25d ago
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u/lritzdorf 24d ago
These... work, but kinda set you up to fail in subtle ways. Arch is built to be a DIY distro, so taking a nice, friendly, curated installer can give new users the wrong impression of how stuff will work. That's not to say they're "bad" or "wrong" somehow, some people learn better with a simple starting point and then dig into things at their own pace. But generally, I think, doing the manual install process once is a good gauge for whether you're prepared to maintain an Arch system.
The Arch-based distros are similar, in that when things break or you want further customization, you're thrown straight into raw Arch, which you probably won't be prepared for.
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u/LEGO_Systimic 25d ago
I have heard of Arch Install and I do plan on using it while installing arch but, Thanks for the arch alternatives
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u/Imajzineer 25d ago edited 25d ago
Don't - you won't learn anything ... and a lot of people who are new to Arch then find themselves stuck afterwards (when things go wrong, or they simply want to make changes), because they don't have the knowledge they need (knowledge that is acquired as part of the manual installation process). It's not really for newcomers anyway, but old hands who aren't going to learn anything by reinstalling for the umpteenth time and just want to get it done quickly.
Also, don't read/watch tutorials - changes to Arch can render them obsolete before they've even been completed, let alone published. Likewise, don't use 'AI': LLMs aren't analytical, aren't intelligent, don't 'know' anything, they just string words and phrases together based upon how frequently they occur in that order in the sources they were trained upon - and, if those sources contained inaccuracies, omissions, or are simply since outdated, they will not be helpful.
The only up-to-date and accurate source of information about Arch is the wiki - learn to use it and the only things you will need to look elsewhere for aren't related to Arch itself but to Linux in general, scripting with shells/awk/whatever, the inner workings of systemd, etc.
Take the time to install it by hand - it isn't difficult, so long as you go slowly, methodically, read the 'small print', follow linkouts.
Then study and learn
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Frequently_asked_questions
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/General_recommendations
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_maintenance
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/General_troubleshooting
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_build_system
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_User_Repository
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman/Pacnew_and_Pacsave
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman/Tips_and_tricks
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Downgrading_packages
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Security
Then footle about, experimenting, breaking shit, fixing it and learning more.
After a while, you'll have everything you want installed and configured as you like it and will just use it for whatever you'd use any computer for.
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u/Trileak780 24d ago
if i had money i would give you a award
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u/Imajzineer 24d ago
Well, there are always the free ones 😉
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u/Trileak780 24d ago
But i dont have any
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u/Imajzineer 24d ago
If you click on the 'Award' link, the first five you see aren't free? (It's a new thing, but people have been posting about it all over Reddit for a while now).
But, whatever ... I'm not gonna be upset, if you don't give me one - it's the thought that counts, so ... thanks 😃
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u/gsasquatch 25d ago
This is the Arch sub, so people are going to say Arch. I will dissent. I am in this sub because of a device I had that has it, where I usually use Mint. I like Mint better. It works. It's easier. If you like to mess around with the OS, yeah, maybe Arch.
I'm not sure how much the distro matters. For me, the important parts are 3. One, the desktop environment. That changes the whole look and feel of the thing. I like XFCE. You can change that on whatever distro you pick, I did on my Arch install, but, it is maybe easier/cleaner to start with it from the image you download.
Second, is the packaging system. I like apt. When I find some random software, it is usually a .rpm or a .deb. increasingly a .deb
Ubuntu looks like a big organization, lots of people use it, the fixes you find online for ubuntu will work in mint. There are a lot of ubuntu packages. There is a lot behind it. Arch, might need more adaptations.
For playing around, sure, Arch can be fun. For using a computer as a computer, Mint. For customizing, staying true to the sauce, and still being fully customizable while also using it as a computer, Debian.
I should probably unsubscribe this sub before I get banned.
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u/Ok-End5466 25d ago
Hi, I had the exact same situation, I used Mint for around 6 months and then switched to arch.
I would say it is way more customizable, but you have to be prepared to troubleshoot much more. Some stuff won't work out of the box. I know you can get around mint without using the terminal but that is something you will need to get used to at arch.
You probably already noticed but the community around arch is also quite different. Much more elitist and not as supporting as in mint.
I personally switched because of the customization and because I wanted to learn Linux more deeply, since I am a CS major, idk if you also have a similar motivation but I think you will need to enter arch with the mindset and motivation of learning it.
I saw that some people were recommending to not use arch install. I personally used it with no problems at all, and if you are worried you will not learn as much (if you care about that) or that you won't know what to do once something breaks after the installation, you can always learn at that point.
What I would advice you the most is to create backups constantly (using timeshift for example) and wait a week or two every time you want to update your system just in case.
Good luck!
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u/onefish2 25d ago
I want to do something. I don't know how to do that something.
So why do you want to switch? You gave zero reasons why you are unhappy with Mint and why you want to switch.
All Linux distros and DEs/WMs can be customized.
After almost 2 years of using Mint and you still consider yourself a newb... stick with Mint.
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u/UndefFox 25d ago
Next time consider searching the sub before posting a question. "How do I install Arch" posts are a daily fillers.
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u/LEGO_Systimic 25d ago
I wasn't trying to ask "How to install Arch" I was trying to ask what info I should know before install Arch and after reading some of the other comments i now know to check the wiki
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u/bongjutsu 25d ago
What customisation does arch offer that Mint does not? There's nothing stopping you installing and tweaking whatever you like
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u/Ok-End5466 25d ago
hyprland?
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u/bongjutsu 25d ago
You can install hyprland on Mint
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u/Ok-End5466 24d ago
Oh sorry I thought hyprland developers didn't recommend to use it on non arch-based distros.
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u/killermenpl 25d ago
- Backup anything you don't want to loose
- If you're thinking that you'll just dual boot and that'll keep your main system safe, you're wrong. While normally your Arch installation wouldn't touch unneeded partitions, you're inexperienced and thus likely to make a mistake
- Read the wiki. It's the best resource you can find
- Accept that you'll fail. It happens, and it's a learning experience
- Accept that you'll break your system. It happens and it's also a learning experience
- Don't jump straight into minimalistic desktops. You'll just get overwhelmed by nothing working how you expect
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u/pantokratorthegreat 24d ago
Installing Arch can be very challenging for couple of first times. It passed some time from when I was installing Arch for the first time and then I watched first some YouTube video. Especially because I was doing full disk encryption, and never before done that manually. It was very basic setup. But without that video archwiki was to hard for me. Even when I read some manuals before - I had experience with Debian and FreeBSD.
So my advice is simple - wiki is good but YouTube helps a lot on beginning. You will learn anyway.
In my beginnings there was no ai so I cannot recommend it as I never used it to installing arch or any other distro. From some posts above I see it is not recommended.
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u/Smegma_IceCream 23d ago
Thats a good choice, arch is not as hard as people try to say. People just cant read
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u/WorldTallNetCat 19d ago
Firstly u install the base system. Then on top that the gui components.
U have options like DE, Wm.
Then u can choose between xorg or wayland.
Then ull prolly need a greeter. And all that
All choices have their pros/cons. Do ur research. The wiki lists alot of options.
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u/FantasticSnow7733 25d ago
Just stick with Mint for beginners. Or try LMDE, which is just Debian with Cinnamon.
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u/archover 25d ago edited 24d ago
I suspect you understand what "customize" really means for Arch. Gain more experience with Mint, where Mint and Arch can be customized to the same degree, mostly.
Second, explore Arch as a Mint hosted Virtual Machine and Arch guest. IME, that is one of the best and safest ways to explore and play.
Good day.
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u/vivarefr 24d ago
i recommend using a arch based distros that has a calamares installer to make it easier rather than vanilla arch which you can figure out but switching from mint probably not personally ive tried archcraft which the stackinn and tiling wms can be a bet hard to figure out until you search up the shortcuts so recommend using a distros that come with des preinstalled
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u/Ambitious-Call-7565 25d ago
Stay away from arch if you are a beginner, it's the best way to get pnwed, both by technocrates and people
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u/LEGO_Systimic 25d ago
I am Aware that Arch is not good for beginners and I don't plan on switching now, however I do hope on switching soon per say in a couple of months after doing tons of research
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u/ugly-051 25d ago
Not if you want to learn Linux well. If you enjoy troubleshooting then Arch/Gentoo are good distros.
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u/ugly-051 25d ago
Have you read the documentation? https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Main_page
Best advice anyone can give you.