I use Arch BTW

August 9, 2025

A monument to Arch Linux
A monument to Arch Linux generated locally with FLUX.1-dev
I've finally done it. After almost 30 years of Windows I have finally taken the full plunge into Linux. And you know what? I should have done it much sooner.
Let's back up, what's the problem with Windows? Windows is but another victim of modern enshitification. Once a product gets popular, it becomes more appealing for companies to try to milk the product for all its worth and to continue riding the momentum of success. As with Windows, its been getting more and more intrusive, filled with ads and various crapware, which lead me to think more and more of the greener pastures. Sure, for a while I continued coping and make concessions such as by switching over to Windows 11 IOT LTSC, but ultimately it's been feeling like I've been climbing up a sinking ship. As I now have a bit of free time I've decided that it's finally time to take the plunge and to jump fully into the world of Linux.
So which distro did I choose? As historically an Ubuntu (Kubuntu is better) user, I wanted to try and find something better. My research lead me to Linux Mint, which is arguably the most popular distro right now due to its maturity and reputation of using old but well tested software for the sake of stability. Its desktop environment, Cinnamon, is highly praised, but ultimately it did not work well for me and its lack of Wayland (a rabbit hole not worth jumping into for a casual) support and slow release cycle were too frustrating. I had inadvertently stumbled into a Firefox bug where it would not match the system theme unless the theme was toggled a few times. The bug was identified and fixed, but I'd need to wait for the next bi-annual release of Mint to receive it. After a bit more research I went with the fad and installed a *drum roll*...
Arch Linux! Not to sound like too much of a glazer, but Arch + KDE was easily the most enjoyable desktop experience that I've ever had. While KDE Plasma 6 has full Wayland support and endless customization, should one choose to look for it, Arch's simplicity and flexibility was the key for me. Consider that while Mint officially supports 3 different desktop environments, Arch supports around 14 and the user does not need to re-install the entire system. Its package manager, Pacman, is a joy to use and its AUR (Arch User Repository) provides access to a vast array of managed software that encourages users to stay closed to the stable but bleeding edge. Arch allows for full flexibility and even allowing the user to select the kernel (I went with the default), which is currently about 7 minor releases ahead of Mint's. The Arch Wiki is one of the top resources for Linux users right now and its community, system performance and momentum are currently unmatched even by the likes of Mint. I'm not even (yet) going to dip my toes into the world of emerging tiling window managers, like hyprland, and desktop "ricing", but never say never.
While perfect software does not exist, what Arch and its community is creating something truly special. I so far very happy with the decision to switch over to Arch and I hope that it continues to impress me in the future.