Arch Linux

Arch Linux is an operating system for computers. An operating system is the software that manages keyboard, screen and storage, and on which all other programs run. Well-known examples are Windows and macOS; Arch Linux is a free alternative to these. Unlike Windows, it doesn’t come fully set up, but instead consists of a very lean foundation. Whoever installs it chooses for themselves which building blocks to add: which user interface, which internet browser, which fonts. These building blocks reside in a large online repository from which the computer downloads them.

The appeal of the self-built system

The effort has a clear payoff: control. In a ready-made system, many programs run along that one never uses. With Arch Linux, in the end exactly what one has chosen oneself is installed. This saves storage space and makes older computers usable again. It also means one roughly knows what’s actually happening on one’s own computer.

Second, Arch is always up to date. Many operating systems release a new version every few years, like a schoolbook in editions. Arch works on the Rolling Release principle: there are no versions, each program is updated individually as soon as a new version is ready. This means programmers get new tools very early.

Third, the documentation is famous. The Arch Wiki is a collection of user-written guides on the internet. It is so thorough that it is also read by people who use other operating systems. Whoever has a hardware problem often finds the most precise description anywhere there.

Pacman, packages and manual installation

Programs are distributed as packages. A package is a file containing the program and information about which other programs it needs to run. Arch’s management tool is called pacman. One types a short command into a text window, and pacman downloads the package, verifies it and installs it. A single command updates the entire system.

The installation runs without a colorful wizard. One boots the computer from a USB stick and gets a black line of text. Partitioning the hard drive, copying the base system, setting up the boot program, configuring the network: everything is done via commands. The first time, this takes hours and is part of the learning value.

Besides the official packages, there is the AUR, the Arch User Repository. There, users provide build instructions for software that isn’t included officially. This way one finds almost every program that exists for Linux. The price for this: these instructions are not officially vetted by anyone, so one trusts strangers.

Between developer laptop, Steam Deck and internet joke

In practice, one encounters Arch Linux mainly among software developers and technically interested private users. In companies, by contrast, systems dominate that are updated rarely and predictably, because there stability matters more than currentness. A Rolling Release can, after all, break something in the middle of the week.

The most well-known appearance is the gaming console Steam Deck by the company Valve. Its operating system SteamOS is built on top of Arch Linux. Millions of people thus use Arch technology without ever having typed a command. Several beginner-friendly systems such as Manjaro or EndeavourOS also build on the same foundation.

In forums one encounters the phrase “I use Arch, by the way,” a joke about users who mention their system at every opportunity. Behind it lies a common misconception: Arch is not faster or more secure than other Linux systems. It is above all built more openly and demands more personal responsibility.