The Path to Arch or How I Went from a Windows User to a Linux User
In this article I will tell you my way to using Arch Linux (after all, samurai have no goal, only the path XD) and give some reasons “why arch is the best distro”
How it all began
At one point, I got my hands on a Thinkpad. To be precise, a Thinkpad x390. It had Windows 10, but I really wanted to try Linux. I thought about it for quite a while, because everyone says that Linux is difficult, Linux is about using the console. Therefore, first I decided to learn how to use the console (I remind you that before this I had never used any OS except Windows). I found an article with basic commands for the Linux console, installed it WSL and started learning commands. I learned them for 2 days, but I didn't remember everything.
Decided to choose a distribution. Watched a lot of videos about Linux distributions and immediately discarded Arch, because everyone said that its installation is incredibly difficult, and after installing it – you become a superman 🙂 The choice fell on Fedora – it was beautiful to look at. Again, I found a video with installation. Downloaded the installation image to a flash drive and was already ready for installation, when I thought that it would be better to make a dual-boot (when 2 OS are installed on the device at the same time) with Windows and Fedora, because if something happens to Linux, I can easily log in with Windows. I had to look for videos again where dual-boot would be installed. Found one. But then problems started…
First problems
When installing with dual-boot and me, the disk did not break. I still don't know the reason, but it couldn't do it automatically. As it seemed then, there was only one way out – to remove Windows and install Fedora. I had to remove it while sitting in Fedora from the installation flash drive. For me, this was a big fear, because if something happens with the installation, I will be left without an OS. I decided to postpone solving the problems until the next day.
Attempt #2
The second attempt was also unsuccessful. I was ready to try installing Manjaro or Ubuntu. But, just in case, I gave Fedora a third chance.
Attempt #3
The third attempt was the most successful – I found a video with 10 views on how to partition a disk manually on a fedora for dual-boot (BINGO!). I did it and now I have a fedora on my syncpad!!!!
Farewell to Windows
After using Fedora for a while, I realized that I only went into Windows a couple of times. It was decided to uninstall it and reinstall Fedora. It was a good decision, since then my laptop has never had an OS like Windows.
Half a year later
I have been using the Fedora distribution for six months now. It got clogged and started to hang. It was using up no less RAM than Windows and because of Fedora's glitches I decided to try another distribution. I thought about trying Ubuntu, but I didn't like its design. I decided to try Manjaro, but suddenly my eyes fell on the most complex Arch Linux.
Preparation
I watched a bunch of videos about arch, its installation, review and everything possible. The fear of being left alone in the console without any hint of an OS was quite strong. I installed it on a virtual machine at least three times. A week passed since my decision, and I was still not ready (I refused archinstall, since according to some people it was said that it could install what I did not need, and I installed arch also because there was nothing extra for me). But suddenly, I notice a video on YouTube about installing and beautifully configuring BSPWM. For me, this was happiness, I have a video on how to install arch and a video on how to make it beautiful. Everything becomes perfect again. I decide to install it
The decisive moment
I was ready. I set aside 3 hours to install it and launched the video simultaneously with the installation image. Everything was going well until another problem started…
The first problem
The first problem occurred during the very first installation. I couldn't install grub. I had to start the installation again.
The second problem
The second problem arose after solving the problem with grub. My disk did not crash (no sense of deja vu?). But, I also solved this problem
The third problem
After several solutions to previous problems, a new one appeared. Everything was going great, nothing foreshadowed trouble, I installed Arch and rebooted the laptop. What do you think happened this time? My Grub crashed ))))0))))))
Victory
I spent 3 days installing Arch. Installed, configured, admired and….. destroyed it XD
I wanted to set everything up myself, because the finished assembly had a lot of stuff that I didn't need.
Perfect Arch
I wanted to make the perfect OS, which I would get great pleasure from using, including from how beautifully I configured it. I did everything, it was BSPWM, FULLY customized by me. I wrote every detail with my own hands. The next day I demolished this arch too
Perfect Arch #2
I decided to try i3wm. It had the simplest 1-file config. I decided that was what I needed. I reinstalled Arch, downloaded i3 and configured everything, although this time it took more than a day to configure.
Problems
Naturally, there were some problems here too. My polybar didn't work correctly. I didn't like it and… I also demolished this arch 🙂
Not a perfect arch
I watched the “pictures” of Hyperland and wanted it for myself too. Unlike the previous two, it worked not on X (xorg), but on Wayland. Therefore, it has a completely different type of settings. But, it was sooooo beautiful. These smooth animations, rounded corners, wasting half of RAM… I installed it, but couldn't configure it. I downloaded a ready-made config, but the binds were extremely inconvenient for me, and the config was incomprehensible to me. And I deleted this Arch
Perfect Arch #3 (Almost Final)
This is the build I used the longest. It was i3. It was perfect, because I made it myself. But after a few months of use, I got tired of the color scheme and decided to change it.
Perfect Arch #4 (Final)
This is the build I'm using now. The binds are mine, but the look is from reddit. For me, it's probably the best at the moment and I don't want to change it to anything else. I3 has become the best window manager for me, albeit with its drawbacks, Gruvbox is my favorite color scheme
So why is arch so good
As I said, I will give some points why arch is so good
This is your ideal OS. It is made only for you, and you make it that way. There is nothing superfluous in it, and using the window manager – absolutely every little thing becomes convenient just for you
RAM. If RAM consumption is a problem for you, then Arch with a window manager is your choice. It takes up 600 MB for me without programs, such as a browser or code editor. I found this out from the bar that I have on polybar
No tracking. Data from your OS does not go anywhere. It is only with you and only with you
These are probably the main advantages of the arch. Other things make it even more ideal
Conclusion
This was my path to Arch. Many mistakes, problems were overcome in order to get this. At what cost? At the cost of wasted time, but I do not regret it, because now it is several times more convenient for me to use my laptop!
