Arch
Contents
Introduction to Arch Linux
Linux users tend to become fan boys of their favorite flavor of
Linux. Ubuntu, openSUSE and Fedora tend to lead the distributions lists
(Distro Watch),
because of their ease of installation and use. The other type of
distribution targets users who desire a highly customized and
fine-tuned system, an example of which would be Gentoo. While both
extremes have their pros and cons in terms of customizability and ease
of use, neither group targets users who desire easily customized
systems that expose the lower-level workings of Linux. Arch Linux fills this void with a distribution that uses the
bare-bones approach of Gentoo, but without requiring every package be
compiled from source. It also shies away from GUI-based configuration
tools in favor of directly editing text files, although GUI-based
configuration tools do exist. This makes Arch an excellent distribution
for older or low-end hardware. Although the installation lacks the
glitz of Ubuntu or OpenSUSE, it still detects nearly all modern
hardware and automatically installs drivers. Virginia Tech's mirroring
of the Arch repositories also benefits VT Arch users, because it
ensures fast installs and updates.
When to Use Arch Linux
Arch Linux targets enthusiasts who want to better understand the
Linux Operating System. It maintains a level of abstraction above
Gentoo and Linux From Scratch by reducing the amount of manual
configuration. Also, the distribution excels on lower-end machines,
because it installs only the packages required to boot and install
additional software. It does contain excellent package management
software in the form of pacman archives, which are officially
supported packages and works similar to Debian's apt-get program.
Community maintained packages for more esoteric software can be found
in Arch's AUR repository.
The distributions command-line installation limits its appeal
for first-time Linux users, so this is not a distribution to use when
trying Linux. Also, there is a slightly steeper learning curve in
understanding the package management, which could deter users used to
Ubuntu's GUI-based package management. That stated, Arch Linux is
overall an excellent, easy-to-use distribution, and could be
recommended to any Linux user who understands the command line.
Getting Started with Arch Linux
You can find documentation and mirrors of Arch Linux on their homepage at http://www.archlinux.org, although using their local mirror at Virginia Tech
would be much faster. The ftp-based installation is recommended as it
installs the most up-to-date version of Arch with all the updates. Be
sure to remove the default mirror if you choose to install Arch Linux,
as it caps upload speeds.
Following their "Beginners Guide"
painlessly walks you through the process of setting up your system and
getting into X. There are also more targeted installation guides that
can be found through Google for specialized hardware, such as the Eee
PC. Because Arch Linux uses a command-line based installation, it is
highly recommended to either have another computer nearby or print out
a copy of the "Beginners Guide".
Arch Linux at Virginia Tech
Arch Tablet Functionality - Configuring your tablet PC required by the Engineering Department.
