Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:02:28 JST Veronica Explains

   I've had folks asking me if #ArchLinux is a good fit for a beginner who wants to learn #Linux.

   My answer is unsatisfying: it depends.

   • Embed this notice
     Børge (forteller@tutoteket.no)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:02:26 JST Børge

     in reply to

     @vkc I depend, btw

   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:02:27 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     [get your very clever "btw" jokes out of the way now]

   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:59:26 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     OK, this was fun, but I have to get offline and do real world things. Maybe I should make this a recurring thing here on Mastodon?

     A little like a livestream except I don't have to put makeup on. :P

   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:59:27 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     Oh no, am I a #Linux advice columnist now?

     Bill repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:59:28 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     I'm a #Debian user and have been for a good while now. I generally don't recommend Debian to beginners due to the lack of SEO around it historically. It can actually be easier to google solutions to problems on Arch than on Debian.

     A lot of "Debian" tutorials are really lazy Ubuntu tutorials, and understanding the differences between the two complicates things for the learner.

     At least with Arch, if you want to learn, DDG and the man pages are reasonably optimized for you.

   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:59:28 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     My general suggestion is going to be to start with something else, and also to remind folks that you don't have to distro hop to be happy.

     If you start on Distribution X and Distribution X always feels like home forever and ever, you're still valid in the Linux space. Even if jerks-on-the-internet tell you that you aren't doing it right. They're wrong, you're happy, and that's what matters.

   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:59:29 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     If your primary goal is "I want to use a computer" and not "I want to learn Linux", that's two different types of user and thus two different recommendations.

     Regardless, if you're impatient, you're going to have a hard enough time learning something new like Linux- starting with Arch is probably not the best way to go.

   • Embed this notice
     Veronica Explains (vkc@linuxmom.net)'s status on Thursday, 13-Jun-2024 06:59:30 JST Veronica Explains

     in reply to

     I think Arch can be a really good fit for someone who wants to understand and tweak the details of their system.

     Learning the terminal using Arch can be instructive, provided that you're patient and forgiving of yourself. And provided you're good at backing up early and often.