A must read very important news

[SteveRiley]

I set up a basic Arch install on an VM yesterday -- took about half an hour following the Beginner's Guide. I'll continue playing around with this -- install my usual stack of server stuff to get a feel for how the Arch packages work, what their defaults are, and what changes I'd want to make. Then I'll rebuild my little ThinkStation M92p. It has Debian 7 now. I'd really like to get a rolling release distro on there so I don't have to worry about major upgrades and also keep packages current. Arch truly seems the answer for this use case.

[GreyGeek]

Your coming across as a real Kubuntu/KDE fanboi

Why thank you! I resemble that remark!

Actually, I'd use Gnome, or xFce or MATE or any of several Linux DE's or even a Mac before I'd use Windows, and since my first PC in 1978 I've spent more time in front of Windows than any other OS/DE.

[GreyGeek]

I set up a basic Arch install on an VM yesterday -- took about half an hour following the Beginner's Guide. I'll continue playing around with this -- install my usual stack of server stuff to get a feel for how the Arch packages work, what their defaults are, and what changes I'd want to make. Then I'll rebuild my little ThinkStation M92p. It has Debian 7 now. I'd really like to get a rolling release distro on there so I don't have to worry about major upgrades and also keep packages current. Arch truly seems the answer for this use case.

After my first attemp using the general instructions I deleted the vdi and used the beginner's guide you recommended on a fresh vdi. That got me to a root console. From there I installed the Gnome meta desktop and the KDE meta desktop and begin playing around. Gnome isn't for me but Arch's Plasma 5 desktop is a screamer! I spent all day hammering on it and the only crash that happened was when I closed the Kinfo screen, which I could not repeat. It fills my entire 17" display and is georgous. For a guest OS running on two cpu's with 4GB of RAM and NO swap file it is almost as fast as 14.04 on hardware. Stellarium runs at only 10-15 FPS, but it is usable.

It's making me reconsider my decision to stay with 14.04, since plasma 5 may not be back ported to 14.04. But, as a server, even headless, I would use it in a heartbeat.

Although beyond the average noob's ability to install, like I used to tell my physics students:"everything is easy once you know how!" Now I know how.

[SteveRiley]

Congratulations!

[GreyGeek]

An you are only 340 behind me but you've been on this forum 2 1/2 years less than I have! You will pass me by the end of the year, if not sooner!
Now, concerning quality of posts you far outrank me!

[SteveRiley]

Aw *blush* Jerry. This isn't a contest. We're all contributors to something better than our individual selves.

[julek]

SteveRiley > As I said Debian *stable* is roughly equivalent to Kubuntu 14.10 + the stability of 14.04 LTS. It's not up to date but really stable.

[sithlord48]

oh sorry GG octopi is in the AUR

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/?O=0&K=octopi

so use yaourt to build it ..

@nickstone
the AUR update issues goes like this.. if the package maintainer updates teh pkgbuild with a new version it will give you an update.for somethings (like some packages i maintain) pull directly from git and when a new git commit is made an update is not shown (althougth this does seam to work in octopi so im not sure whats happening atm)

[jpenguin]

I liked arch, but use Manjaro. I find that it's less to maintain and has 95% of arch's advantages

[sithlord48]

honestly once arch is setup the maintaince is really little.. there are somethings i don't really like not in the way updates are done . for instance if you have a systemd upgrade you need to manually update your boot images to use it..same goes for new kernels you have to manually update your grub menu . i can see why its setup like that but i just feel like there is never a reason to not have that done durring package install/ update

[ronw]

for instance if you have a systemd upgrade you need to manually update your boot images to use it..same goes for new kernels you have to manually update your grub menu

I've never done either of these. Am I missing something or are you running a custom kernel?

[GreyGeek]

I liked arch, but use Manjaro. I find that it's less to maintain and has 95% of arch's advantages

Ok. What are its disadvantages?

[sithlord48]

I've never done either of these. Am I missing something or are you running a custom kernel?

no this happens when you have a package upgrade for somethings. i have whatever the defalut arch kernel is currently.

i also wonder what disadvantages you have with manjaro.

[ronw]

i also wonder what disadvantages you have with manjaro.

I have no complaints about Manjaro, I just don't need it. I know how to install Arch, so don't need the fancy installer. I prefer doing package management with pacman and yaourt, so no need for Octopi or friends. I like starting from a minimal base and adding what I want; I don't use plymouth or sddm for example. I want the most recent release of packages, so I don't want the manjaro repos sitting between me and the arch repos.

I'm one of these types:

$ systemd-analyze 
Startup finished in 2.565s (kernel) + 787ms (userspace) = 3.353s

I do wish the Maia theme for KDE was available on Arch.

[GreyGeek]

I have no complaints about Manjaro, I just don't need it. I know how to install Arch, so don't need the fancy installer. I prefer doing package management with pacman and yaourt, so no need for Octopi or friends. I like starting from a minimal base and adding what I want; I don't use plymouth or sddm for example. I want the most recent release of packages, so I don't want the manjaro repos sitting between me and the arch repos.

I'm one of these types:

$ systemd-analyze 
Startup finished in 2.565s (kernel) + 787ms (userspace) = 3.353s

I do wish the Maia theme for KDE was available on Arch.

My guest OS under VisualBox:
systemd-analyze
Startup finished in 6.238s (kernel) + 2min 56.597s (userspace) = 3min 2.835s


I used yauart-gui to install octopi and its cachcleaner and repoeditor. Compiled nicely and runs like lightening. Very sweet.

I have downloaded Manjaro and will install it as a guest OS just to see what the differences, advantages and disadvantages are. Right now, I'm not seeing any problems with Arch. It is fast and stable (even Plasma 5), but I used to develop Qt apps for a living. I'd never recommend it to a noob, nor would I install it for a noob and support it him/her. It would be like jumping from no flight experience (or even as a Cessena pilot) into an F18 cockpit and expecting to survive your first flight, assuming you could even start it up and get it off the ground.


Arch has definately piqued my interest.

EDIT:
I decided to test setting up my old development environment. Had no trouble installing PostgreSQL and pgadmin3, I initialized the postgreSQL server, added myself as a superuser and created the homestead database. It works perfectly from my home account. I also added QtCreator and all the Qt tools as well. youart-gui requires one to know the exact name to add a package, but it installed Octopi and its cacheclear and repoeditor easily. After that, using Octopi to search for, add and remove software is as easy as Muon or Synaptic. Plasma5 is continuing to be as stable as a flat rock.