Don’t expect an answer from me, guys. I asked the question!
Let’s lookeewatchee the video and talk afterwards, ok? Gotta sort my thoughts.
Manjaro recently released 19.0 Kyria for their main editions which are XFCE, GNOME and KDE Plasma. I spend a few minutes looking at each to see what’s new and what we can expect from this release. Note that I was looking at the release candidates just a few hours before the main release was made available so the video reflects the final release with possibly some small changes.
00:24 – GNOME
15:50 – KDE Plasma
29:42 – XFCE
41:42 – Final Thoughts
Manjaro just coming out with a new snapshot is a good opportunity to talk about this very very beloved and widespread Linux distro and its usability and see if its suitable for normal, non-geeky human beings and domestic goddesses.
Let’s get one thing straight first: The Manjaro guys can say whatever they want, it is in fact an ArchLinux distro. Mitigated and defanged and made easy for beginners – but still an Arch under the hood. Which doesn’t matter. Not anymore. In the year 2020 there is no reason for why Arch should be only for the super geeky computer nerds. I go as far as stating that something like Manjaro is easier to use and maintain than a vanilla Debian!
Manjaro was indeed the first Arch distro coming up with an easy installer, that’s what makes – or made – it so special. Now that other distros have figured out the trick, too, there are only some “special care” ingredients that make Manjo stick out from the crowd. Slower update cycle, more nanny state behaviour, all that childish shit. Not all of them necessary or even desirable … but maybe helpful for the less clever and self-reliant among us. 😉
Nevertheless I deem Manjaro a good jump-off point for when you wanna get into Archy stuff.
So … why am I always on about Arch here and Arch there and Arch everywhere? And why do I want to convert y’all over to Arch after you left the initial n00b phase? Because reasons! You’ll find out for yourself. Really. Eventually you will. Arch ain’t for every Linux user. Manjaro/Arch equals speed and cutting edge newness, which makes it a fashion statement, a useless Toy OS according to Karmi; super chic must-have for us housewives and kat lovers. =^.^=
The rest of you will sort yourself into one of the other camps. Orca’s too precious to deal with Deb/Ubu, SuSE, Fedora, Puppy or any of the countless other distros. She wants and gets simple, stable and spunky power!
What about Arch breaking all the time, ruining your day? For me it’s plenty stable enough. And I’m not even on Manjaro anymore since over three years now, and failed updates never happen. And even if, it’s no problem. Your system won’t stop working, you’ll just have to wait a couple days before you can enjoy the absolutely latest software.
And while all the “lesser” distros, and their respective users, are dabbling around with flatpaks and other crutches if they wanna have some special software/app that’s not in their repositories, we Archies just sneer at them poor bastards and find everything under the sun in the Arch repo or the unbelievably vast AUR (Arch User Repository), where the one or other super clever demi-god has already made it available for their fellow Archies. I’ve even found super duper fringe software like the Firestorm and Singularity (even the Alpha version) Second Life viewers in there, quick and easy to install and no problems.
That’s a trick no other Linux distro can do! WinMac even less. Not as simple and sexy as Arch can do it.
Thar She Blows! 
🙂 2020 is a fabulous year for people to tryout Arch-based Linux distributions.
Also, I love using the Arch User Repository (In spite of other people telling me I am placing my system at risk for doing so).
Do enjoy the rest of your day, Orca.
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/me nods heavily in agreement!
2020 – and Linux as a whole is getting better and better. And particularly a super nifty distro like Arch. It was never sarcasm when the Arch devs came up with the “Simple, Lightweight and Flexible” slogan. Because simple it is indeed … once you have it installed on your system. And that ain’t a problem no more!
I am on some sort of Arch since 2013 or so and use it as my daily rider, my main squeeze. In daily operation there is no difference to Mint or Debian with the same desktop.
Well, ok, there is one difference: In Arch I can install softwares much faster and am always on the latest shit available.
Feels so good.:)
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Any thoughts about racing again in SL? Looking good there on the Q2m!
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Vivi, my interest in SL is waning more and more. I don’t know if I had the patience to stay online long enough for a race. You know it’s more than just the duration of the race as such; one must get to the startline first, rez the boat, acquire the racewind, do some test starts get a feel for the area and the variations in weather and the course and all that jazz. And as I said I don’t know if I still can muster the patience to do all that.
I don’t even get around to just participate in some LCC cruises or visit any races as reporter for my blog.
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You are always welcome at the Sea of Eki! Come watch the races sometimes.
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Just installed Manjaro this evening, started updating and finetuning after 11pm. I tried a myriad of distros as of late, and this is the sweetest of the bunch. I am playing with my desktop cube, something I simply couldn’t have on Mint Cinnamon or anything Cinnamon. Yes, it is arch, sandpapered smoothly.
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That’s very cool , Pete. Congratz and welcome on the Archy side.
You know, Manjaro is also available in Cinnamon flavour if you want. But if you just say Manjaro you’re obviously on Xfce I take it?
Well, I’m not a fan but it’s their main desktop, so it’s where all their love goes into. They also make the bestest KDE Plasma in all of Linux so I heard.
Why don’t you make some juicy screenshots, particularly of the cube, and a little writeup? I can send you invite as contributor or publish for you under Orca’s name.
It’s time we show the world that Arch-like distros are not the devil’s work but same easypeasy as Mint n stuff. Just a helluvalot more sexy. =^.^=
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I’m on KDE, for the sake of my big old Galaxy S6, and it works as Windows 10 and Samsung Flow should’ve. After installation, I decided to click on KDE Connect at some point, and there the S7 already was!! It was auto-added.
MacOS/ iOS already is useless on Bluetooth, but Windows10 is precisely dysfunctional on that. I still don’t know how my devices connected, as it seem to have used wireless, the phone being my Rain hotspot. It was like magic.
I did use Manjaro about a month ago, or maybe two weeks, but the installer failed, so it remained as a live session.
If iOS can be described as a creamy, smooth user experience, Manjaro must be a long, sensual and very passionate toe-curling intimate French kiss on hot sand on a tropical beach with mermaids and palm trees.
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