Gud moarning peepelz.

A question I have on my mind since quite a while is why do I use Manjaro Linux, even recommend it as first starter distro for absolute n00bies? Wouldn’t the all around wonderful and lovely Linux Mint do the job much better?

Yes, no doubt.

For the first 2 days. In order to get used to the new desktop environment. And then, after that, the n00bs still being n00bs, get away from Mint and its Ubuntu/Debian base and switch to the smarter Arch base of Manjaro.

Why? What’s so smart about Manjaro?

Oh, not much. Only … everything!

Lemme explainify:

• Arch Manjaro is a rolling release. You install it once – and only once – on your hardware. After install you just do the weekly/fortnightly updates and you’re good. On Mint (Ubuntu) you need to re-install your whole system after 2 years or so, because your distro is totally outdated by then.
• Manjaro gives you choices. More so than Mint ever did. You get Mint in 3 flavours. Cinnamon, Mate and Xfce; Manjaro comes with many desktop environments, window managers and text editors. All flavours under the sun. Something for everyone!
• Manjaro is not as complete an Operating System as Mint is. But almost. And the few little things missing are installed in a matter of minutes. So Manjaro is a very comfy, cushy environment to live in.
• Manajro gives you access to the Arch User Repository (AUR). That might be totally above your pretty noggin now … but believe me, later on it will come in handy. The AUR has it all! Every piece of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) that can be installed in Linux – you’ll find it in the AUR! From the most obscure via the experimental to the downright plain mental. It’s all there for you to grab!
• Manjaro is reliable! I avoid the term stable since it means something completely different from what most n00bies think. Manjaro, despite its Arch roots and its rolling nature, is still a Linux distro. It’s not more crash-prone than Debian or Ubuntu or Red Hat. So of course you can do your taxes on Manjaro, or write your next million seller novel on it. With the same ease you’d feel if you did it in Mint.
• The psychological effect! This comes in handy for the little bragadero in all boiz. Of course you’ll never be accepted among the real deal Arch users but you’re still miles above the lame rest of the Linuxverse. Feelz gud, rite? And nobody forces you to stick with Manjaro. Next you could install EndeavourOS or even vanilla Arch, and enjoy a whole new truckload of unnecessary problems to solve. 😉 Believe me, I did it, upgraded to EOS for about a year or so – and came crouching back to Manjo, embarrassed, sniffeling.

So, to answer my own question, a question nobody else asks: Yes, Manjaro is my final destination!

For now. Until something better comes along. And it’s only for me. One thing nobody should ever do when discussing Linux matters: You shouldn’t use absolutes but only talk about your own personal reasons. I may find Ubuntu all sorts of terrible but I won’t state it publicly. In the end it was the Ubuntu family of distros who spawned the most adorable daughter, the Minty goodness. 😉 And guess from whom our Manjaro took most of its inspiration? Yes, Mint!