So the thing with Debian and any Debian based distro like Ubuntu or Linux Mint is there is no big centralized software repo like the AUR. Yes there is the apt repository but if you want something that’s not in there, get ready to read the documentation or follow random guides.
For example, one of my friends wanted to download an audio tool called Reaper. On Windows this is just looking up the application and clicking on the .exe. It really depends on the dev if they include a .deb, sometimes you might need to download the .sh file or they may tell you to compile it yourself. Perhaps, you have to add a ppa. On Arch, all I have to do is Paru -S Reaper, if there are multiple Reapers I can look for that by typing Paru Reaper.
Now that Arch is so easy to install with the Archscript, and the software repo so vast and easy to use, is Debian really user friendly if you have to jump through several hoops to download programs?
Edit: yeah yeah there’s flathub and stuff but that’s more of a last resort, optimally, you want to get it the correct way.
Everyone is downvoting OP, but OP is literally the common case of what users actually want…
Honestly didn’t think I would get this much hate. People talking about how the correct way to install is flatpak most of the time, a comment right after says you shouldn’t use flatpak for low level, and other comments saying to install it the long manual way (which, admittedly, is the most secure way), nobody has admitted that it’s easier to install from aur rather than on debian.
If it’s a popular and maintained package on aur then most of the time it should be fine. Very rarely do I have to go to the official documentation to make the packages manually unless it’s a smaller project.
Because there’s still unfortunately a heap of Arch FUD and myths floating around.
FWIW, I agree with you. I ended up using Arch for the past almost decade now in part because of the repos and pacman.
I distro hopped a lot when I first moved to Linux (from Windows) before settling on Mint. Faffing about with adding repos didn’t feel like an improvement over the Windows experience of having to go to various websites to download files.
I was still pretty much a Linux noob when I moved to Arch. I’m glad I didn’t listen to all the FUD then about it being hard and terrible. It’s been so much easier to use and maintain than other distros I’ve used (or installed for other folks).
Arch requires significantly more tinkering to keep it working, compared to Debian. That’s not because of FUD. Arch has a more hands-on philosophy. It even says so on their wiki.
I have seen savvy users jump directly from Windows to Arch without trying easier distros like Mint. But if given a choice, I wouldn’t introduce anyone to Arch as their first distro. Most people are simply not that patient and are likely to give it up as being too hard. They are likely to give in to the actual FUD that Linux is not user-friendly.
It’s not unusual for people who have tasted the freedom that Arch gives you, to think that it’s the easiest distro around. But the Arch way of doing things is alien to most people around. It’s very important to set the expectations straight and not get carried away.
I’ve been using Arch as my daily driver for almost a decade. I think I might know how much tinkering it requires lol. You can look at Arch News and you’ll see there’s bugger all interventions required. I don’t bother to tinker with anything and haven’t in about three years because I’m happy with what I have. I don’t need to tinker if I don’t want to. 🤷🏻♀️
In that almost decade, I could count on one hand the number of times my system has broken and most of those was basic user error.
And I never said it was the easiest distro. You gotta stop making strawman arguments.
If you want to flex your experience, I have twice as much as you do, just with Arch. You are just speaking your perspective and extrapolating it to others. Neither the official Arch sources, nor the regular users’ experience match what you say. The argument you made is in complete disregard of the ability, patience or intent of the vast majority of users.
It’s a common trope that I see that newbie Linux users complaining about how Arch users talk down to them. I can see where that comes from.
EDIT: I am tired, in pain and was feeling grumpy when I wrote this this morning. I’m being a hypocrite and not coming to your level with compassion, kindness and patience like I should. So I’m going to bow out of this conversation and say agree to disagree. I’ll keep helping folks move to Linux like I have been for years and put my energy where I want it to go.
Original reply
You think I’m flexing? Interesting. And you want to tell me I’m extrapolating (projecting)?
Guessed I should have ‘flexed’ more and also explained that my experience is not just with my own PC but multiple PC’s, laptops and… not all mine. Yep, I’m ‘flexing’ about all the people I’ve helped install Linux (all Arch based oh no) with my years of flexing volunteer experience.
With all my years of years of volunteer work and helping countless people (including in a very vulnerable area of society) I only ever talk down to people yep. I totally don’t encourage everyone to come to people at their level with compassion, kindness and patience.
I’m just all bout the flex. 😂🤦🏻♀️
Maybe don’t make assumptions about someone’s motivations, experience and qualifications when you don’t actually know them?
Disagreement over a distro is nothing worth suffering for. Wish you a speedy recovery and better times ahead.
It’s probably SUPER intimidating how many options there are for something as simple as “package management”. Who to trust. etc. People are just rough, and unkind. Stick with what works for you. What your’e comfortable with. That’s honestly the ONLY important aspect of this whole Linux endeavor. Complete control of YOUR computing experience. That gets lost in opinion and subjective conjecture more often than I can stand, honestly. It really is SO much saner on Arch, though. You’re absolutely correct. That’s why I stick with it myself. It gets out of my way and lets me do what I want to do.