DeepakNess

Why Manjaro Linux is the Best Linux Distribution

Out of Manjaro Linux, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and Pop!_OS, Manjaro is the best Linux distro in my opinion.

Currently, I’m using Manjaro Linux and it feels like this is the one I was looking for.

Before finally switching to Manjaro, I used Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and Pop!_OS, but nothing seemed to work for me.

It’s not that I hate other distros. I just like Manjaro more.

Let me explain why.

My first Linux experience

It was 2015 when I first learned about Linux, and I was fascinated by its live boot feature. I wondered how a whole operating system could be loaded from just a USB drive – it just felt cool to me.

I finally decided to install Ubuntu on my main laptop, which previously had Windows 8. However, after a few days, I moved to Linux Mint Cinnamon. I don’t remember the version name, but I kept using it for the next three years.

After that, I went back to Windows for some unknown reason.

And here I am again – I came back to Linux in June 2020.

How I finally stopped at Manjaro

This time, installing Linux was different. I decided to try a few distros to find the one I was looking for.

By trying them, I do not mean live booting or installing them in a virtual machine. I took this thing literally and installed multiple Linux distributions on my main laptop. Here’s the list of all the distros I tried:

If you’re wondering why I installed all of these on my main computer, let me explain.

When I first installed Ubuntu 20.04, everything felt great. The colors and design looked perfect. But after a day of use, it sometimes started freezing on my system. For example, when I was copy-pasting a very large folder, pressing Ctrl + V would make it stop responding for four or five seconds. It also wasn’t able to execute an AppImage file for some reason.

I moved to Zorin OS Core 15.2 after that. It’s intuitive and works great too, but it consumed more RAM than it should while idle. So, I ditched Zorin OS too.

The next distro I tried was Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.3 “Tricia”, but I moved on after using it for three days. The main reason was that my laptop’s battery life was almost half that of Ubuntu or Zorin OS. I tried TLP, but it didn’t work. I had also used Linux Mint for three years in the past, and I wanted to try something new.

Later, I installed Pop!_OS 20.04, but it didn’t hold my attention for long either. I didn’t like its desktop environment. I now know that desktop environments can be changed too.

I was tired of installing and trying a new distro every two or three days, so I decided to explain my situation and ask for suggestions on Reddit. I posted a query in the Linux4Noobs community.

Which Linux distro I like the most and why

The Linux4Noobs community on Reddit made me realize that all the Linux distributions I had used to date were Debian- or Ubuntu-based. So, I randomly picked one of the suggestions and decided to give Manjaro Linux, which is Arch-based, a try.

I had previously been using GNOME, and Xfce didn’t look good to me, so I decided to install Manjaro KDE Plasma 20.0.3 on my laptop.

I realized minutes after the installation that this was the one.

All my requirements were fulfilled. Battery life was great, RAM usage was optimal, and the design and user interface seemed amazing.

Why I think Manjaro is the best

Manjaro is Arch-based, and there are multiple jokes about Arch Linux because of its complex installation procedure.

Arch Linux installation joke

But Manjaro is nothing like that. It’s as easy to install as Ubuntu or Linux Mint – even better in some ways.

Here are the main reasons I like Manjaro.

AUR availability

AUR, or Arch User Repository, is huge, and you will find almost any application you’re looking for there. AUR is managed by the Arch Linux user community.

Manjaro has its own software repositories to ensure that all software is thoroughly tested for compatibility, but you can still access additional software packages from the Arch User Repository.

I agree that there are some risks associated with the AUR, but there is no problem as long as you’re careful.

Rolling release

Another big reason to like Manjaro is its bleeding-edge rolling release system. New software and updates become available for your system as soon as they are released.

You won’t have to upgrade your system once or twice a year as you do with Ubuntu. You will keep getting new kernels, features, and application updates as soon as they are available.

Comparatively faster

Whether you’re booting up your computer or opening an application, Manjaro feels a bit faster than Ubuntu or Zorin OS.

According to a report, Ubuntu has more than 90 services and daemons running in an idle state, while Manjaro has only 24 services and daemons running. And believe me, that really makes a difference.

You can check the currently running processes on your system by using the following command:

systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled --no-pager

Apart from the above, there are many other reasons for me to like Manjaro Linux:

It’s been more than a month since I started using Manjaro, and I haven’t experienced any kind of problem or difficulty.