When you’re new to the FOSS world, the only major hurdle you’ll face is whether to choose a Debian based OS or an Arch-based OS. If you’re new this is a hard choice, although if you’re coming straight to Ubuntu you probably have no idea on what it’s based on or why. Let’s take a look at whats the main difference between an arch based Linux distro & Debian based Linux distro & which one suite you & when.
Debian Based Distro vs Arch Based Distro
Debian
Debian is a GNU/Linux distribution, open-source and is a Linux kernel-based operating system. It was released in August 1993. Debian can access online repositories containing more than 50000 packages, you can also download free or not free software and install them to Debian. APT is the front-end package manager and the kernel type is monolithic. The Debian installer is modular and generic. The developers’ community provides proper support for bug fixing and there is a proper channel from fixing to uploading the patch. Debian based distros follow LTS update schedule meaning a new LTS “Long Term Support” version is released every two years.
Read: MX Linux Review – The Top Linux Distro on DistroWatch
Arch
Arch Linux is an x86-64 general-purpose GNU/Linux distribution. It is simple and doesn’t add unnecessary modifications or additions, the patches are not supported by upstream are avoided. Packages are split only when compelling advantages exist. GUI configuration utilities are not encouraged and users have to perform system configuration from the shell editor. Arch maintains stable release versions until no package break is recorded. Arch includes the init system, modern file systems, LVM2, udev support, and initcpio. Arch based distros follow a rolling release update cycle meaning you’ll get new updates all the time as soon as newer packages are available.
Debian Vs Arch
Debian installation steps are as follows –
- Boot and start the installer via means of any CD/DVD, you can choose for install or graphic install or for Intel or AMD processor-based machines, the message will appear like 64-bit install or 64-bit graphics install.
- Then select the language.
- Select the country.
- Select the keyboard layout.
- Then the installer would do the hardware detection and it loads modules to various hardware components
Hardware network detection, this is also an automated step where the hardware network card gets recognized and modules are loaded into it. - Network configuration is done then via DHCP, this also is an automatic process
Administrator password, root-password is asked by the system. - Then the user can be configured.
- Then partitioning, RAID, etc tasks are to be done.
- Then base installation happens in which the apt tools and dpkg tools are installed then the apt package manager has to be configured.
- Then the installation of GRUB bootloader is done.
Read: Linux Mint vs Ubuntu: Comparison Of The Giants
Then it finishes up and after rebooting, you have your Debian setup
Arch installation steps are as follows –
Download the ISO from the official site
- Create USB of Arch.
- Boot from that USB.
- Then disk partitioning and clock setting is the next step.
- The keyboard layout is set then.
- Boot mode is to be verified.
- Connect to the internet to check for network interface and configure the network connection
- Format the partitions and mount the file systems.
- Select mirrors for installation.
- Install base packages then.
- Configure fstab, Chroot, Time zone, Localization, network configuration, initramfs, root password, boot loader.
So if you’re opting dor a Debian based OS we recommend you to choose pop os from system76 or if you want to go for an arch-based distro Manjaro is the best.
