Arch Linux is one of the most striking distros for users of this operating system. It is one of the most stable, secure and best performing distros because everything must be installed and configured from scratch. However, to be able to use this distro it is necessary to have certain knowledge within this ecosystem, since until installation it must be done manually. For this reason, some user communities offer Arch-based distros that are much easier to use so that anyone can do it without headaches. And one of these distros is EndeavorOS.
EndeavorOS is an Arch-based Linux distro that wants to become the spiritual successor to Antergos (although it is not a fork of it). The first version of this distro saw the light of day in the summer of 2019. However, despite being a very new distro, in a very short time it has gained the trust of a large number of users, who have formed an excellent community behind.
What makes Arch Linux such a special distro
When we talk about Linux, we are sure that other distributions sound more like, for example, Ubuntu. However, Ubuntu is a beginner distro that, although it works (and does it well), it doesn’t get the most out of a system like Linux.
Arch is an own distro designed to get the most out of Linux. This distro is entirely based on free software, it has a continuous rolling release model and it follows the famous KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) Principle , which is intended to ensure that each user adapts the distro to their needs. needs to make the most of resources, and nothing else.
However, the startup of Arch Linux is quite complicated . From installation to configuration. Base packages must be installed by hand, and everything else must be configured by each user. It is true that if we start it we have a distro forever, but you have to spend a lot of time and have knowledge.
The performance and stability of this distro is unrivaled. But many times the learning curve is not worth it. For this reason, other distros have been created, such as Endeavor, which seek to bring us the Arch experience in the simplest possible way, all from a graphical interface, so that any user can use it.
Main features
One of the main characteristics of this distro is that, despite the changes, it remains very close to the essence of Arch Linux. The packages that make it up are the same and its development is also Rolling Release.
The main differences with Arch are that, instead of having to configure the distro from scratch, it brings a standard configuration. Its developers have opted for a default XFCE desktop in Live Mode (although during the installation we can choose which one we want to use among Xfce, Base, i3-wm, Openbox, MATE, Cinnamon, GNOME, Deepin Desktop, Budgie and KDE Plasma) and a guided and graphic installation wizard to start the distro on our PC.
The Live image comes with a series of tools that can help us analyze and repair our PC, such as, for example, TestDisk, CloneZilla, ddrescue, PartClone, PartImage and Gparted, among others.
The default package manager is pacman, and the startup software used is systemd.
The easiest way to test the potential of Arch Linux
The Arch Linux installation is complete chaos. For this reason, the first thing that will attract our attention at Endeavor is the ease of starting the distro, how to use it in Live mode thanks to its XFCE desktop and how easy it is to install it on your computer.
When we start this distro in Live mode we will be able to see a wizard that will help us install and start Endeavor on our PC or virtual machine. If what we want is to use it only in Live Mode, we can close this wizard.
We can choose between two installation modes. The offline mode, which does not require an Internet connection and will use the XFCE desktop and the EndeavorOS theme , or the online mode, which will allow us to choose the desktop we want to use and will have a base theme.
If we have an Internet connection we recommend using the Online mode . This will take care of downloading the latest versions of the packages and leaving them ready in our system. In addition, it allows us to customize even the smallest detail of the packages that we install and the launcher that we want to use.
The installation wizard has a very clear and indicative interface that will guide us through all the steps. We will be able to do the initial configuration, edit the partitions of the hard disk, choose the packages we want to install and much more. All this with a few mouse clicks.
When the installation is finished, we can restart the computer which, when rebooted, we will see the GRUB boot loader. And from there we can start to experience the full potential of Arch Linux without the headaches thanks to EndeavorOS.
Download EndeavorOS
This distro is completely free and open source. We can download the latest version available for our computer directly from the following link to its website . Also, the entire project and all the tools that make it up (such as the installer) are open source, and we can find it here .
Once we have the ISO, we will only have to burn it to a USB, or create a boot disk, to boot our computer with it. It is also prepared to work in virtual machines like VMware and VirtualBox without problems.
Thanks to its Rolling Release nature , by downloading and installing the latest Endeavor packages we can always be in the latest version. We don’t have to format or download a new ISO except to install the distro from scratch again. Also, since it uses the Arch repositories, we can always be in the latest version of this distro.
Other ways to easily test Arch Linux
In addition to EndeavorOS, on the net we can find many other Arch-based distros that bring us the best of this Linux but eliminating its degree of difficulty.
- Manjaro : one of the best known Arch-based distros we can find. We can also find it with XFCE desktop, it offers absolute control to users and a high level of security and privacy.
- ArchBang : This distro is also an excellent very small and small alternative designed to be as simple as possible for all types of users. It uses Openbox by default and is one of the fastest, most stable and configurable.
- Kaos : an alternative for users who want Arch but don’t want minimalism. This distro uses a default Plasma KDE desktop packed with effects and customization options. A sign that Arch is neither terminal nor “crappy desks.”