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This is not a programming related question. I am rather asking for your opinion. If this is not the right forum, let me know and I will delete the question.

So, I have been using Linux for the last 21 months. I was a Windows user and had never used Linux before, so I chose an easy distro, namely Linux Mint. Ever since I switched to Linux, everything is better. I just LOVE it and I doubt I will ever switch back to Windows.

But now, I feel like I want to learn more about interacting at a lower level with the OS and I was told that Arch Linux is not easy to understand. Do you think that it is a good idea to switch? Or it would be better to spend some more time with Linux Mint before switching to Arch? How much experience did you guys have when you started with Arch?

P.S. I am perfectly happy with my Linux Mint and can get done everything I need. But as I said, I want to try new things.

Gledi
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    Welcome to the site. "Asking for opinions" is unfortunately considered off-topic for this site, which is based on the "clearly defined problem" => "one or more definite answers" model ... – AdminBee Sep 14 '20 at 10:31

1 Answers1

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You have a couple of options, none of which require you to reload your working system

  1. Virtual machine - this is by far the safest way to learn about new systems. I built an Arch VM in QEMU, just to upgrade my skills as you are want (VMware and Virtualbox are easier to setup than QEMU, but I needed the practice in QEMU). This let me keep my current system while accessing the Arch Wiki - a great source of info, but it's a lot of info!
  2. Live USB - since VMs don't have access to local hardware (out of the box, anyways), your testing won't be complete in a VM. In this case, I would install an Arch-based distro like Manjaro in a live USB environment to get a feel for how it interacts with hardware and the different package managers.
  3. Install Arch alongside Mint - this is what I'd recommend, but not until you ran through testing on a VM. If you've read at all what's required on the Arch Wiki, you'll understand why.

Whatever you decide, if/when you make the plunge to Arch I would strongly recommend making a system image of your current Mint install so that you can easily revert if you get overwhelmed.

ajgringo619
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  • +1 for the VM idea. I'd add that there are other options for virtual machines, aside from QEMU, such as VirtualBox or VMWare. – KGIII Sep 13 '20 at 20:13
  • @KGIII - fixed. – ajgringo619 Sep 13 '20 at 20:37
  • @ajgringo619 Thanks for your reply. I really like the second approach and I think that's the alternative I will choose. Let me ask you a question: How much experience did you have when you started with Arch? And how long did it take you to get more confident and comfortable with it? – Gledi Sep 13 '20 at 20:46
  • I've been in the computer business since the early '80s. I started with UNIX (Solaris and AIX) back in 1998, then began experimenting with Linux a few years afterwards. I would say I become comfortable after about the 5-year mark. – ajgringo619 Sep 13 '20 at 20:48
  • Oh okay. I am a total noob compared to you and your experience because I've been in the computer business for three years. Anyways, I will give it a try. Thanks again and have a good day. – Gledi Sep 13 '20 at 21:06
  • You'll be fine. Arch is hard, no question, but their knowledge-base is second-to-none. Btw, I'm using Mint as well. – ajgringo619 Sep 13 '20 at 21:11