Wednesday, November 11, 2026

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Arch Linux

A minimalist, rolling-release distribution. You get a lean base system, and the freedom (and the responsibility) to build the rest.

3 guides on TuxWraith · Last reviewed 7 Nov 2026

archlinux.org ↗
At a glance

Arch Linux

Family
Independent
First release
2002
Release model
Rolling (no version upgrades)
Package manager
pacman (+ AUR helpers)
Init system
systemd
Architecture
x86_64
Installer
archinstall (or manual)
Default desktop
None (you choose)

Overview

Arch Linux follows a rolling-release model: there are no version numbers to upgrade between. One full system update keeps everything current, and the same install can live for years.

The base install is deliberately small. You pick the bootloader, the desktop and the tools, which makes Arch a good way to learn how a Linux system fits together, and a poor fit if you want things to just work out of the box.

Is it for you?

Good fit if you…

  • want to understand how your system is assembled
  • like current packages and fast upstream releases
  • are happy to read the Arch Wiki and the news before big updates

Look elsewhere if you…

  • need a system you can leave untouched for months
  • want a graphical installer and ready-made defaults (try Fedora or Linux Mint)
  • run production servers that must not change underneath you (try Debian or Ubuntu LTS)

Everyday commands

Full cheat sheet →
sudo pacman -Syu
Sync the databases and upgrade every package.
pacman -Ss <query>
Search the repositories.
sudo pacman -S <package>
Install a package.
sudo pacman -Rns <package>
Remove a package with its unneeded dependencies and config files.
pacman -Qi <package>
Show details of an installed package.
paccache -r
Prune old versions from the package cache (needs pacman-contrib).

Arch Linux guides

Official resources