ArcoLinux takes a unique approach by creating a learning path for going from a beginner to an advanced Arch Linux user. But does it really matter to users?

Arch Linux is an advanced Linux distribution and also has some elitism and gatekeeping associated to it. However, it is quite popular among a lot of desktop Linux users for the ease and freedom of customisation. As a result, there are 22 actively maintained Arch-based distributions, starting from old distributions like ArchBang which was created 12 years ago to recent ones like Garuda and Archcraft which were created in 2020.

While all distros in this list provide graphical installers, some of them have unique features. Manjaro Linux uses their custom repositories to deliver upstream packages with a delay after testing. Artix Linux replaces init system SystemD with OpenRC, and Parabola and Hyperbola ship alternatives for packages with proprietary blobs of code.

Belgium-based teacher Erik Dubois had a completely different idea in mind. After working with the core team of Archlabs Linux for a few months in 2017, Erik created ArchMerge which was inspired from a version of Archlabs he had created. He conceptualised a learning path which new Linux users could follow to become advanced users capable of creating an ISO image of their version of Arch Linux, created after installing the packages of their choice and modifying the system by applying themes and enabling background and foreground processes. After the inception in late 2017, the project was renamed as ArcoLinux in March 2018.

In its current form, ArcoLinux has become a set of multiple flavours of an Arch-based Linux distribution. The first flavour is ArcoLinuxL, a pre-configured distribution with the XFCE desktop environment and a host of pre-installed applications. The second flavour ArcoLinuxS comes with a pre-configured XFCE desktop but without the pre-installed applications. It offers the choice of installing the mainline Linux kernel with ArcoLinuxS, or the stable LTS kernel with ArcoLinuxS-LTS. The third flavour ArcoLinuxB provides users the option to choose from a list of 26 desktop environments and window managers, or install all of them with the Xtended ISO. The installer in the ArcoLinuxB ISOs also provides granular control to users in terms of choice of applications to be installed. The final flavour ArcoLinuxD is close to the Arch Linux ISO but with a graphical installer which can help the user install a minimal system easily.

Additionally, there are other ISOs aimed at helping people wanting to create custom Arch-based distributions. However, the current focus of the ArcoLinux team is a program named Arch Linux Tweak Tool, which provides a graphical interface to users for performing a multitude of tasks like installing and removing DEs or WMs; installing, enabling and configuring display managers and modifying other aspects of system behaviour like wallpapers and bootloader background images.

Information about the distribution is disseminated through the websites for the individual and Erik's YouTube channel where he regularly posts videos with information about the latest developments in the project. Erik is also pretty active in the Discord and Telegram group for the distribution. However, the clumsy structure of the websites created using WordPress seem to dissuade a lot of potential users, with people finding it difficult to navigate to the download links which are also on multiple websites depending on the flavour. YouTube videos are definitely useful as guides for installing or maintaining Linux distributions, but navigating to the right video in a sea of close to 4000 videos is difficult, and there can be no assurance of finding one that solves the exact problem that the user is facing.

Therefore, while Erik's passion is definitely commendable, some changes need to be made to the way the website and Github repositories are handled. This will make the project more welcoming for users to try and contribute to, and even reduce the maintenance efforts of the core team.