EndeavourOS is an Arch Linux distribution for everyone

If you’ve ever stepped into the water of Linux, you’ve probably heard of Arch Linux. On a scale from Ubuntu (user friendly) to incredibly challenging (Gentoo), pure Arch Linux is near the top. But even Arch Linux is making progress towards a much more user-friendly platform (this is the case with the release of a new menu-based installer).

But for those who want to lower the barriers to entry for Arch Linux, there are options.One of them EndeavourOS.. This version of Arch Linux strives to be accessible and usable by anyone, regardless of skill level. EndeavourOS isn’t as user-friendly as things like Ubuntu and Linux Mint, but it’s at least much easier to install than pure Arch Linux. It also includes a handy welcome app, so getting used to EndeavourOS is pretty easy.

Recently, developers have released Apollo, the latest version of EndeavourOS. It contains all the tools you need to make it a power user’s dream distribution, but this new release is the recently discovered Linux.

But why Arch Linux?

Before going deep into EndeavourOS, you might ask yourself, “Why do you need to care about Arch Linux?” That’s a good question. If the Linux distribution you can use is much simpler, the idea of ​​challenging yourself should be the reason itself. Besides using Arch Linux:

• You have more control over every aspect of your operating system.
• You will be able to better understand Linux.
• This is a rolling release, so you can enjoy the new kernel and software as soon as it is released.
• There is a huge repository (AUR) of software to install.
• Fully created and supported by the community.

Arch Linux may be a great operating system for you if the sense of accomplishment gives you an example of the feel.

You may or may not want to dig into Arch Linux, so let’s go back a bit and see why we want to try EndeavourOS.

• You need an incredibly stable OS.
• I want to use Arch Linux, but prefer the GUI installer.
• Rolling release distribution is required.
• You need to choose from multiple desktops during the installation.

It was announced that EndeavourOS will ship a new window manager (Worm), but I’ve done two different installations, but I’m still not sure if it’s available in Apollo ISO. Still, you can choose one of the following:

• XFCE
• KDE plasma
• GNOME
• mate
• cinnamon
• Budgerigar
• LXQT
• LXDE
• i3

For new users, it is highly recommended to choose either Cinnamon or KDE Plasma as your desktop (you can choose it during the installation process- Figure 1).

Figure 1

Interestingly, the desktop environment used during the installation is XFCE. This makes sense because XFCE is a fairly lightweight desktop and can be run from RAM without any problems.

I decided to go to the KDE Plasma Route to see how well EndeavourOS works on its familiar desktop. We also ran the installation using the Budgie desktop (a smaller environment) and saw how it was faired. I was equally impressed with both editions.

Ready-to-use applications

When you install EndeavourOS, the first thing you’ll probably notice is that there are quite a few pre-installed applications. There are applications such as Firefox, Video Player (Dragon), Music Player (Elisa), Advanced Text Editor (Kate), KDE Connect (for connecting mobile devices), and several other utilities. ..

What is lacking is productivity tools. If you look at the Office menu, you’ll see Okular (Document Viewer- Figure 2).

Figure 2

Fortunately, this lack of software can easily be overcome with the help of welcome tools.[ようこそ]Open and[アプリを追加]On the tab (Figure 3),[インストールする人気のアプリを選択してください]Click.

Figure 3

In the result window (Figure 4) Expand the Office entry, select the libreoffice-fresh checkbox, and then[今すぐインストール]Click.

Figure 4

You will first be prompted for the user password, then (if the authentication is successful) you will need to enter Y to complete the installation. The installation will complete without any problems and you will be able to use the full-fledged office suite. (For documents, spreadsheets, presentations, formulas, databases, and drawings).

New features to find

In addition to the new window manager (not yet tested), Apollo has some new features and improvements, including:

• Linux kernel 5.17 (allows the OS to support next-generation hardware).
• New Quick Start App (a welcome tool that allows you to quickly install applications[インストールする人気のアプリを選択]option).
• New NVIDIA driver installer.
• FirewallD is installed and enabled by default.
• Mesa22 graphics stack.

Overall impression

Once upon a time, a review of Linux distributions was about how easy it is for new users to hire. Recent Linux distributions have been able to put that concern under control. It’s been a while since we came across a Linux distribution that isn’t easily adopted by users of all skill levels, and EndeavourOS is following the same path.

Since it is based on Arch Linux, you may think that you need to use the command line interface (CLI) to use EndeavourOS. It’s not. In fact, I didn’t open a terminal window for a single command throughout the EndeavourOS review period. You can do everything you need through an easy-to-use GUI. It’s really easy to use.

We also found that EndeavourOS is as stable as Arch Linux no matter which desktop environment you choose (saying something, given how robust Arch is). And when it comes to performance, EndeavourOS acts like a champion, whether you’re using a lightweight desktop or a full-fledged environment like KDE. Even as a virtual machine (with limited resources), the app opens very quickly and performs better than expected.

Overall, EndeavourOS is an excellent entry into the Linux desktop distribution community. If you’re looking for an operating system that can grow in complexity as your skill set grows, the results can be much worse. Download the EndeavourOS Apollo ISO, launch the virtual machine and kick the tires. If you like what you see, install it on Bare Metal and enjoy a user-friendly take on Arch Linux.