August 23, 2024
I can answer this question pretty quickly. For me, Arch Linux is the best operating system that I have found as a programming nerd that simply gets out of my way and lets me do what I want. Now, this statement comes with a couple caveats.
It's worth noting that if you want an operating system that is simple to install and works straight out of the box, you are not going to enjoy Arch. Also, if you require software specific to Windows or possibly MacOS, you will also have a bad time. For me, neither of these are major issues. All my machines really need to do for me is let me chat with friends, browse the internet, run various programming languages as well as code editors, and let me play a few video games from the early 2000s. If an operating system can satisfy those conditions while getting out of my way as much as possible, then I'm quite pleased!
When I first tried out this operating system, I messed up a couple of installs pretty thoroughly. It was a bit of a learning curve but if you're willing to spend a few hours figuring out issues, it becomes much more intuitive over time. Plus, the Arch Wiki is a fantastic resource where just about any problem you have with your system can be solved! It's also worth noting that Arch is really not as hard to install as many would make it out to be. I used the archinstall method in order to build an Arch setup with a Gnome desktop environment. I absolutely love Gnome due to its simplicity and accessibility features for those like myself with comically poor eyesight. Really, the only prerequisites for installing Arch are if you can access your computer's bootloader and follow directions.
Once my desktop was set up, all I really had to do was configure a couple elements to my liking and install my various nerd software. And the good news there is that if you use Arch, you have access to the AUR (Arch User Repository). You can find everything from your favorite code editors all the way up to an UWU version of neofetch, if you're so inclined, and it's all compatible with your system!
In terms of software, the vast majority of the time I'm either in a browser or a text editor and there are many great options! For browsers, I use Brave and Firefox. For the purposes of web development, I find it useful to test my projects using both a Chromium and a non-Chromium based browser. In terms of text editors and development environments, I primarily use a Visual Studio Code version without Microsoft telemetry called Code - OSS. I also use the Arduino IDE quite often for my electronics projects. Then, I have OpenSCAD for my 3D modelling projects. Of course for 3D modelling Blender also works like a dream on Arch so long as you meet the hardware requirements.
And yes, you can do gaming on Arch with a very bold asterisk. Depending on what you play, you are going to have some problems. Games I have been able to run beautifully include Helldivers 2, Stardew Valley, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, Star Wars: Empire At War, and Everspace. I can also play Halo: The Master Chief Collection on my system but it has issues; especially with multiplayer. Though to be fair, I've had my fair share of issues with that game on Windows as well. I don't play a lot of video games so for me, this is perfectly serviceable.
Another small aspect of most Linux systems that I enjoy is not having constant reminders to update, purchase some bloated software, or sign into some cloud account in order to not miss out on their annual security breach. Arch has very few opinions. There are no accounts needed, no mandatory updates, and no pricey office software or cloud services unless you specifically want such things. LibreOffice is good enough for me and in terms of storage, a combination of Github and old computers works pretty well! But admittedly, I still use Google Drive and treat it in about the same way as drinking a Mountain Dew and having a Snickers while on a diet.
This of course all comes down to why I use Arch. It simply gets out of my way! The same philosophy that applies to good user interfaces can be applied to an entire operating system. If I don't notice that it is there, it is doing its job well. Don't get me wrong, the learning curve can be quite frustrating at times. But once you make it over that initial frustration, it is the smoothest, least opinionated, and least noticeable operating system that I've ever used.