Recs.
Updated
Manjaro Linux is a fast, user-friendly, desktop-oriented operating system based on Arch Linux.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Manjaro provides its own distribution-specific tools such as the Manjaro Hardware Detection (mhwd) utility, and the Manjaro Settings Manager (msm).
Run automatically during the installation process, it allows for Manjaro to work fully on your system 'straight out of the box', without the need to manually identify and install the necessary drivers or to manually edit the appropriate configuration files. Also usable via the terminal after installation, the features of the mhwd command include:
- The choice of free (i.e. open-source) or non-free (i.e. proprietary) drivers
- Identification and listing (general or detailed) of your system's hardware
- Identification and listing (general or detailed) of installed drivers
- Listing of available drivers for installation (free and proprietary)
- Support of hybrid graphics cards (e.g. Nvidia Optimus)
- Easy removal and installation of drivers (selected automatically, or you can identify and choose your own)
Pro Excellent graphical package manager (Pamac)
Features include: providing notifications of available updates; mirror management; AUR support (with the option to suppress unnecessary confirmations during the install process); update settings (frequency, whether to check for updates from the AUR, packages to ignore updates for); and a history of packages installed, updated, or removed (from the official repositories - AUR packages are not currently tracked).
Cons
Con Too many bugs which appear to be the same in all DEs
Too many bugs which appear to be the same in all desktop ENVs.
The most annoying is the frequently crashing logout app which prevents you from doing a regular reboot or shutdown and the only option left is to treat it like Windows XP - hard reset from the hardware button of your computer. Naturally, this doesn't guarantee your work will be saved, especially if it's something you can't just press Ctrl+S for.
Another very annoying bug is that all Manjaros refuse to wake up (when the system was suspended to RAM) and all you get is a black screen with running fans.
For comparison, Linux Mint doesn't have these two problems.
Con No support
Ask a support question and you only receive nasty wise guy replies. The developers will lie to you and blame you and your hardware for their incompetence. The developers are indignant and you may thing they are playing stupid but they are not playing, they are actually stupid.
Con Uses grub2
Grub2 is not embeddable which means it can't be put inside the file system where the OS is. Because of that grub2 can only go in the MBR of the storage device which is a very gentle part of the device and easily corruptable by grub2. When the latter happens, the only way to restore MBR is to launch Windows from another storage device and use a non-free program to rebuild MBR.
Con You can't change the default theme in certain applications
Although it is possible to change the default dark theme, this has no effect on Firefox, which appears to have the dark theme "hard coded". Hardened Linux pros may find a way to change this, but for the rest, it renders an otherwise nice distro a no-go.
Con Many of your hardware won't work due to missing packages and missing information
Con Calls itself "stable," but actually just holds Arch Linux repositories back for a week
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Con Security issues
Since packages are not updated as fast as in Arch, critical security updates may not come as fast as needed for packages that may have issues.