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Updated
Manjaro Linux is a fast, user-friendly, desktop-oriented operating system based on Arch Linux.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Based on Arch and user friendly
Manjaro is an Arch-based distribution with all the benefits of the Arch ecosystem and community but with the added benefit of being much more user-friendly than Arch.
Pro Stable and consistently up to date
Manjaro receives regular updates, but more importantly these updates are stable. The updates are rolled out, which means you can easily update the software without needing to re-install the operating system, as opposed to fixed release distributions (Cough, cough: Ubuntu.) Furthermore, Manjaro's package repositories are two weeks behind Arch's, and the Manajro team tests these packages in this two-week period. This is how Manjaro guarantees both latest and stable software.
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).
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 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).
Pro Based on Arch but less prone to breaking
Manjaro repositories are basically curated snapshots of the official Arch repositories with a number of Manjaro-specific packages and customisations added.
Updates, fixes and the like are delayed and only introduced from the Arch repositories once tested more thoroughly. This reduces the number of bugs that might otherwise have reached you - and potentially have rendered your Manjaro system broken beyond repair.
Cons
Con Calls itself "stable," but actually just holds Arch Linux repositories back for a week
Con Based on Arch but uses its own repositories
Manjaro repositories are basically curated snapshots of the official Arch repositories with a number of Manjaro-specific packages and customisations added.
This means updates, fixes and new releases are not always available to you when they become available in the Arch repositories. Having to wait a week or more for the repositories to be updated is not uncommon.
Also, instructions from the otherwise incredibly useful Arch wiki might not apply fully to your Manjaro system.
Con Developers failed to renew SSL certificate not once, but twice
Con Calls itself "stable," but actually just holds Arch Linux repositories back for a week
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 Daily manual updates
Since it is rolling release, it needs updates nearly every day, which (though are checked for automatically) must be manually downloaded, confirmed and installed. That may annoy or scare off many new users.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
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)
Con Nothing new.
There is nothing new in Manjaro compared to any other Arch based distribution.
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.
Con Make PC freezing when using browser
High CPU and RAM usage when using browser, any browsers :(
Con New packages and security updates are held for testing longer
Packages are usually about two weeks behind Arch's stable repository. While some urgent security updates are released as soon as they become available, other security updates are held for testing longer.
Pro Installation is a breeze
Calamares installer and MHWD is the reason why this distribution is good for desktop user- friendliness! Audio codecs, latest packages,latest kernel and easy upgrade to the latest build makes it the best choice for new users.