Recs.
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.The overall features it provides is hard to beat. Arguably be the best desktop distro with lts kernel. Consumes very less ram.
Pro Excellent graphical package manager (Pamac)
Features include: providing notifications of available updates; mirror management; Snap support, Flatpak support and 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 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.
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)
Cons
Con Bad dependencies
This is similar to the mac0S experience in that you're not allowed to remove plank.
Con Weekly manual updates
Since it is rolling release, it needs updates nearly every week, which (though are checked for automatically) must be manually downloaded, confirmed and installed. That may annoy or scare off many new users.
Con The Manjaro unstable repository is slow to sync with the Arch stable repository
The Manjaro unstable repository syncs with the Arch stable repository and if any package has moved, it gets moved to stable.
Manjaro gets package updates a bit than Arch.
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 Deepin desktop environment is not a worthy attraction, there is a problem with changing Multi language layout
Con Nothing new
There is nothing new in Manjaro compared to any other Arch based distribution.
Con Bad way of handling dependencies
Manjaro is based on Arch Linux. Arch Linux and its derivatives have a bad way of handling dependencies. To handle dependencies, it installs a whole another program which contains the required dependencies.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
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.
Con Calls itself "stable," but actually just holds Arch Linux repositories back for a week
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.