Here’s the Deal

Nix vs ArcoLinux

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When comparing Nix vs ArcoLinux, the Slant community recommends ArcoLinux for most people. In the question“What are the best Linux distributions for misanthropes?” ArcoLinux is ranked 15th while Nix is ranked 88th. The most important reason people chose ArcoLinux is:

Unbelievably fast for ArcoLinux with XFCE, Openbox, I3.

Specs

No specs yet!

Based OnArch Linux (Rolling)

Default Desktop EnvironmentOpenbox + Xfce + i3

Init-systemsystemd

Package Managerpacman

PriceFREE

Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking

Common Questions

What are the best Linux distributions for misanthropes?

Pros

Pro
No side effects when building packages

Nix is a purely functional package management system. This means that the act of building a package does not have side effects, such as destructively updating or deleting files that may be used by other packages.

Pro
Isolated development environments

Nix allows the creation of project-specific shell and build environments which are isolated from the rest of the system. These environments are defined declaratively to ensure reproducibility.

Pro
Can replace docker in some places

Pro
Can use multiple versions of the same package

Because of the functional approach it takes, Nix makes it easy for systems to use multiple versions of the same package simultaneously, and ensure that updating or removing a package can't break other packages.

Pro
The configuration works on "All machines"

No more of the traditional: "it works on my machine". When it says reproducible, this is the real deal.

Pro
Easy to install

Unbelievably fast for ArcoLinux with XFCE, Openbox, I3.

Pro
Community support is great

Need to install Discord on cell phone and computer. Fastest way to receive help. Community is mostly European on Discord so getting help at midnight may be a challenge.

Pro
Helps you to become a Arch Linux user

Pro
Blazingly fast!

Startup time, shutdown time, everything in between.

Pro
Easy to isntall desktop environments

Thanks to the manuals provided by the developers it is really easy to install more than 10 different desktop environments that'll work at the same time!

Pro
Easy to install, handles system memory well, and a great way to learn Arch Linux

Incredibly fast, easy to install, tons of software pre-installed and easily installs more.

Pro
XFCE, Openbox and I3

Finished Product with almost every tool a experienced user will use.

Pro
Easy to install NVIDIA Drivers

Has option to install NVIDIA proprietary drivers. Runs great.

Pro
Learning bash script

The fastest way to reload any Linux desktop is a script that will install all your favorite apps. Keep this file on a USB stick Update for any distro from Ubuntu, Fedora, or even Arch Linux back to your favorite apps in minutes.

Pro
Efficient use of Memory, Easy to Install, Amazingly Fast

OpenBox on Arco Linux is AWESOME!

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Cons

Con
Does not work well for services on non-NixOS systems

When using Nix with anything other than NixOS you can run into difficulties with trying to start up services. For example, you can install docker with Nix, but it won't integrate with the host system's systemd leaving you to handcraft awkward workarounds in order to start the background service that docker requires. This seems like a critical flaw when using Nix on anything that is not NixOS, and it's unfortunate because this affects many of the packages many users would be most interested in using Nix to handle.

Con
Steep learning curve

Con
Cannot handle filetypes that have different semantics across different versions

While the functional approach that Nix takes is great for sandboxing binary artifacts of packages, it seriously lacks any power in handling configuration files or user data. It's difficult to upgrade and downgrade files where semantics and syntax can change between versions. Especially in Debian/Ubuntu it can cause severe problems where the upgrade process blocks and the user needs to resolve the 3-way merge.