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Add to SafariWhen comparing Manjaro Linux vs Void Linux, the Slant community recommends Manjaro Linux for most people. In the question“What are the best Linux distributions for desktops?” Manjaro Linux is ranked 8th while Void Linux is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose Manjaro Linux is:
Manjaro allows the user to access of the Arch User Repository, a very large user-maintained repository of packages for Arch Linux and derivatives.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Arch User Repository access
Manjaro allows the user to access of the Arch User Repository, a very large user-maintained repository of packages for Arch Linux and derivatives.
Pro Support for multiple kernels
Manjaro has built-in support for multiple kernels as well as a way to easily install them. Using LTS kernel makes this distro stable and less buggy.
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 Improved stability due to a longer testing period for new packages
Packages from Arch's repositories are tested (about two weeks) longer for stability and compatibility issues. Patches are applied, when necessary, before being made available in the stable repositories.
Pro Friendly community
If you ask questions of users in their forums or on other platforms, they are willing to help you. Also according to the developers, they are open to new ideas in order to make the distro better.
Pro Very good looking desktops
All desktops look good by default.
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 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.
Pro Good documentation and forum
The Manjaro community is very helpful, and there are lots of tutorials.
Pro A rolling-release distribution
Manjaro uses a rolling release method for all updates, so once a system is installed, as long as the user regularly updates there is no need to re-install.
Pro All major desktops and even less common ones like Budgie, Lumina, LXQT, Deepin, Enlightenment, etc. can be directly installed from official repositories
Also available as independent variants.
Pro Uses low memory
By using Xfce or Plasma (or LXDE, Fluxbox, supported by community) as default desktop environments, Manjaro is able to have a low memory footprint.
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 Different editions to select from + Manjaro community
You can choose between different Manjaro editions which have their own change in features, and there is also Manjaro community editions where the community can make their own changes.
Pro Steam installed by default
Pro Deepin desktop environment is worthy attraction
Pro Full access to AUR
Pro an Nvidia ISO version with drivers pre-installed.
Works perfectly.
Pro Rolling release
A single instance of Void will be supported forever without needing to reinstall (you can update the system every day instead of having to install one major update every 6 months or so).
Pro Very minimal
More minimalistic than Arch since it doesn't use systemd.
Pro Runit init system
An init system with the "do one thing and do it right" mentality. Void Linux does not support systemd.
Pro Easy to use installer
Unlike it's closest competitor, Arch, Void includes a very user-friendly and simple installer in the ISO.
Pro Runit is fast and easy to configure
Runit init system is incredibly fast to boot and very simple to use.
Pro Different DE's live ISO's are available
Arch Linux doesn't make ISO's with different DE's. One need to manually install it through CLI version. But Void which is competitor of Arch, provides a wide range of DE's ISOs.
Pro Very lightweight
Base installation can idle at less than 250 megabytes of RAM.
Pro XBPS (X Binary Package System)
A brand new package manager that is fast, full-featured, and tailored specifically for Void Linux.
Pro BSD-like improvements with Linux
Full support for LibreSSL, an OpenSSL fork focused on maximizing security. The xbps-src package builder works in a similar manner to BSD's ports collection.
Pro Musl image available
Musl libc is lighter and faster than bloated glibc. Musl has been argued to be more secure overall than glibc also but is also not supported by all software.
Pro Friendly forum
Unlike the Arch Forum, it is a friendly forum (although small).
Pro Xbps-src
Xbps-src is a source packages collection which is pretty similar to FreeBSD's ports and may replace AUR for Void users.
Pro Many packages
There are some packages in official repos, than may be found only in AUR.
Pro Cool Neofetch logo
Neofetch looks good.
Pro No systemd
Uses runit instead of systemd.
Cons
Con Slightly bloated
Con Can still be unstable
Here are the details of it.
Con Bad dependencies
This is similar to the mac0S experience in that you're not allowed to remove plank.
Con All the small community editions are gone
No architect edition anymore, no edition with a tiny stacking WM like openbox or fluxbox that could be used as install base.
Con No real installer
It just boots the livecd and copies the livecd to the disk which gives you no choices in software selection.
Con Installation is extremely buggy
There's no easy way to switch from local keyboard layout if non-Latin installer language is selected.
Con Very slow development for 32-bit hardwares
ArchLinux-32 community maintain their forums every day. They upload new ISO's every month. But Manjaro-32 community upload new ISO's in every 6 month. And provide only a DE-mate.
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 Imcompatible with Arch User Repository and archlinuxcn
Because Manjaro packages are not synced with Arch, using AUR or archlinuxcn could break dependencies.
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 Redundant
It's just Arch Linux with an easier installer so there is no reason to use it.
Con Same cons that apply to Arch Linux
Since it is based on Arch Linux.
Con It's Archbuntu
Con Black screen after boot, no login possibility
Con No gfvs pre-installed
So no Trash (and possibly smartphone file system access via USB) support.
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.
Con Not suitable for those new to Linux
Documentation is scarce, NTFS partitions aren't automatically mounted, etc.
Con Not popular
Void Linux is not a popular Linux distro. So, if you run into a problem then it's likely you won't find any fix except from the maintainers.
Con Manual unclear about base configuration
Manual does not explain how to fix GRUB and gives no partition hints to the available options.
Con Niche distro
Fewer developers, smaller community, fewer packages than other distros.
Con Nvidia CUDA cumbersome to setup
If your using a Nvidia card with programs that require CUDA for fast rendering (Blender), you can expect some trouble getting it to work as it's not included with the Nvidiadriver of the nonfree repo.
Con No packages
Void developers refuse to package brave.
