Garuda Linux continues to evolve and presents its candidacy for best distro based on Arch

Linux is a whole universe. There aren't that many distributions with their own root, and even Ubuntu isn't spared from having ancestors. For the end user there are hundreds of options, some based on Debian, others on Red Hat, Fedora, Arch... Most distributions have a graphical installer, but that is not the case with Arch Linux, so it may be advisable to use something based on Arch if that base is preferred. Of the different options out there, GarudaLinux is one of the most interesting.

Between what Arch-based I would say that we have two most popular projects that stand out from the rest: EndeavorOS and Manjaro. The first is the successor to AntergOS, and it is even said that it is what Arch Linux would be if it had a graphical installer. The second has its own philosophy, with its frequency of updates and tools like Pamac. Garuda Linux has been around since 2019, although they don't agree on the exact date, and it only takes half an hour to play with it to understand why it's special.

Garuda Linux arrives from India

This project we comes from india, although it can be misleading that dr460nf1r3, responsible for the aesthetics and Firedragon, is German, and his name comes from a mythical bird / minor god of Hinduism. It has attracted the interest of many from the beginning, for which it seems that its colorful design has had a lot to do with it. It is available in many graphical environments, the main edition being KDE, a desktop that we find in four different forms:

• "Normal" KDE would be the main edition. It is currently called "Dr460nized", partly after its main developer, dr460nf1r3.
• KDE Gaming Edition. It is also a "Dragonized" edition, but if I do not include that label it is because I am not sure that it will never change and this article will be out of date at any time. It is an edition with default packages intended for games, such as Steam, Lutris and WINE, among many others.
• Linux KDE lite is a non-customization edition a la Garuda, and Linux KDE-git is the one that gets KDE software sooner, also with a pure KDE. Both are for advanced users.

The other options you are on are GNOME, Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE, LXQT-Kwin, Wayfire, Sway, i3wm, and Qtile.

Own tools to carry out all kinds of procedures

Another thing I like about Garuda Linux is that everything seems to be fine. designed for the end user. After the installation from scratch, the wizard will start, and from it we can install all kinds of useful software. For example, VLC, GIMP, drivers, software in case we are going to use printers or not... everything. In the Garuda Gamer section we find emulators for all retro consoles (PSP, PSX, Xbox, NES, SEGA...) and even EmulationStation, but RetroPie's dock requires some configuration to get it working; by default it doesn't start.

As for what we can install, there is a section to add any kernel. And when I say “any” I mean “any”. For the user of distros like Manjaro, this won't interest them until I say that the Garuda tool also allows you to install the ZEN and Hardened kernels (article explaining the differences).

Garuda has a tool to remove unwanted files, such as temporary, cache and others, and another that is an assistant to manage the BTRFS storage, because that is the file system it uses, as we explain in the next point.

BTRFS by default

The file system BTRFS You may like it more or less, but it is another option. And it has at least a couple of features that, without getting too technical, are beneficial:

• Improve performance. It uses a CoW (Copy on Write) read/write type, and this makes it more efficient.
• It allows you to create snapshots, something like Windows restore points. Garuda has everything ready to use after the installation from scratch.

When starting, in addition to being able to choose between which kernel we want it to run, it also we can start one of those snapshots. As soon as we enter one, it will ask us if we want to restore it, something that is not necessary. When we are in one of them we will not be able to update packages or anything, but we can check if everything is in place and, if we have had any recent problems, "go back in time".

Chaotic-AUR and BlackArch

In its configuration tools we can also add some repositories, such as BlackArch. This is the Arch Linux repository where we will find tools for ethical hacking. And, instead of AUR, use the repository Chaotic-AUR from dr460nf1r3, which (supposed to) contain almost the same thing as AUR, but more controls what it offers. AUR can be used, but by pulling some assistant (helper) like Spring o Pamac, a Manjaro software store that can be installed on Garuda from its configuration tools.

As for software stores, for default uses Octopi, but it offers a variety of them so that we can choose the one that makes us feel most comfortable. I would recommend pulling terminal or installing Pamac.

Garuda Linux bases its design on macOS

Or in part. has a dock at the bottom and the top bar where the different menus appear, as long as the application supports it. It also has the window buttons on the left, round and in color. As for the palette, It is very colorful, coming to remind what is seen in some RGB keyboards for the Gaming. Of course, all this can change depending on the edition chosen. Dr460nized with KDE is like that.

The problem with the buttons on the left is obvious: there are software that have their own top bar, and programs like Visual Studio Code must have them on the right or we won't be able to use their own bar, the one that shows the search box and the different layouts or layers.

Touchpad gestures (libinput-gestures-qt)

Many Linux users will know touchegg/Touché, which allows you to use gestures on the touch panel even if we are in X11. X.Org is what it uses by default, but Garuda allows you to use touchpad gestures. They don't work like Wayland's, which go at the same speed as the gesture, but it works, and currently you can:

• Three fingers up shows us all the virtual desktops and the windows that are in each of them.
• Three fingers down shows us the open windows on the current desktop.
• Four fingers up maximizes or restores the window, depending on its original state, and four fingers down minimizes it.
• Four fingers left or right swipe to the desktop on that side. This gesture does not work to move to a desktop that we have below because it is "caught" by maximizing / restoring / minimizing.

not everything is translated

The weakest point that I have found in the time that I have been using Garuda Linux has been to see how there are corners that are not fully translated into Spanish. It is somewhat reminiscent, although it is at a much better point, of what we see when using distributions for the Chinese public such as Ubuntu Kylin or openKylin. But we must remember here that we are dealing with a distro that is about four years old.

What it does have are own icons for almost everything. Software like Vivaldi has a colorful icon that doesn't clash with the rest. Telegram too, Visual Studio Code too... I have gone into "All applications" and I have not found any that do not have their "Garudero" icon.

Is it worth switching to Garuda Linux?

I like to be honest and I usually go from lying or saying things to make someone, a project or a software good. My sincerity forces me to talk about the distro-hopping itself: we change distribution when the one we are using fails or there is something we don't like, not before. Therefore, whoever is comfortable in their current distribution, do not move, and I will say the same regardless of the source and destination distro.

For anyone thinking about what to try, I definitely think Garuda Linux it's a great option. It's beautiful, it has many tools designed for the end user, it has the snapshots, the Arch base... It will have everything when the translations are perfect, and I assure you that my next distro-jump (distro-jump, for those who don't understand English) complete will be towards Garuda. I just hope the dragon doesn't end up singeing something to me.

Link to the project page.