Contrary to Emmanuel who swears by Linux Mint, my thing is ArchLinux! But no shade, really 🙂 there is a Linux flavor for every taste, and that is exactly what makes this ecosystem so fun. Some people love the stability of Debian, some live happily with Fedora, others prefer the “it just works” philosophy of Mint or Ubuntu. Me? I like to tinker, I like to understand what is happening under the hood, and I love the feeling that my machine is really mine. That is why ArchLinux became my main OS years ago and why I am still running it today for everything from coding projects to late night gaming sessions on Steam.

Why ArchLinux?

When I first tried Arch, I was honestly intimidated. The install guide looked like an initiation rite. No fancy installer, no next button, no hand holding. At first it felt like someone had dropped me in front of a bare metal terminal and said “good luck kid.” But after that first rough install, I realized something important. The Arch way is not about suffering, it is about understanding. You are building your system step by step, package by package, choice by choice. By the time you boot into your new desktop, you know exactly what is running and why. That is empowering.

I know some people think Arch users are just elitist meme machines screaming “btw I use Arch” on Reddit. Sure, the jokes are funny, but once you live with it daily, Arch is not just about bragging rights. It is about flexibility. You can keep it lightweight and minimal, or you can build a full featured workstation with every tool you need. And with the rolling release model, you always get the latest packages without waiting six months for the next release. That means when I need the newest version of Python, Node.js, or my favorite editor, I do not have to wait. Pacman pulls it straight from the repos.

Pacman and the AUR

Speaking of Pacman, I think it is one of the most underrated package managers out there. Clean syntax, fast, and powerful. pacman -Syu is a simple habit that keeps my system always up to date. But the real treasure is the Arch User Repository, the famous AUR. It is basically the community kitchen where users share recipes for everything that is not in the official repos. Need a weird library for some coding experiment? It is probably in the AUR. Want the latest beta of a game client? Also in the AUR. I use yay as my AUR helper, and it feels like I have access to an infinite library of software.

Sometimes I read people warning about AUR packages being unsafe. Yes, you should check the PKGBUILD before installing, but that is part of the Arch spirit. Know what you install, check the ingredients, and you will be fine. In years of using it, I never had a serious issue, and I discovered so many cool projects through the AUR that I cannot imagine living without it.

ArchLinux for coding

Now let us talk about coding. I am an engineer and I like to jump between languages. One day I am deep into Python scripts for data crunching, the next day I am playing with C++ libraries, and sometimes I just hack together small web apps with JavaScript or Go. Arch makes this so easy. Thanks to the rolling release, I always get the latest compilers, interpreters, and toolchains. No weird backports, no outdated versions. If I want Rust nightly, I can grab it right away. If I want to test the bleeding edge of a framework, it is usually packaged within days.

The development experience feels smooth. My setup is pretty minimal: Neovim with some plugins, Git of course, Docker for containers, and sometimes VSCode when I want a full IDE experience. Everything installs fast, updates fast, and stays clean. I also like how Arch encourages me to learn. When something breaks after an update, the Arch Wiki is there to save me. Honestly, the Arch Wiki is one of the best technical resources on the internet. Even if you do not use Arch, chances are you already read an Arch Wiki page for some Linux problem. It is that good.

And yes, sometimes an update breaks something. That is the price of living on the edge. But I would rather deal with a small fix now and then than get stuck on old software. Besides, once you know how to chroot into your system and reinstall a package, you feel like a wizard. You stop fearing problems because you know how to fix them. That is a valuable skill for a coder.

ArchLinux for gaming with Steam

Now let us flip to the fun side: gaming. I used to think Linux gaming was a joke. Years ago you could run a handful of indie titles, and that was it. Fast forward to today and it is a completely different story. Thanks to Proton, Steam Play, and Vulkan, I can play most of my library directly on Arch. Installing Steam is as easy as pacman -S steam. Add Proton GE from the AUR and suddenly you can run even stubborn Windows titles.

I play everything from indie pixel games to heavy AAA monsters. Doom Eternal, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, all running on Arch without dual booting Windows. Performance is solid, sometimes even better than on Windows because there is no background bloat eating resources. And the best part is I can control everything. Mesa drivers update fast, Proton updates fast, and if something does not work today, there is usually a patch tomorrow.

Gaming on Linux also feels cleaner. No spyware hidden in the background, no weird DRM invading my machine. Just me, the game, and my Arch box. I also stream sometimes using OBS, and the performance is surprisingly smooth. With PipeWire handling audio and Proton handling Windows games, my Arch setup feels like a powerhouse that was built exactly for me.

Everyday life on Arch

Outside of coding and gaming, Arch is just my daily driver. I use it for browsing, music, writing, video calls, and everything else. I run KDE Plasma because I like a polished desktop, but I know people who swear by i3 or sway for tiling. That is the beauty of Arch. You pick your environment. Nothing is forced on you.

Updates are frequent but painless. Yes, you read the news before updating, but once you develop that habit it becomes automatic. In exchange, you get a system that feels alive and modern every single day. No waiting for the next LTS release, no outdated kernel, no missing features. Just fresh software.

ArchLinux mindset

Using Arch taught me something deeper. It is not just an operating system, it is a philosophy. It tells you: you are in control, you are responsible, you should know what is running. It is not for everyone, and that is fine. Some people want zero maintenance, and that is a valid choice. But for me, Arch is perfect because it matches my curiosity. It makes me learn. It gives me the tools, not the illusions.

I do not evangelize, I do not tell everyone to switch. Like I said at the start, Linux has flavors for every taste. Mint is great for people who want stability and ease. Ubuntu is great for quick installs. Fedora has bleeding edge packages with polish. Debian is rock solid for servers. But for me, Arch hits that sweet spot between control and freshness. It is like driving a car you built yourself. You know every screw, every cable, and when you hit the gas you know why it runs.

Conclusion

So yes, I am an Arch user. Not because of the memes, not because I like to suffer, but because it makes sense for me. It gives me a perfect environment for coding, a surprisingly good platform for gaming, and a daily driver that keeps me learning and smiling. When I boot into my Arch desktop, I feel like I am home.

And next time someone jokes “btw I use Arch,” just smile. Behind that meme there is usually someone who actually put in the time to build their system, learn Linux, and enjoy the ride. That is worth some respect.