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=== Gentoo Linux ===
=== Gentoo Linux ===
−
Both Arch Linux and Gentoo Linux are rolling release systems, making packages available to the distribution a short time after they are released upstream. The Gentoo packages and base system are built directly from source code according to user-specified 'USE flags'. Arch provides a ports-like system for building packages from source, though the Arch base system is designed to be installed as pre-built i686/x86_64 binary. This generally makes Arch quicker to build and update, and allows Gentoo to be more systemically customizable. Arch supports i686 and x86_64 while Gentoo officially supports x86, x86_64, PPC, SPARC, Alpha, ARM, MIPS, HP/PA, S/390, sh, and Itanium architectures. Because both the Gentoo and Arch installations only include a base system, both are considered to be highly customizable. Gentoo users will generally feel quite comfortable with most aspects of Arch.
+
Both Arch Linux and Gentoo Linux are rolling release systems, making packages available to the distribution a short time after they are released upstream. The Gentoo packages and base system are built directly from source code according to user-specified
'
'USE flags
'
'. Arch provides a ports-like system for building packages from source, though the Arch base system is designed to be installed as pre-built i686/x86_64 binary. This generally makes Arch quicker to build and update, and allows Gentoo to be more systemically customizable. Arch supports i686 and x86_64 while Gentoo officially supports x86, x86_64, PPC, SPARC, Alpha, ARM, MIPS, HP/PA, S/390, sh, and Itanium architectures. Because both the Gentoo and Arch installations only include a base system, both are considered to be highly customizable. Gentoo users will generally feel quite comfortable with most aspects of Arch.
=== Sorcerer/Lunar-Linux/Source Mage ===
=== Sorcerer/Lunar-Linux/Source Mage ===
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== Minimalist ==
== Minimalist ==
−
The minimalist distributions are quite comparable to Arch, sharing several similarities. All are considered
'
simple
'
from a technical standpoint.
+
The minimalist distributions are quite comparable to Arch, sharing several similarities. All are considered
"
simple
"
from a technical standpoint.
=== LFS ===
=== LFS ===
−
LFS, (or Linux From Scratch) exists simply as documentation. The book instructs the user on obtaining the source code for a minimal base package set for a functional GNU/Linux system, and how to manually compile, patch and configure it from scratch. LFS is as minimal as it gets, and offers an excellent and educational process of building and customizing a base system. Arch provides these very same packages, plus [[systemd]], a few extra tools and the powerful [[pacman]] package manager as its base system, already compiled for i686/x86_64. LFS provides no online repositories; sources are manually obtained, compiled and installed with
{{ic|
make
}}
. (Several manual methods of package management exist, and are mentioned in LFS Hints). Along with the minimal Arch base system, the Arch community and developers provide and maintain many thousands of binary packages installable via pacman as well as [[PKGBUILD]] build scripts for use with the [[Arch Build System]]. Arch also includes the [[makepkg]] tool for expediently building or customizing
{{ic|
.pkg.tar.xz
}}
packages, readily installable by pacman. Judd Vinet built Arch from scratch, and then wrote pacman in C. Historically, Arch was sometimes humorously described simply as "Linux, with a nice package manager."
+
LFS, (or Linux From Scratch) exists simply as documentation. The book instructs the user on obtaining the source code for a minimal base package set for a functional GNU/Linux system, and how to manually compile, patch and configure it from scratch. LFS is as minimal as it gets, and offers an excellent and educational process of building and customizing a base system. Arch provides these very same packages, plus [[systemd]], a few extra tools and the powerful [[pacman]] package manager as its base system, already compiled for i686/x86_64. LFS provides no online repositories; sources are manually obtained, compiled and installed with
''
make
''
. (Several manual methods of package management exist, and are mentioned in LFS Hints). Along with the minimal Arch base system, the Arch community and developers provide and maintain many thousands of binary packages installable via pacman as well as [[PKGBUILD]] build scripts for use with the [[Arch Build System]]. Arch also includes the [[makepkg]] tool for expediently building or customizing
''
.pkg.tar.xz
''
packages, readily installable by pacman. Judd Vinet built Arch from scratch, and then wrote pacman in C. Historically, Arch was sometimes humorously described simply as "Linux, with a nice package manager."
=== CRUX ===
=== CRUX ===
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* Arch supplies a package management system in [[pacman]] which, unlike Slackware's standard tools, offers automatic dependency resolution and allows for more automated system upgrades. Slackware users typically prefer their method of manual dependency resolution, citing the level of system control it grants them, as well as Slackware's excellent supply of pre-installed libraries and dependencies.
* Arch supplies a package management system in [[pacman]] which, unlike Slackware's standard tools, offers automatic dependency resolution and allows for more automated system upgrades. Slackware users typically prefer their method of manual dependency resolution, citing the level of system control it grants them, as well as Slackware's excellent supply of pre-installed libraries and dependencies.
−
* Arch is a rolling-release system. Slackware is seen as more conservative in its release cycle, preferring proven stable packages. Arch is more 'bleeding-edge' in this respect.
+
* Arch is a rolling-release system. Slackware is seen as more conservative in its release cycle, preferring proven stable packages. Arch is more
'
'bleeding-edge
'
' in this respect.
* Arch Linux provides many thousands of binary packages within its official repositories whereas Slackware official repositories are more modest.
* Arch Linux provides many thousands of binary packages within its official repositories whereas Slackware official repositories are more modest.
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* Debian is the largest upstream Linux distribution with a bigger community and features stable, testing, and unstable branches, offering over 30,000 high quality binary packages. The available number of Arch binary packages is more modest. However, when including the AUR, the quantities are very comparable.
* Debian is the largest upstream Linux distribution with a bigger community and features stable, testing, and unstable branches, offering over 30,000 high quality binary packages. The available number of Arch binary packages is more modest. However, when including the AUR, the quantities are very comparable.
−
* Debian has a more vehement stance on free software but still includes non-free software in its non-free repos. Arch is more lenient, and therefore inclusive, concerning 'non-free
'
packages as defined by GNU, thereby leaving the choice to the users.
+
* Debian has a more vehement stance on free software but still includes non-free software in its non-free repos. Arch is more lenient, and therefore inclusive, concerning
'
'non-free packages
''
as defined by GNU, thereby leaving the choice to the users.
* Debian's design approach focuses more on stability and stringent testing and focus based mostly on its famous "Debian social contract". Arch is focused more on the philosophy of simplicity, minimalism, and offering bleeding edge software. Arch packages are more current than Debian Stable and Testing, being more comparable to the Debian Unstable branch.
* Debian's design approach focuses more on stability and stringent testing and focus based mostly on its famous "Debian social contract". Arch is focused more on the philosophy of simplicity, minimalism, and offering bleeding edge software. Arch packages are more current than Debian Stable and Testing, being more comparable to the Debian Unstable branch.
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* The Arch installation system only offers a minimal base, transparently exposed during system configuration, whereas Debian's methods offer a more automatically configured approach as well as several alternative methods of installation.
* The Arch installation system only offers a minimal base, transparently exposed during system configuration, whereas Debian's methods offer a more automatically configured approach as well as several alternative methods of installation.
−
* Debian utilizes the SysVinit by default even though systemd and upstart are available for users to configure, whereas Arch uses [[systemd]] by default for overall better performance.
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* Debian utilizes the
''
SysVinit
''
by default even though systemd and upstart are available for users to configure, whereas Arch uses [[systemd]] by default for overall better performance.
* Arch keeps patching to a minimum, thus avoiding problems that upstream are unable to review, whereas Debian patches its packages more liberally for a wider audience.
* Arch keeps patching to a minimum, thus avoiding problems that upstream are unable to review, whereas Debian patches its packages more liberally for a wider audience.
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* PCLinuxOS is a popular Mandriva-based distribution providing a complete DE, designed for user-friendliness and is described as "simple", though its definition of simple is quite different than the Arch definition. Arch is designed as a simple base system to be customized from the ground up and is aimed more toward advanced users.
* PCLinuxOS is a popular Mandriva-based distribution providing a complete DE, designed for user-friendliness and is described as "simple", though its definition of simple is quite different than the Arch definition. Arch is designed as a simple base system to be customized from the ground up and is aimed more toward advanced users.
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* PCLOS uses the apt package manager as a wrapper for RPM packages. Arch uses its own independently-developed [[pacman]] package manager with
{{ic|
.pkg.tar.xz
}}
packages.
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* PCLOS uses the apt package manager as a wrapper for RPM packages. Arch uses its own independently-developed [[pacman]] package manager with
''
.pkg.tar.xz
''
packages.
* PCLOS is very GUI-driven, provides GUI hardware configuration tools and the Synaptic package management front-end, and claims to have little or no reliance on the shell. Arch is command-line oriented and designed for more simple approaches to system configuration, management and maintenance.
* PCLOS is very GUI-driven, provides GUI hardware configuration tools and the Synaptic package management front-end, and claims to have little or no reliance on the shell. Arch is command-line oriented and designed for more simple approaches to system configuration, management and maintenance.
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== The *BSDs ==
== The *BSDs ==
−
<nowiki>*</nowiki>BSDs share a common origin and descend directly from the work done at UC Berkeley to produce a freely redistributable, free of cost,
{{ic|
UNIX
}}
system. They are not GNU/Linux distributions, but rather,
{{ic|
UNIX
}}
-like operating systems. Therefore, although Arch and the *BSDs share the concept of a tightly-integrated base and ports system, they are absolutely not related from a code standpoint, except for perhaps
{{ic|
vi
}}
, as Arch's
{{ic|
vi
}}
is the original BSD
{{ic|
vi
}}
(most *BSDs do not use the original BSD
{{ic|
vi
}}
anymore). *BSDs were derived from the original AT&T
{{ic|
UNIX
}}
code and have a true
{{ic|
UNIX
}}
heritage. To learn more about the *BSD variants, visit the vendor's site.
+
<nowiki>*</nowiki>BSDs share a common origin and descend directly from the work done at UC Berkeley to produce a freely redistributable, free of cost, UNIX system. They are not GNU/Linux distributions, but rather, UNIX-like operating systems. Therefore, although Arch and the *BSDs share the concept of a tightly-integrated base and ports system, they are absolutely not related from a code standpoint, except for perhaps
''
vi
''
, as Arch's
''
vi
''
is the original BSD
''
vi
''
(most *BSDs do not use the original BSD
''
vi
''
anymore). *BSDs were derived from the original AT&T UNIX code and have a true UNIX heritage. To learn more about the *BSD variants, visit the vendor's site.
=== FreeBSD ===
=== FreeBSD ===
−
* Both Arch and [http://www.freebsd.org/about.html FreeBSD] offer software which can be obtained using binaries or compiled using 'ports' systems.
+
* Both Arch and [http://www.freebsd.org/about.html FreeBSD] offer software which can be obtained using binaries or compiled using
'
'ports
'
' systems.
−
* Like other *BSDs, the FreeBSD base is developed fundamentally as a system designed as a whole, with each application 'ported' over to FreeBSD and made sure to work in the process. In contrast, GNU/Linux distributions such as Arch exist as amalgams combined from many separate sources.
+
* Like other *BSDs, the FreeBSD base is developed fundamentally as a system designed as a whole, with each application
'
'ported
'
' over to FreeBSD and made sure to work in the process. In contrast, GNU/Linux distributions such as Arch exist as amalgams combined from many separate sources.
* The FreeBSD license is generally more protective of the ''coder'', in contrast to the GPL, which favors protection of the ''code'' itself. Arch is released under the GPL.
* The FreeBSD license is generally more protective of the ''coder'', in contrast to the GPL, which favors protection of the ''code'' itself. Arch is released under the GPL.
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=== NetBSD ===
=== NetBSD ===
−
* NetBSD is a free, secure, and highly portable
{{ic|
UNIX
}}
-like open-source operating system available for over 50 platforms, from 64-bit Opteron machines and desktop systems to hand-held and embedded devices. Its clean design and advanced features make it excellent in both production and research environments, and it is user-supported with complete source. Many applications are easily available through pkgsrc, the NetBSD Packages Collection.
+
* NetBSD is a free, secure, and highly portable UNIX-like open-source operating system available for over 50 platforms, from 64-bit Opteron machines and desktop systems to hand-held and embedded devices. Its clean design and advanced features make it excellent in both production and research environments, and it is user-supported with complete source. Many applications are easily available through pkgsrc, the NetBSD Packages Collection.
* Arch may not operate on the vast number of devices NetBSD operates on, but for an i686 system it may offer more applications.
* Arch may not operate on the vast number of devices NetBSD operates on, but for an i686 system it may offer more applications.
−
* NetBSD's pkgsrc provides a source based method of installation similar to Arch's ABS; however binary packages are also available using pkg_tools.
+
* NetBSD's pkgsrc provides a source based method of installation similar to Arch's ABS; however binary packages are also available using
''
pkg_tools
''
.
* Arch does share similarities with NetBSD: both require manual configuration, they are minimalist and lightweight, both offer ports systems as well as binaries and both have active, no-nonsense developers and communities.
* Arch does share similarities with NetBSD: both require manual configuration, they are minimalist and lightweight, both offer ports systems as well as binaries and both have active, no-nonsense developers and communities.
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=== OpenBSD ===
=== OpenBSD ===
−
The OpenBSD project produces a free, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based
{{ic|
UNIX
}}
-like operating system.
+
The OpenBSD project produces a free, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system.
−
* OpenBSD focuses on portability, standardization, code correctness, proactive security, and integrated cryptography. In contrast, Arch focuses more on simplicity, elegance, minimalism and bleeding edge software. OpenBSD is self-described as
''
"perhaps the #1 security OS"
''
.
+
* OpenBSD focuses on portability, standardization, code correctness, proactive security, and integrated cryptography. In contrast, Arch focuses more on simplicity, elegance, minimalism and bleeding edge software. OpenBSD is self-described as "perhaps the #1 security OS".
* Both Arch and OpenBSD offer a small, elegant, base install.
* Both Arch and OpenBSD offer a small, elegant, base install.
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* Both offer a ports and packaging system to allow for easy installation and management of programs which are not part of the base operating system.
* Both offer a ports and packaging system to allow for easy installation and management of programs which are not part of the base operating system.
−
* In contrast to a GNU/Linux system like Arch, but in common with most other BSD-based operating systems, the OpenBSD kernel and userland programs, such as the shell and common tools (like
{{ic|
ls
}}
,
{{ic|
cp
}}
,
{{ic|
cat
}}
and
{{ic|
ps
}}
), are developed together in a single source repository.
+
* In contrast to a GNU/Linux system like Arch, but in common with most other BSD-based operating systems, the OpenBSD kernel and userland programs, such as the shell and common tools (like
''
ls
''
,
''
cp
''
,
''
cat
''
and
''
ps
''
), are developed together in a single source repository.