How I Started Using Arch Linux After 14 Years of Windows

Release date: 7 Sep 2024

Windows XP

Around 2009, I got access to my first-ever computer. My family bought a second-hand machine from somewhere I don't remember. My uncle obtained a CD from someone he knew, with the infamous INSERT_WINDOWS_XP_KEY written on top. He used that code to install a fresh version of Windows XP, and we used it for years. I loved that machine; I could spend hours on it without ever feeling tired.

At that time, I wasn't aware of any other types of operating systems (OS). It was just Windows, and that was it. I knew there were different versions of Windows—my friend had a computer with Windows 7 on it, and it looked really modern at the time. But I still loved the look and feel of my own machine with Windows XP on it.

I also don't remember ever wanting to customise any part of my OS experience. Perhaps it was because I was more interested in using the machine for surfing the internet and playing games. I do remember my friend having cool widgets on his home screen on Windows 7, like a fancy-looking calendar, but to me, it just looked like clutter. I didn't care for it whatsoever.

Windows 8 & Windows 10

In 2013, I got my first-ever laptop—a HP laptop with an Intel i5 processor and 8GB RAM. My grandma bought it for me and my brother as a gift. I still have it in my cupboard (although it’s not very functional anymore).

The laptop came with Windows 8 pre-installed, and I remember how happy I was to have my very own laptop that I could take anywhere and use without any curfew (for the most part).

But once again, I didn’t really care about customising the experience to suit my needs. I was content with the default settings. I used this machine for games and school work. Google Chrome, Microsoft Office, League of Legends, and Minecraft were by far the most frequently used applications.

After a couple of years with Windows 8, I immediately upgraded to Windows 10 as soon as it was released, without any hesitation.

One thing about me was that while I didn’t care much about customising my OS, I did care about always having the latest version of Windows. Contrary to my preference for Windows XP over Windows 7 when I was younger, I always wanted the latest OS installed on my machine.

A Windows release is always hit or miss. Sometimes the world loves a new version, and sometimes they absolutely despise it and avoid upgrading for years. That wasn't the case with me. A new version of Windows? Great! I was excited to install it.

By this time, I was also aware of the Apple ecosystem and macOS. However, I had never experienced it myself. From what I’d heard and seen online, I knew I wouldn’t enjoy macOS. Despite not being someone who cared much about customisation at that point, just knowing that you’re not allowed to change much—even if you want to—felt claustrophobic.

I used Windows for years and still have Windows 11 on a separate drive. I don’t hate it like some hardcore Linux users, and I never will. Windows is, and will be, the default for most people in the world for a long, long time, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

It comes with a solid default package and plenty of room for customisation for the regular computer user.

A Taste of Linux

Thirteen years after first encountering and using Windows, in 2021, I came across Linux when I got into programming. The boot camp I attended provided us with a remote AWS Linux machine. Even though I was still controlling it from a Windows machine and it was just a window on my screen, I enjoyed using it for programming.

I loved using the terminal; it made me feel cool. It felt like I was communicating with the computer in its language, rather than the computer making it easy for me to carry out tasks in a graphical user interface (GUI). I loved that when you log into Linux, you don’t use your mouse to open the browser or any application. You log in by inputting your passcode on your keyboard, and then you keep your hands on the keyboard to open applications or the terminal.

It’s hard to put into words, but using Linux makes you feel like YOU are the one in control, rather than being controlled. You only understand this feeling once you start using Linux. Of course, some people who aren’t interested in computers like that won’t enjoy this experience, and that’s completely fine!

I used that remote Linux machine for three months until my boot camp finished. After that, I had to return to my Windows machine for coding. And, surprise surprise, the Windows experience just doesn’t compare—it can’t compete with Linux when it comes to development.

Even though I installed Git Bash and WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to develop, it just DOES. NOT. COMPARE. Coding on Linux just feels better in every way.

Ubuntu, Here We Go

In 2022, I bought a separate SSD and installed Ubuntu (Linux Mint) on it, marking the beginning of my Linux journey.

Installing and using Ubuntu was a fun experience. As with all the operating systems I had used so far, I didn’t customise much—just slapped on a wallpaper I liked and started using Ubuntu. I did this for months and was happy.

I felt that by solving the occasional issues I faced with my distro, I was becoming a better programmer, and programming was the sole reason I switched to Linux in the first place.

I learned to mount and unmount hard drives, use grep, create bash scripts to fix suspend issues, manage packages and applications in various distros, and why Snap is so annoying. I learned to do SO MUCH through the terminal, and it felt awesome to keep levelling up.

So, I was using Ubuntu, I was happy, I was enjoying Linux, but then... why Arch?

Switching to Arch Linux

14 years of using a computer and there have always been only two ways I have switched between applications. Either by clicking on the application with my mouse, or using CTRL + TAB until I land on the application I want. After doing an action for a long period of time, it kind of becomes your default. You cannot really fathom doing that any other way. But every Linux video I would watch, I'd see the person moving applications so fast. And I told myself it's time I also join them.

So I went to search for what tiling window manager would best suit me.

Tried i3wm but it felt hard to use and felt like you get very bear bones stuff. Uninstalled.
Tried awesomewm, really liked it. Especially with my dual monitor setup, it works wonders.
Then I saw Hyprland. It looked so, SO cool the visuals and the way your tabs move. I really wanted to try it but on my distro it didn't install properly.

I could've stuck with awesomewm because I really enjoyed my experience but part of me really wanted to give Hyprland a go. And so I started getting thoughts of switching my distro and trying something else.

After watching a plethora of videos, I kept hearing more and more about Arch and how it gives you full control. Also, I had a co-worker who also used Linux for his machine and he ran arch as well. And he's a pretty smart dev, a really good mentor to lookup to.

And I told myself, well if I'm gonna try a new distro why not try arch. The other options I didn't really feel any sort of connection to.

Installing and Staying with Arch

Installing Arch was such a cool experience. It gave me the same feeling I had when I first started doing things in the terminal. Once again, I felt like I was levelling up and becoming better. Partitioning my SSD, selecting the packages I needed, choosing my login manager—it all felt so barebones and cool.

I have been using Arch for some time now, and I don’t see myself going back. The setup I have now feels exactly right for me—very minimal, nothing fancy.

Oh, and I tried Hyprland, but in the end, I didn’t really like it and switched back to awesomewm. Now I have a solid config that suits my needs :)