Arch Linux has a repute for being too sophisticated, unstable, and never for everybody. For these causes, a number of distributions have emerged that try and carry Arch to the plenty. A lot of them (resembling Manjaro and EndeavorOS) succeed fairly properly. Nevertheless, not all of these forks of Arch are created equal.
Take, for instance, Liya Linux. This distribution was created and maintained by a person to be an Arch-based Linux distribution that is easy to put in however nonetheless caters to customers of every type (from these new to Linux to those that’ve been across the open-source block a number of hundred occasions). Liya Linux is constructed for builders, college students, and tinkerers. Is Liya Linux a distribution for individuals who’ve by no means used Linux? That is debatable, as Arch Linux is not precisely a distribution for the plenty. Nevertheless, Liya Linux does use the Calamares installer, so putting in this working system is as straightforward because it will get.
Liya defaults to the Cinnamon desktop (the identical desktop used on Linux Mint), so the UI is acquainted sufficient for anybody to make use of. Should you don’t love Cinnamon, there’s at all times Mate. After all, for my part, Cinnamon and Mate are about as comparable as you may get (with out truly being the identical). Certain, there are refined variations, however on the floor, Cinnamon and Mate could as properly be siblings, reduce from the identical material.
One of the interesting points of Liya Linux is that it is optimized for each v2 and v3 microarchitectures (assume older and newer {hardware}). Moreover, Liya Linux doesn’t gather or transmit any telemetry and runs a naked minimal of companies to make sure it is each non-public and safe. However how is it in real-world testing? Let’s chat.
First impressions
I am not going to lie: I’ve at all times discovered the Cinnamon desktop to be reasonably boring. That is to not say it is not efficient. It’s. Fairly. However for my tastes, Cinnamon is simply too “Home windows-like” to wind up on my desktop.
That being mentioned, Cinnamon works very properly on Liya Linux. The developer has configured the desktop to be a no brainer to determine. You may have a desktop menu within the bottom-right nook, launchers on the panel, a system tray, and a single clickable icon that takes you to the Liya GNU/Linux discussion board. That discussion board is not precisely the busiest I’ve ever skilled, however the Introduction put up alone makes it value visiting, because it accommodates loads of data you may need to learn earlier than diving in.
Liya Linux additionally defaults to the Courageous browser, which I discover to be the obvious selection for a distribution that markets itself as non-public and safe. One other fascinating selection is the choice to go together with OnlyOffice Desktop Editors as an alternative of LibreOffice.
I am fairly keen on this workplace suite as a result of it permits me to work each regionally and through a cloud host. Which means I can work with delicate data on my native drive and fewer delicate data on a cloud host (the place I’d need to simply share these paperwork with others). Even in the event you’re unfamiliar with OnlyOffice Desktop Editors, it’s totally user-friendly and lets you work with paperwork, spreadsheets, shows, and PDFs. You may even combine AI into the app (in the event you so select).
You additionally get the GNOME Encfs Supervisor, which lets you work with encrypted directories for much more safety.
As I am going by means of the desktop menu, it is clear that the developer has made each single selection with objective and that objective is to serve the consumer in a approach that is according to the objective of the working system — “A clear, quick, Arch-based distribution for individuals who construct with objective, not noise.”
And, after all, there’s Timeshift, which is a system restore utility. Timeshift lets you take snapshots of your working OS, so if one thing ought to go incorrect, you possibly can at all times roll it again to a working picture. With Timeshift, you possibly can set it as much as create automated snapshots on boot, hourly, day by day, weekly, or month-to-month. With this app, you may be sure that you’re going to at all times have a working occasion of your working system.
Do you have to strive Liya Linux?
From my perspective, the one factor lacking from Liya Linux is the power to simply share folders throughout a community. I get why Samba is not included (as a result of the developer needs to maintain the working companies to a minimal), however I feel Samba needs to be thought of for addition, particularly given this distribution is aimed toward “tinkerers.”
Even with that omission, Liya Linux is a tackle Arch Linux that might enchantment to these in search of a minimal desktop working system that takes privateness and safety critically, due to the mixture of GNOME Encfs, Courageous, a minimal variety of working companies, and nil assortment of telemetry and consumer information.
If I’ve piqued your curiosity in Liya Linux, obtain an ISO, burn it to a USB drive, and set up it on a spare pc to see what it is all about.
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