Why I Stopped Using Arch Linux...

Summary

Mudahar from SomeOrdinaryGamers talks about his experience with Arch Linux and why he stopped using it. He explains that while Arch Linux is powerful, it can be finicky and intimidating, especially after a system update broke his installation. Transitioning to Linux Mint, Mudahar highlights its user-friendly nature and ease of setup, which aligns better with his need for a hassle-free computing experience. He appreciates Linux Mint's capability to run applications and gaming software seamlessly without being overly reliant on terminal commands.

Highlights

• Mudahar explains the issues with Arch Linux updates that led to his system crash. 💥
• Linux Mint was presented as an easy alternative to Windows, accommodating various user needs without fuss. 🎉
• Mudahar shares useful tips about using external drives to prevent data loss during system failures. 📦
• He emphasizes the community support that eases the transition to Linux Mint, showing its viable option for many users. 💪
• Mudahar reflects on the landscape of operating systems, highlighting Linux Mint's capabilities in gaming and everyday tasks. 🕹️

Key Takeaways

• Mudahar talks about the impending end of Windows 10 support, urging users to look for alternatives. 🖥️
• Arch Linux, despite its power, can lead to issues during updates, resulting in system crashes. 😵
• Linux Mint offers a hassle-free, user-friendly option under the Linux umbrella, ideal for casual users. 🍃
• Switching to Linux Mint eliminated the stress of reinstalling operating systems for Mudahar. 🤓
• Linux Mint proves stable for general use, gaming, and media consumption, challenging common Linux stereotypes. 🎮

Overview

In a daring tech adventure, Mudahar from SomeOrdinaryGamers takes us through his Arch Linux experience—an operating system renowned for complexity and a certain digital daredevil vibe. However, after a significant crash during a system update, Mudahar experienced the downsides of managing such a hands-on system, prompting a search for a calmer, more stable alternative.

Enter Linux Mint, his chosen savior against the chaos of terminal lines and broken installs. For Mudahar, Linux Mint represented relief—a beacon of the Linux world that doesn't intimidate casual users or force them into a command-line frenzy. Mint's seamless ability to run critical applications and games out of the box was a breath of fresh air, offering a peace of mind that his previous setup could not.

Mudahar's story is a testament to the evolving operating system landscape, proving that Linux is not just for geeks and programmers anymore. It’s a real competitor to mainstream OSs like Windows and macOS, especially for those bothered by Microsoft's ever-closer grip on user choices. With Linux Mint, Mudahar enjoys a balanced, user-friendly experience and encourages others to take the plunge if the tech giants' antics aren't to their taste.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Windows Expiry Date Mudahar introduces the topic by mentioning that Windows is nearing its expiry date. Specifically, Windows 10 support will end on October 14th, 2025, and users are encouraged to update to Windows 11 to continue receiving security updates. He briefly references a previous video where he demonstrated how to install Arch Linux, known for its complexity and being favored by more advanced Linux users.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Reasons for Leaving Arch Linux This chapter discusses the author's decision to stop using Arch Linux due to mental health reasons. The author emphasizes that while Arch Linux and Linux, in general, have their benefits, there are also issues, particularly related to user error. The author recounts an experience where an update to their Linux installation caused problems after two years of stable use, highlighting the challenges faced by users.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Arch Linux Crash Experience The author describes an experience with Arch Linux where a system update caused the entire system to freeze. Unlike other modern operating systems like Windows, which can recover from such crashes, the freeze resulted in a significant issue, highlighting potential stability concerns with Arch Linux in certain situations. The author contrasts this with the more user-friendly recovery processes in systems like Windows and MacOS.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Advice on Using External Drives The chapter provides insight into the differences between using Windows and Linux operating systems, particularly in terms of user control and potential risks. It discusses how Linux allows users a high degree of freedom, which can include the ability to delete important system files with ease. The use of the metaphor 'Russian roulette' suggests that some versions of Linux can be risky to untrained users, as they afford users the power to make significant, potentially damaging system changes without restrictions. This chapter advises on the careful use of Linux, emphasizing understanding the implications of having such unrestricted access to system controls.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Time Shift and Recovery Issues The chapter discusses the dangers of using a certain version of Linux, particularly focusing on the repercussions of entering the wrong command, which can effectively 'destroy' the system. The author shares a personal experience of using Arch Linux and encountering a system crash during an update, leading to a black screen and rendering the system unusable at a critical time.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Switching from Arch Linux The chapter discusses the benefits of keeping important work on external drives to ensure data safety in case of computer failure. The speaker emphasizes that using external storage can prevent significant disruptions, offering this as the best advice of the day regarding data management.
• 04:30 - 05:30: Challenges with Linux Terminal This chapter explores the challenges associated with using the Linux Terminal, focusing on the feature that allows users to load previous states of the system, akin to an autosave in video games. This autosave feature can be scheduled to occur at regular intervals, such as every hour or every other day, depending on the setup.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Trying Linux Mint The chapter 'Trying Linux Mint' discusses the process of system restoration using snapshots. The narrator explains that if the system fails, for example on the 13th, but was working on the 7th, they can easily restore it to the previous state by clicking the restore button. This process is described as quick and efficient, taking only seconds to get the system running again. The ease of restoration is highlighted as a reason for not worrying when Linux fails. However, the narrator also notes a problem with their version of Arch Linux, where the system restore function was corrupted and did not work as expected.
• 06:30 - 07:30: Linux Mint vs Windows The author discusses their decision to switch from Arch Linux to another operating system, acknowledging the positive aspects of Arch Linux but noting it was time for a change due to feedback received on their Linux videos. They emphasize that their decision is not a critique of Arch Linux, recognizing its value for those experimenting with Linux.
• 07:30 - 08:30: Ease of Installing Software on Linux Mint The chapter discusses the initial trepidation many users have regarding the use of the terminal in Linux systems, specifically Linux Mint. It highlights the fear some potential users face due to the traditional command-line interface, which may seem outdated and complex to new users. The mention of being 'back in 1991' indicates a perceived regression in user-friendliness compared to modern graphical user interfaces. The narrative underscores a common barrier for those considering migrating to Linux, emphasizing the intimidation caused by the requirement to learn and use terminal commands.
• 08:30 - 09:30: Graphics and Drivers Installation The chapter "Graphics and Drivers Installation" explores alternatives to conventional operating systems for users who find technical navigation and terminals overwhelming. The narrator reflects on their fatigue with complex systems after a long day and expresses a desire for a more straightforward, user-friendly option. They hint at considering a switch to a different OS within the Linux ecosystem for a potentially improved experience, highlighting Linux Mint as a previously endorsed option.
• 09:30 - 10:30: Updating Linux Mint This chapter discusses the influence of PewDiePie's decision to use Linux Mint as a catalyst for considering a switch to this operating system. The author reflects on promoting Linux Mint in the past and contemplates whether switching from Windows to Linux Mint might address common user issues. The move is driven by feedback indicating dissatisfaction among users who do not want to use Windows despite feeling compelled to upgrade to it.
• 10:30 - 11:30: Out of the Box Functionality of Linux Mint This chapter explores the out-of-the-box functionality of Linux Mint. It discusses how Linux Mint provides viable options for basic computer tasks such as web browsing, movie watching, and document writing. However, it points out the limitations in areas like graphic design where software is predominantly available for Windows and Mac, implying that it’s not advisable to switch to Linux Mint if graphic design is a primary requirement.
• 11:30 - 12:30: Exploring Other Linux Options The chapter "Exploring Other Linux Options" provides an overview of the ease and efficiency of using Linux Mint as an alternative operating system. It discusses its capability to work well with professional suites and its compatibility with gaming. The text highlights the simple process of getting Linux Mint installed onto a flash drive, comparing it favorably to installing Windows, noting that it requires no complicated modifications and is very quick to set up.
• 12:30 - 13:30: Emulating Ray Tracing on Linux The chapter discusses the process of installing a system on Linux, specifically focusing on the experience of configuring it effectively for ray tracing. It highlights the user’s surprise at how seamlessly the system and graphics card were set up, with everything working 'out of the box.' The installation process was smooth, even updating components before completion. This efficiency and ease of installation were unexpected and appreciated by the user.
• 13:30 - 14:30: Linux Mint for Old and Recent Hardware The chapter discusses the compatibility of Linux Mint with both old and recent hardware, specifically focusing on graphics cards. It notes that while open-source drivers work well initially, obtaining updated Nvidia drivers is quick and straightforward. For AMD GPU users, the update process is seamless, as drivers are integrated by default. The supportive community makes troubleshooting easy, often requiring just a single online search.
• 14:30 - 15:30: Monthly Experience with Linux Mint In the chapter titled 'Monthly Experience with Linux Mint,' the focus is on updating graphic drivers by using a PPA (Personal Package Archive) on Linux Mint. The process involves searching for the URL of the PPA repository, then accessing it through the Linux Mint 'start button'. The user is then guided to type 'software sources,' authenticate the process, and navigate to the PPA option to add the repository. This operation is described as a one-time easy setup.
• 15:30 - 16:00: Recommendation and Final Thoughts The chapter provides step-by-step instructions on updating Nvidia drivers. It begins by instructing the user to copy specific elements and set them up accordingly. After successfully configuring these settings, the user is advised to return to the start menu and access the driver manager. At this point, they have the option to select and install the preferred version of the Nvidia driver. The narrator confirms that the entire process is quick and efficient, taking only a few minutes.

Why I Stopped Using Arch Linux... Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hello guys and gals me Mudahar and you know this is not my monthly Linux cope video okay in reality ladies and gentlemen long story short Windows is dying okay you know October 14th 2025 if you don't update from Windows 10 to 11 uh you might not get those fancy security updates now you know a couple weeks ago I kind of uh you know showcased how to install that juicy Arch Linux you know the really complicated elitist version of Linux that people on
• 00:30 - 01:00 Reddit or the internet can't stop saying that they use okay and I'm proud enough to say that I've stopped using it for mental health reasons now one of the things on my channel is like I don't want to sit here and just like gas up Linux and say "Oh it's the greatest thing." It's got problems okay one of those problems is the user error sometimes now I was updating my Linux installation and unfortunately after I would say two years of having this safely installed onto my system Arch
• 01:00 - 01:30 Linux and just minding its own business I broke the installation okay there was one update that came in and literally it just froze my entire system up now normally if your system freezes up during an edit okay you know black screen and everything you might [ __ ] yourself most modern operating systems like Windows for instance will probably roll back and recover things and probably get you back to a computer just fine systems like Mac OS are so baby proof that you could probably delete
• 01:30 - 02:00 everything important and still somehow get a functioning system back it truly is the Fisher price of computers linux is a lot different okay if you want to bl if you want to blow up everything important on your system directory all in one [ __ ] command you can all right Linux literally hands you a sidearm and says "If you want to blow the brains out of your computer we won't stop you." And you can now of course there's plenty of versions of Linux that basically are like playing Russian roulette there is
• 02:00 - 02:30 uh you know sword Linux okay for the uh safety of YouTube's toos i'm not going to say it but basically if you enter the wrong command on this version of Linux woo it blows its brains out quite literally now of course if you love living life on the edge I I may recommend this okay but I was a user of Arch Linux and unfortunately in the middle of an update it crashed and lo and behold I basically was staring at a black screen at 2 in the morning now
• 02:30 - 03:00 normally I'm not freaking out if I lose my computer because most of my work happens on external drives okay here's a [ __ ] pro tip for people that don't want to pull their hair out when things go wrong work and keep all your important stuff on external drives okay because if your computer takes a fat dumpy at least you won't be completely out of commission right that's probably the best advice of the day that I can give you but of course beyond all of it I actually lost my system and uh I had a recovery system called Time Shift which
• 03:00 - 03:30 for anybody that doesn't know uh basically when you're using uh Linux right if it's formatted a certain way you'll be allowed to go into the past for instance and effectively just load a state right so for instance every single you know thing you're seeing right over here is a version of Linux that has been autosaved okay so like an autosave in a video game all right usually it'll happen like you know maybe every hour in this situation if you look at the dates it happens about every other day if not
• 03:30 - 04:00 you know every day so basically if my system stops working on say the 13th but I know that it worked on say the 7th I can click on this hit that fat restore button and it will take literally seconds for the system to reshift readjust and basically get me back up and running which is one of the reasons why when Linux fails I'm not necessarily worried unfortunately my version of Arch Linux had this corrupted entirely and it just didn't actually [ __ ] restore so
• 04:00 - 04:30 at this moment in time I decided to do the one thing that uh I probably should have done a long time ago stop making things [ __ ] difficult for myself so I decided to stop using Arch Linux now this is not a video where I'm going to make a negative Arch Linux video i think it's great i think a lot of people experimenting and using it is awesome i've made plenty of videos showcasing people how to use it but I decided to make the switch just because I noticed a lot of comments in my videos about Linux
• 04:30 - 05:00 muda I will never use the Penguin if I have to open up the terminal for anybody that doesn't know what the the [ __ ] terminal is uh this is one of the scariest nightmares that anybody who's thinking of switching to Linux actually wants to do this screen right over here makes it look like you're back in 1991 okay when computers had you literally typing in exact commands to navigate around and basically see what's on your system now of course if a lot of people think this is confusing or annoying I
• 05:00 - 05:30 get it okay you're somebody that just wants to use their computer you're not used to terminals and old '9s methods of navigating your computer and you probably don't want to learn okay dude you you already have way too much [ __ ] in your real life to worry about why would you come home to learn something this confusing so I decided obviously I wanted to take this chance and switch off to a different operating system underneath the Linux umbrella and kind of see if there was not a better option now I've promoted Linux Mint in the past
• 05:30 - 06:00 and actually the big catalyst was this was actually PewDiePie's video where he actually did use this on his main system so I figured you know I've promoted this in the past i've talked about how cool it is what if I considered switching to it and seeing if this addresses a lot of the problems that many people have see a lot of users that talk about Windows actually you know at least in my comments they don't actually like it all right they don't want to be using Windows but they want to upgrade to it
• 06:00 - 06:30 because that's literally all they know and they don't know if there's any other options but to guide you through Linux Mint the option is there now when it comes to using this on a day-to-day basis if all you do is browse the web on your computer watch some movies write some documents and basically do a little bit of graphic design then I would say the option for at least these three blocks is there graphic design a lot of software is still exclusive to Windows and Mac so I would never in a million years recommend you switch over to Linux
• 06:30 - 07:00 if this is primarily where you want to work and you're already established in something that's a professional suite that's not available here okay your mileage may seriously [ __ ] vary now when it comes to things like gaming for instance even that works exceptionally well but let me guide you through the process getting Linux Mint basically copying it to an actual flash drive as you would a installation for Windows had me taken exactly a few minutes didn't have to modify or do anything crazy installation literally took faster than
• 07:00 - 07:30 Windows a couple of prompts you know me entering in my usernames my basic local things that I would normally be doing in every other system took again minutes after that the system basically installed and I was actually pretty shocked to see that everything worked out of the box so meaning my graphics card worked out of the box my system worked out of the box everything even updated before the installation actually completed which I quite enjoyed and uh you know aides from all of that it just
• 07:30 - 08:00 worked out of the box completely well now when it came to my graphics card a lot of the actual graphics card stuff worked pretty much based on like open- source drivers but it took literally seconds for me to get the more updated version of Nvidia drivers and again this is primarily for Nvidia if you have AMD GPUs congratulations everything's just baked in and you don't even have to worry about updating the drivers there isn't that [ __ ] convenient but realistically the community was so awesome that it took me one Google
• 08:00 - 08:30 search to get to this URL where apparently there was a PPA which is a repository of updated graphic drivers so to show you how easy it was to get this installed and you only have to do this one time I go to this Linux Mint start button right here i'm just going to call it the start button cuz that's how I've been conditioned as a human being to [ __ ] call it you type in the words software sources you get this little admin prompt you authenticate and ladies and gentlemen you go to that PPA option you go to add and of course all you got
• 08:30 - 09:00 to do is highlight this rightclick copy and boom slap that [ __ ] in there and hit okay and once all of that is done in Kosher you go back to the start menu go to the driver manager and ladies and gentlemen at this moment in time you just pick which version of the Nvidia driver that you wanted and of course I picked the most recent open version of that driver and all of this happened literally within minutes i mean it's
• 09:00 - 09:30 crazy to see just how well and how efficient and how quick it was to get this up and going now of course when it came to a lot of the software that I was using obviously using the software manager ladies and gentlemen I was able to open up a quick app store and basically type in words like Discord and I was able to install Discord right here out of the box no extra setup at all ladies and gentlemen what about Steam for instance right there boom you just go here you click that little install
• 09:30 - 10:00 option it says launch for me and boom things just work out of the box and if you want any other type of launcher well there are actual thirdparty tools like Lutris which again allowed me to also install this and use other launchers like if I needed to use GOG or [ __ ] heaven forbid Ubisoft launcher boom the options are there so yeah it was actually surprisingly that easy and up and running now of course updating the system literally takes no time there's an update manager which looks just like
• 10:00 - 10:30 this and again the beauty of updating Linux operating systems over Windows operating systems is no matter how intense the update can be no matter how deep into your system you go all you have to do is tap that install option you give it your password if needed and then boom it just does it all the way in the background for you now even if you're updating the [ __ ] kernel itself you know no operating system is going to come up and say "Hold on pal here's a big old black screen you're
• 10:30 - 11:00 gonna have to wait until we're done no if you actually have something seriously important it'll just tell you restart your computer once and you're good to go now one of the things that I found so [ __ ] impressive about this system was that everything came out of the box and it just worked one of my biggest issues with Linux has always been putting my computer into sleep mode which before all of this it usually was just awake the entire time out of the box I was able to suspend put my system into those sleep states it had every single driver
• 11:00 - 11:30 installed out of the box like Bluetooth for instance so I could instantly connect my PlayStation controller and use it right there on my system i could connect anything I wanted and it just worked out of the box now I've seen a lot of people talk about I'm just waiting for Valve to release their Steam OS that's currently available exclusively on the Steam Deck and I would say you don't have to wait for anything boys your the world is your oyster let Uncle Muda guide you through how to get things [ __ ] hacked
• 11:30 - 12:00 together on your system if you go to Valve's website you can actually build your own Steam machine now this is a Steam machine remember back in the day when Valve actually released pre-built gaming computers with like Alienware and [ __ ] yeah this was a far older version of Linux okay you can actually read it just by the [ __ ] hardware requirements 4 GB of RAM or more hard drive only 200 gigs you know it's crazy when like one game alone probably eats up nearly all of that minimum requirement right there but you see this
• 12:00 - 12:30 yellow strip this image is not compatible with Steam Deck if you're looking for the recovery image for the deck visit this link and that link takes you to the Steam OS recovery menu where you can in fact download the original Steam OS image and hack it together onto an actual computer now would I recommend you do that probably not this image is designed specifically for this set of hardware now in reality there's an another amazing option that I've shown you before called Bezite which again
• 12:30 - 13:00 runs on Fedora Linux and of course all of this has even more functionality on top of it where they provide you a lot of these games working right out of the box and they work absolutely well in fact it's so good that I have this installed on my Legion Go and my computer downstairs where I actually use it as a straight up Muda console system okay instead of having a PlayStation 5 I just literally have a console with Steam functionality that literally just has
• 13:00 - 13:30 all my games running out of the box and with cloud saving it doesn't matter i could play in front of this computer i could play on this i could play in my computer downstairs with cloud syncing obviously all of those files will be shared with each applicable system which again is all entirely done with a lot of free cool open-source software like Sync Thing or built directly into [ __ ] like Steam or really most gaming launchers on the PC without paying a dime now one of the coolest things that I saw about like Linux gaming guys was apparently a
• 13:30 - 14:00 couple weeks ago people had started to emulate ray tracing into actual Linux games or not Linux games but just the Linux gaming stack so for instance you know that Indiana Jones game that came out with the actual ray tracing being baked into the system requirements because it uses ray tracing as an actual like you know feature of its game design so of course one of the things that I saw was if you had an older GPU or again I guess even older Nvidia cards that
• 14:00 - 14:30 don't have ray tracing there are emulated ray tracing options that are completely available and lo and behold at around 50 frames per second we are in fact emulating ray tracing on a card that is not capable of ray tracing all right so 40 to 60 frames per second obviously not perfect but things do work so if you have a super old legacy computer that isn't supported by Windows 11 anymore things like Linux Mint and a lot of actual you know enhancements by
• 14:30 - 15:00 the open- source community have kind of allowed you to keep old hardware or and in some case even recent hardware pretty alive and active now beyond all of it ladies and gentlemen the interesting part about this system was again how easy it was to effectively get going again I have been playing around with this for a few weeks now at this point and I've switched over to the entirety of Linux Mint and one of the beautiful aspects of it too and one of the reasons why I made this video in the end was again if I could use this system for
• 15:00 - 15:30 basically an entire month at this point without ever opening up that super scary dreaded console um it's really not like something that I can't ultimately recommend a lot of people had complaints about using Linux and saying that it was overly complicated or you know they'll always reference memes where it takes like an entire programmer to install things like a web browser but I really think the excuse that it's just too hard now is actually null and void because ultimately compared to Windows or even Mac I would say that the Linux Mint
• 15:30 - 16:00 option and this isn't the only option in town bazite is that great option too that I showed as another competitor to this there's also Hannah Montana OS there's Among Us OS and for those of you who don't care about being spied on there's also RedStar OS do not recommend you install that one should probably mention that for legal reasons but there's a lot of great options and I just really wanted to show you how Linux Mint works so out of an entire error on my part and my system effectively crashing this is a stable secure version
• 16:00 - 16:30 that works pretty much out of the box for most people and again the reason why I ultimately did switch to this was I don't want to go through the stress and hassle of reinstalling an operating system ever again so in this situation I did go down with Linux Mint and basically for my month usage of it it has been absolutely exceptional and I don't know why anybody wouldn't consider switching to this especially since Windows is adding a lot of [ __ ] that people are genuinely complaining about you know for the first time there's
• 16:30 - 17:00 actually serious competition in the Mix 2 and if you want a system where you can play a video game out of the box at its maximum settings with features like ray tracing or frame generation even this is a great option now obviously yes there are games that don't work out of the box primarily games with strict anti-cheats so if you're looking to play Rainbow Six Siege looking to play Call of Duty it's probably still worth sticking around with Windows and in that case if you want to be using Windows or Windows 11
• 17:00 - 17:30 there are great tools like Rufus that allow you to download a copy of Windows 11's ISO file and modify it to the point where you can actually use it on unsupported hardware for now but like I said there's a lot of stuff that Microsoft is doing where they're just kind of twisting the knife ever so slowly to make the entire process more annoying but for now I highly recommend if anybody wants to switch over to Linux Mint if you're ever so scared of that terminal or things being overly
• 17:30 - 18:00 complicated this system ladies and gentlemen out of the box is probably the most featurelete the most comparative product to anything big uh you know corporations are putting out there and it's all thanks to a [ __ ] wildly amazing open source community and a group of people that are again willing to keep options available on the table so yeah if you like what you saw please like comment and subscribe dislike if you dislike it i am out