In this paper, from the original: www.howtogeek.com/430556/why-…

Ubuntu is one of the preferred Linux distributions for many developers, but the author of this article has finally “abandoned” it for “someone else” after 10 years of use. Why?

The following is the translation:

I’ve been using the Ubuntu Linux distribution for more than a decade. But for the first time in a long time, I had a change of heart. Now I’m using Manjaro and it’s great!

Ubuntu is great!

I still think highly of Ubuntu, and I have great respect for Canonical. No one in the corporate world has promoted Linux as a rigorous enterprise infrastructure tool as Red Hat has. Canonical has also been instrumental in promoting Linux desktop to a large number of novice users.

Many people start with Ubuntu when they first try Linux. After they have established themselves and gained some experience, some will try other distributions. I have heard many similar stories, both in real life and online. A lot of people have told me that they love a particular distribution — Fedora, Debian, etc. — but they started out with Ubuntu. If they had tried their favorite distribution from the start, they might not have stuck with it. This is all due to Ubuntu.

No business or company is perfect. Canonical has also made ill-considered decisions over the years, such as imposing the Unity desktop (designed to maximize screen space for small laptops) on all other computers. But it has humbly listened to its user base and reversed some of its decisions. Canceling Amazon’s search results by default is a good example. Overall, I still think Canonical is playing a good role in the Linux space. My decision has nothing to do with the organization behind Ubuntu.

So, why did I switch to Manjaro, and is it right for you?

Manjaro is faster than Ubuntu

For research and other purposes, I keep VirtualBox images from many Linux distributions. I found that running Manjaro in the virtual machine was almost as fast as running Ubuntu directly on my machine.

This is a very compelling factor because I often have to compile large code bases. The faster my computer can complete this task, the faster I can move on to the next one.

Manjaro allows faster application loading, switching between applications, moving to other workspaces, and starting and closing. And all of these accelerations add up.

Is it fair to say that newly installed operating systems are usually fast? I think it’s fair. I just installed Disco 19.04 in late April of this year, and in such a short period of time, Ubuntu’s speed decline should not have been so noticeable. I’ve always used GNOME on Ubuntu, and now I use GNOME in Manjaro — although Manjaro also offers Xfce, KDE, and command-line installations.

So why does Manjaro have such a speed advantage? Let’s take a look at the number of services and daemons running by default. Both consume system resources, such as a small amount of memory and some kernel time. You can check for enabled services and daemons by typing the following command in the terminal window:

1systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled --no-pager
Copy the code

The results on Ubuntu are as follows:

The results on Manjaro are as follows:

Both systems are new installations. As shown above, Manjaro has 24 enabled daemons, while Ubuntu has 90 enabled daemons. This spending is bound to have an impact.

Your actual situation may be slightly different, but I think Manjaro has the absolute advantage in terms of speed.

Manjaro is a lean, lean Linux system

Ubuntu comes with many applications. Manjaro is based on Arch Linux and has adopted many of the principles and philosophies of Arch Linux, so it is different from Ubuntu.

Compared to Ubuntu, Manjaro seems humble. You can simplify the installation (which means it takes a short time to install) and then decide which applications you want. The lite version comes with an email client, Web browser, office suite and a few other essentials, but beyond that, it’s up to you which apps to install.

Manjaro feels like driving a homemade go-kart. Ubuntu feels like a large, comfortable, well-stocked caravan. Both approaches have their merits. However, it seems more logical to load only the required applications initially. If you like the “everything” approach, then Ubuntu should be more up your alley.

Manjaro is not as minimalist as Arch Linux. With Arch, you can actually start from scratch and manually adjust the Settings. You need to edit one file to specify the keyboard layout, and then use another file to set the terminal font. With the default Arch installed, you can run the Linux instance from the command line. If you want a graphical desktop environment, you need to go a step further and select one of the options before you install and configure it.

If Manjaro feels like driving a homemade go-kart, Arch feels like you need to make iron and then make a go-kart. But that’s the thing about Arch — there’s almost no pre-determined functionality.

If you’re not a purist, and you don’t need this level of detailed control, then maybe Manjaro is closer to “unadulterated” Linux. It’s completely different from the Ubuntu experience, it feels pure, clean and responsive.

If you’ve ever used an official Google smartphone (Nexus, Pixel, etc.) and you’ve also used an Android device without a device, you’ll love Manjaro’s distinction. Unlike other phone makers, there are no “improvements” between users and operating systems and tools in Google’s official smartphones.

That’s how I personally feel about Manjaro.

Cutting edge scrolling releases

There are two regular releases of Ubuntu every year: one in April and one in October. It is therefore called a fixed release or fixed-point release system. After all applications and functionality are developed and tested, they are delivered to the next release. When the release date arrives, Ubuntu will offer a new distribution.

In a rolling release, applications in the code base are updated after passing developer testing and acceptance testing. They are then available for download. This constant update is uninterrupted. There will be no major “next release” jump across the distribution. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages.

In a rolling release model, you don’t have to go through twice-yearly system upgrades. You get new features, kernels, and applications in a timely manner. But the price is stability. The sharpness of the “tip” is a double-edged sword.

Manjaro delayed the release of new applications and features for several weeks, hoping to avoid most of the risks of the rolling release model. All applications and features need to be tested and proven safe before they can be used, but it’s still possible to slip through the cracks.

Of course, even if a feature fails, you can easily track it down because you know what was last updated. So it’s easier to roll back. That said, if you find a problem soon after you upgrade or install (or if the problem itself is widely known), then you know there was a problem with the last update.

I spent two days trying to figure out where my Ethernet connection went. But it seems to have disappeared. There is no trace of it either on the command line or in graphical interface tools. In the end, I found out that it was my fault that I built a VirtualBox with mismatched software modules. My fault!

Also, every time a new version of Ubuntu is released, I often find that common applications have been deleted, or that one I rely on doesn’t work properly. Why do I have to change the Settings for the Samba SMB mount in fstab after each upgrade?

Manjaro, on the other hand, has built a clean and easy way to help you stay where you want to be. I like this approach because you can choose the distance from the “tip” — you can watch from a distance, or you can be brave enough to try.

Of course, many people who use Linux don’t want to get too close to the “cutting edge.” What they crave is long-term support and stability, as well as biennial upgrades.

The rolling distribution model is another factor in my preference for Manjaro.

Better third-party software libraries

Ubuntu’s ApT-Get package manager and Ubuntu Software applications are excellent. It’s a few years old and a little clunky, but it still works. And because Ubuntu is so popular, many applications that are not part of the core distribution, such as Slack, come with “.deb “files to simplify installation.

However, the management of Personal Package Archives (PPAs) is less effective. A PPA is a code base for one or more applications, usually provided separately by the developer. To use PPA, you need to add it to the system through the terminal window and run sudo apt-get update. Then, install the software via sudo apt-get.

While this process does not take much time, the subsequent work of managing the PPA is cumbersome. PPA should be cleared at expiration. If you reinstall Ubuntu, you will also need to restore these PPAs. They can be abandoned, unsupervised and without notice.

For many, the Ubuntu upgrade is seamless, but for others, it’s a pain in the neck. These unfortunate people will need to reinstall before they can migrate to the new version. And recovering all the PPAs after a quick reinstallation of the system is cumbersome.

Manjaro’s code base is a collection of software controlled and managed by community volunteers. Package management in Manjaro has everything you need, and you can choose from a number of command lines and GUIs.

While using Manjaro, you also have access to the Arch User Repository (AUR), which is probably the largest code base that meets the needs of all distributions. Of course, the AUR also contains the latest products.

Again, “cutting edge” has pros and cons. However, if you want a feature that hasn’t been added to the Manjaro library, you can take advantage of AUR.

Manjaro’s package management feels like a clean stream. You have the standard code base, and the thrill seeking developer can take advantage of the AUR. Compared to the management of many PPA, this approach is very simple.

Manjaro scores another point.

Look before you leap

Of course, it’s best to give it a try before installing the latest version of Manjaro. If you have spare hardware, give it a try and make sure the Manjaro distribution meets your expectations before installing it on your everyday computer.

You can also experience Manjaro in person with the Manjaro Live CD. However, due to the throughput bottleneck of the CD-ROM drive, performance can be poor. You can also choose the USB option, but again, performance depends on the USB drive. If you install Manjaro directly on your hardware, you have a completely different experience.

If you’re using VirtualBox or QEMU, you can quickly try the latest version of Manjaro on your virtual machine.

You can also try the great resource at DistroTest. You can choose from hundreds of Linux distributions supported by Manjaro. You can test most distributions by selecting a desktop environment. There are over 700 versions you can test.

The bottom layer is Linux

The reasons I switched to Manjaro are summarized as follows:

  • Fast, not bloated.

  • Scroll the release model.

  • Simple package management.

Of course, these are all subjective opinions, and some may be important to you, too.

Even if you switch from one distribution to another, you can safely continue to use the applications you need and are familiar with. This is one of the strengths of Linux. The transition is fast and makes you feel at home.

Exploring is a good thing. There is no end to learning!