Arch Linux. The Linux That Could Have Been. The concepts of distributions and flavors is perhaps one of the most unique things

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1 Carl D. Bales CSC 345: Operating Systems Dr. Box 24 April 2014 Arch Linux The Linux That Could Have Been The concepts of distributions and flavors is perhaps one of the most unique things about Linux. In fact, one could make the argument that the wide verity of choice a Linux user has both in number and in concept is what makes Linux, Linux. When you take into account that Linux users can modify any given distribution at the kernel level to remake them in their own image thus, providing end users customization options above and beyond what is seen in the typical operating system it can be almost overwhelming. Among this plethora of distributions, variety evolves as would be expected from any large group of things: there's good Linux, bad Linux, and ugly Linux (which some would argue, is the best Linux). Currently, there are about 290 active distributions of GNU/Linux (Distrowatch.com). Given all this, when asked to choose just one distribution to speak on at length, the distribution of choice must be remarkable in both function and as a milestone for the development of Linux as a whole. For these reason, the focus of the following pages will be Arch Linux and its various flavors. In the pages that follow, there are two overarching* goals that shall be addressed in turn in corresponding subsections: (1) Contextualizing Arch Linux's release and development along side major events and competing operating systems in the early years of it's development cycle. (2) Assessing the current iteration of Arch Linux along side other operating systems by way of an object criteria. All this, to support the broader thesis that Arch Linux exists as the new standard for

2 superusers who demand complete control of their operating system and will continue to fill this role as reactionary force to unpopular and/or profit driven changes made to operating systems with larger user bases. Section 1: Contextualizing Arch Linux In 2002, Arch Linux was born an new distribution of Linux inspired by, but not a direct off shoot of, CRUX Linux ("Arch Leadership"). Founded by Judd Vinet, the early years of Arch Linux were an interesting point in time for the technology industry, as a whole; And, as some commentators point out, the dawn of the age of Linux though this is perhaps and overstatement. Two key development preceded the introduction of Arch Linux: Firstly, on 22 February 2000 Red Hat Linux released Red Hat Enterprise Linux leaving a void to be filled in the open source community. While it's true that Red Hat continued and, indeed, still continues to support Red Hat Linux, there was a fear that significant brain drain and commercialization would occur within what was then a predominant Linux distribution. Furthermore, the monetization of Red Hat on an enterprise level not unnoticed by the then young Open Source movement a primary user base for Linux and Unix-like operating systems. To this day, GNU Operating systems still cites this as a reason for not endorsing any specific operating systems. Secondly, on 28 June 2001 a decision was handed down for United States V. Microsoft Corporation 253 F.3d 34 the United States Court of Appeals antitrust trial focused on abusive practices of Microsoft in marginalizing other operating systems through restrictive proprietary packaging, particularly their Internet Explorer software. Whether this decision inspired open source development or simply provided an opportune moment to enter the Operating System market, one thing is certain; Following the courts decision there was an exponential growth in the number of new Linux distributions with the number of new

3 distributions quadrupling in size between 2000 and 2003 (Comparison of Linux Distributions). Arch Linux saw a resurgence in popularity during , during the aftermath of Windows Vista and the early days of Mackintoshes re-branding campaign. While this popularity was, again, in parallel with the resurgence of Linux as a whole, it is worth noting that Arch no an offshoot of itself was the flavor enjoying this period of popularity (as opposed to Ubuntu's rise following Debian's success). While there have been some notable flavors of Arch Arch Bang and Firefly, to name two. The primary branch remains the strongest which is a unique trait for a Linux distribution family. As recent as 2012, following the failed launch of Windows 8 and the unpopular Mountain Lion iteration of OS X, Life Hacker (an offshoot of Gawker) ranked Arch Linux as their number one flavor for superusers migrating to a Linux system. In fact, the distribution's adoption of a rolling release support model points towards Arch Linux being here to stay. Though it may be one of the smaller families of Linux compared to Debian and Red Hat it has an extremely dedicated community of contributors behind it, even in today's distro heavy market. Section 2: Arch Linux as an Operating System The mission of Arch has always been to provide a light weight, stable foundation upon which the end user might build and customize to his desired needs. The overriding philosophy of Arch Linux emphasizes five core principles, affectionately dubbed The Arch Way. These principles are: (1) Simplicity: Arch Linux defines simplicity as without unnecessary additions, modifications, or complications, and provides a lightweight UNIX-like base structure... In short: an elegant, minimalist approach.

4 (2) Code-correctness over convenience: favoring simplicity of implementation, code-elegance, and minimalism[.] (3) User-centric: targeting... competent GNU/Linux users by giving them complete control and responsibility over the system. (4) Openness: utilizes tools, that are selected or built with openness of the sources and their output in mind. (5) Freedom: provides the freedom to make any choice about the system. (wiki.archlinux.org)...to this end, Arch provides users with a number of home-grown tools to effectively and efficiently couch the Arch Linux to support their hardware and their needs. This is not to say that arch is without it's issues. As GNU.org points out: Arch has the two usual problems: there's no clear policy about what software can be included, and non-free blobs are shipped with their kernel, Linux. Arch also has no policy about not distributing non-free software through their normal channels. Some of the keystone software packages are as follows... Pacman is Arch's package manager built specifically for Arch Linux and it's flavors-- allowing for the relatively simple binary package installation of Arch tools and software. While Debian variants have Synaptic-- which is well enough for some purposes-- Arch's package manager aims to maximize efficiency, even if this is at the detriment of accessibility by lay-users. While this philosophy may have it's faults, it is still preferable to installing manually because an over simplified package manager failed to do it right the first time. Arch Build Systems or ABS is a ports-like system for building and packaging from source code. Unlike Pacman, this system automates the process of compiling source code for software. Arch User Repository or AUR and Planet Arch is the open source face of Arch and its

5 respective git branches. The Arch repository is monitored by the Arch Team to update and moderate committed code for improving the source during rolling releases. Aside from these Arch tool sets, and on the Kernel level, Arch uses a monolithic structure supporting i686 and x86-68 microprocessors. While it uses the previously mentioned rolling release system, similar to Gentoo Linux, Arch differs from other top ten active distributions. Finally, Arch Linux ARM is usable by ARM-based devices like Raspberry Pi. Conclusion: Arch Linux continues to play a major role in the bringing Linux out of the shadows and solidifying its place as a viable end personal computer operating system. Currently ranked #8 in user base among other distributions and consistently listed as top distribution by technology blogs, Arch Linux is the accessible extreme-- allowing infinite customization for the end user with the desire to become competent in Linux systems. While Arch Linux is a solid distribution for technical reasons (see section 2), for now let us consider the following: Arch Linux is remarkable because in some ways it acts as a barometer for the GNU/Linux community as a whole. This is to say that Arch Linux and its various flavors have a resurgence of popularity whenever Windows or Mac OS lose some of their superuser base due to Arch being manifestly customizable while maintaining a level of accessibility uncommon for distributions of its kind.

6 Works Cited "Arch Linux." Arch Linux. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr "Arch Leadership". Arch Linux Forums. Bbs.archlinux.org. 22 Apr "Build a Killer Customized Arch Linux Installation (and Learn All About Linux in the Process)." Lifehacker. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr "Explaining Why We Don't Endorse Other Systems" Apr "Five Best Linux Distributions." Lifehacker. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr "Main Page." ArchWiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr "Operating System Market Share." Operating System Market Share. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr "OS Platform Statistics." OS Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr United States V. Microsoft Corporation 253 F.3d 34