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Realizing Arch isn't for me after updating broke VLC (lemmy.sdf.org)
submitted 3 days ago by makeitwonderful@lemmy.sdf.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I realized my VLC was broke some point in the week after updating Arch. I spend time troubleshooting then find a forum post with replies from an Arch moderator saying they knew it would happen and it's my fault for not wanting to read through pages of changelogs. Another mod post says they won't announce that on the RSS feed either. I thought I was doing good by following the RSS but I guess that's not enough.

I've been happily using Arch for 5 years but after reading those posts I've decided to look for a different distro. Does anyone have recommendations for the closest I can get to Arch but with a different attitude around updating?

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[-] freewheel@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

I'm amazed at the idea that in any technical community, an urging to gain more skill in your chosen environment could somehow be seen as negative.

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 points 22 hours ago

I would make a joke here about arch and gatekeeping but its not just an arch issue.

[-] freewheel@sh.itjust.works 2 points 21 hours ago

It is most certainly not. (He says, as he comes fuming out of yet another meeting about a ticket that could have been solved at Tier 2 if support would learn how to read a log)

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 1 points 18 hours ago

Oh pebkac is alive and well, no doubt about it. But expecting any level of expertise from an non commercial end user while simultaneously shooting down their questions is not going to help.

[-] freewheel@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago

I absolutely agree, but here's the problem in this context:

  • OP isn't non-commercial. By their own words, they'd been doing desktop support for MacOS - plastic-wrapped and glittery, but still a *nix. Five years in, one's search-fu and tolerance for reading docs should be well developed.
  • Their question was answered by the page they found. OP's argument is they didn't like the tone used to reply to THAT post's OP and concluded from that tone that their expertise wouldn't be valued "in the way they would like". There's room to develop some grit here.
  • Arch isn't intended for inexperienced users, and that is made clear in the docs. "It is targeted at the proficient GNU/Linux user, or anyone with a do-it-yourself attitude who is willing to read the documentation, and solve their own problems." (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux#User_centrality) Getting this upset over a single package readjustment, no matter how badly it was communicated, tells me OP doesn't have a ton of experience with bare metal linux. There's just no way to sugarcoat that.

Arch gatekeeps on occasion, yes, but this isn't that. This is the simple rules of that particular distro. OP is free to find something that better fits their needs; and it appears they have.

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 1 points 14 hours ago

I see no problems with someone showing frustration, and in this case I don't think arch should be proud of this example.

This is very much that, and why arch has the reputation it does. It will always be a fringe distro with the way the people (you included) shame and gatekeep.

this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
322 points (93.8% liked)

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Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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