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this post was submitted on 27 May 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
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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Honestly, I'd rather it didn't, or at least maintain the standard Arch as it is today. I get the appeal of immutable distros/installs, but they are just not for me. They feel like a lot more work, for not much benefit.
Also, given that Fedora atomic distros are the ones people seem to compare against, I don't like that flatpak is effectively required. I like flatpak and what it offers, I don't like that all apps I install must be flatpak, or that I have to go around that default in some way (when I tried one of the atomic spins, I kept running into apps that just didn't distribute as flatpak and it made things more difficult). I suppose this old dog doesn't want to deal with some new trick just to use his system like he always has with a simple
pacman -Sorapt install.You don’t have to install everything as a flatpak if you don’t want to. You can totally install most things in a rootless distrobox container, then use
distrobox export(if you’re using distrobox instead of toolbx) to get a nice desktop entry. It’s how I run VSCode and Quartus Prime, for example.Or I could run
pacman -S codeon a system that doesn’t require hoops to jump through.I think I just don’t see the reason or benefit of going the immutable distro route. At least not yet, for me. I’ll never say never, of course. Right now it feels like extra steps to achieve the same thing.
Its honestly not that bad installing apps on these distros. Yeah the main one is flatpak, secondly appimages as easy as ever, and any other app can be installed via distrobox and exported if needed. If not that, then apps can also be layered onto the system if needed.
Ultimately it boils down to user preferences, but considering the growth and popularity of Immutable versions of distros, I would be surprised to not see a few more attempts from the Arch side of Linux.
I’m not trying to be a Luddite here, I love technology when it solves a real problem. I guess I just don’t have a problem that an immutable distro would solve.