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Arch Linux is an Act of Faith

Too much ASCII has been spilled debating about whether or not Arch Linux is worth the time, but I'd like to offer yet another way to judge the situation, starting with the cost.

Costs

Within a few months, the Arch user will have tinkered with their system in their free time, and have a much more streamlined workflow.

The Benefits

Here's the crux: it's impossible to know beforehand. Some people can be sure that a dozen afternoons to read up on Arch wiki documentation simply isn't realistic for unknown benefits, but nobody can be sure how much time will be saved.

Looking back at my old workflow, I cringe at the time wasted on loading, and interacting with the interface. Everything I do is better and faster now. However, it wasn't possible to find that out before taking the time to make all the changes. Anyone else doing the same may find they end up recreating Linux Mint but with extra steps, and have gained nothing.

It's hard to argue for ignorance, but at least ignorance is a reliable position.