Why are "hacker" distros like Arch so easy to use and Debian-based not so much?
by Jason_25 from LinuxQuestions.org on (#5A85K)
If you did not know any better you would think that distributions like Gentoo and Arch Linux have people hacking away and porting and modifying all their own software. Like with code flying down their screens 24/7 like they are in a Matrix movie.
Yet those same distributions have a multitude of easy to compile-and-install interesting new programs that we on Debian are forced to compile from source the hard way. Speaking of the hard way, boy you better know everything there is to software development to compile something like pcsx2 on a Debian distribution.
One difference is that software on Arch, Gentoo, and the BSDs are meant to actually compile without errors and it is an anomaly when they give errors. On Debian, you always expect compilations to fail. It is devastating when I learn I have to compile something with Debian.
In fact I made this post after finding out that Arch Linux has a "1 click" install for compiling the latest builds of the pcsx2 emulator. It actually is easier than installing on Windows.
On the other hand, I am in the midst of the hardest technology battle of my life trying to get pcsx2 installed on a Debian distribution.
In short - The "hard" distributions are the easiest and the "easy" distributions are by far the hardest. People like myself - we don't get to be super hackers and watch code flying down screens all day long. All we get to do is google for errors day in and day out. Not very glamorous, but that is the real hard work and the reality of using Debian.
Yet those same distributions have a multitude of easy to compile-and-install interesting new programs that we on Debian are forced to compile from source the hard way. Speaking of the hard way, boy you better know everything there is to software development to compile something like pcsx2 on a Debian distribution.
One difference is that software on Arch, Gentoo, and the BSDs are meant to actually compile without errors and it is an anomaly when they give errors. On Debian, you always expect compilations to fail. It is devastating when I learn I have to compile something with Debian.
In fact I made this post after finding out that Arch Linux has a "1 click" install for compiling the latest builds of the pcsx2 emulator. It actually is easier than installing on Windows.
On the other hand, I am in the midst of the hardest technology battle of my life trying to get pcsx2 installed on a Debian distribution.
In short - The "hard" distributions are the easiest and the "easy" distributions are by far the hardest. People like myself - we don't get to be super hackers and watch code flying down screens all day long. All we get to do is google for errors day in and day out. Not very glamorous, but that is the real hard work and the reality of using Debian.