Reasons not to use Arch-based distros
I recently wanted to try out an Arch based distro and take out all the non-free stuff and run it with Linux-libre. Ran into problems right off the bat as this distro has removed the excellent 'vrms' package (virtual RMS) that helps point to some of the non-free packages on a distro.
I noticed that I would leave it alone for a day, and it would go into hibernate mode, and then wouldn't wake back up. I tried telling it not to do that in the system settings, but it kept doing it anyway. I figured if it kept failing to recover from hibernation the system would get fouled up, and sure enough this morning it wouldn't wake up from hibernation and after power cycling it, the system will no longer boot.
Fortunately it's just a spare old laptop and I didn't have any data on the machine and I can just be done with it. I'm going to install Trisquel on it now. Might try Triskel - I've never tried that before.
I recently wanted to try out an Arch based distro and take out all the non-free stuff and run it with Linux-libre.
Wouldn't it be easier to build up from Parabola GNU/Linux-libre? https://www.parabola.nu
Ran into problems right off the bat as this distro has removed the excellent 'vrms' package (virtual RMS) that helps point to some of the non-free packages on a distro.
vrms only works on distributions using APT, as far as I understand. Also, as you probably know, it does not correspond to RMS' views (as the name would suggest) but to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. For instance, vrms deems GNU manuals with the GNU Manifesto (an invariant section) nonfree!
No, there's vrms-arch, but it's been moved to the AUR, and I hate the AUR. Very stupid to ask someone to add the AUR before stripping out non-free software, which should be the first order of business. With antiX, you can strip out all the nonfree software and switch to abrowser and Linux-libre before installing. That option should be available on all distros which are not already completely libre.
Regarding the GNU Manifesto, I'm well aware of that issue by now, and since I don't use emacs anyway it would not have been an issue for me.
However, my brief enjoyment of that Arch fork is now history. Kind of a quick, sad ending.
I am a translator!
I installed Parabola on a second disk on my T400, with unencrypted boot and LVM on LUKS for root, home and swap, it works except for wake-up from hibernation (I probably missed something to make that work).
On the positive sides: all the software available have latest versions and work well. There is also a nextcloud server packaged (not in Debian or Trisquel), I will try it at some point.
On the negative sides: a number of MATE configuration tools are not available (mate-tweak for instance) so I have to play with gsettings to set them, I have to reinstall the French language pack from Mozilla website at every upgrade of Iceweasel, a number of programmes that I normally use are not available, e.g. Seafile client, Jami. For Jami, it is because Jami-gnome was removed from Arch and Jami-qt has a dependency on qt6-webengine that is blacklisted (includes chromium). Seafile client is in AUR only and has the same problematic dependency. It is strange to me that these programmes are available in Trisquel in spite of that dependency in Arch.
If you want the latest software on any distros. You can use git and build things your self. You can follow and check out any stable version of any gnu software.
git clone https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/coreutils.git
git clone https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/emacs.git
git once, build, install and update when you see a new release. You don't need to wait 2 weeks for a package.
Also, Trisquel has a backports repo. You don't need to compile the latest,
the LTS edition is good enough. In my case, I just compiled some tiny tools
for Trisquel Mini and the last Trigger Rally.
I like Manjaro and Garuda for Arch based distros. Both are very easy to setup and use as well as having access to newer versions of software without using a PPA/flathub/snap/app image etc. They also give me an option for BTRFS which I like. Obviously they have freedom issues but sadly there exists no Arch based distro I have found that is FLOSS and easy to use. Hyperbola and Parabola both take a lot more work to get going than Trisquel; Gnuinos; or Pure OS.
You can convert that Arch into a nice Parabola :P :