Arch: Pros Only, But Not Bad

Arch Linux is one of the few distributions to be optimized for an i686 processor- in other words, it’s really fast without having to compile anything. It uses a custom package manager called Pacman (which, surprisingly enough, doesn’t seem to spark any legal controversy), which works similarly to Apt in that it has dependency tracking and relies on repositories. Arch’s philosophy is to start with a base system and install all the graphical components manually via Pacman. This means you need a working Intertube connection and a fair amount of time on your hands. A caution before you install Arch: Arch is NOT meant for newbies. If you’re afraid to get your hands dirty with a little low-level tweakage, you might want to consider trying something else.