Arch Linux

Arch Linux (or Arch /ˈɑːrtʃ/) is a Linux distribution for computers based on IA-32 and x86-64 architectures. It is composed predominantly of free and open-source software, and supports community involvement.

The design approach of the development team follows the KISS principle ("keep it simple, stupid") as the general guideline, and focuses on elegance, code correctness, minimalism and simplicity, and expects the user to be willing to make some effort to understand the system's operation. A package manager written specifically for Arch Linux, pacman, is used to install, remove and update software packages.

Arch Linux uses a rolling release model, such that a regular system update is all that is needed to obtain the latest Arch software; the installation images released by the Arch team are simply up-to-date snapshots of the main system components.

Arch Linux is also notable for having comprehensive documentation in the form of a community wiki, called the ArchWiki.

History

Inspired by CRUX, another minimalist distribution, Judd Vinet started Arch Linux in March 2002. Vinet led the project until 1 October 2007, when he stepped down due to lack of time, transferring control of the project to Aaron Griffin.