Since writing my initial thoughts on Garuda Linux, I left and spent years hopping from one Linux distro to another. I’ve now returned to Garuda Linux, my beloved, as a daily driver and was surprised by a few things I saw.
Octopi Is a Nice Addition
After installation on my PC, I was surprised to see the Octopi package manager pinned to the task manager. If it was preinstalled the last time I was daily driving Garuda, it wasn’t pinned to the task manager like it was by default here.
Trying Octopi for the first time, I was reminded of Synaptic on Ubuntu-based distros. It’s useful when you’re not comfortable with the Linux command line, and there are a few little bonuses such as an Arch Linux news reader.
Like with Synaptic, I fooled with Octopi for a little bit before deciding I prefer a terminal-based workflow for package management. Using a context menu to select a package for install gets too clunky after a while.
Plasma 6 Is Giving Me Headaches
Maybe I’m being misled by the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, but another surprise was the Plasma desktop acting more glitchy on Garuda than I recall. Garuda and most other Arch-based Linux distros are famous for their bleeding-edge software. They don’t hold back updates for testing nearly as much as counterparts like Ubuntu. That cutting edge cuts both ways, so while you have the latest and greatest software, it doesn’t always work well for you.
I’m not an expert on Plasma’s inner workings, so I don’t know precisely where the issues lie, but I can at least compare my own experiences. During the six months I’ve been using my Kubuntu Focus Ir16 Gen 2 laptop, I don’t recall any serious or recurring issues with Plasma. Kubuntu 24.04 is currently at version 5.27, significantly behind Garuda’s version 6.2.
To be fair, it isn’t unusable. Still, small annoyances, like a disappearing dock that refuses to reappear, tend to pile up.
This is less of a critique than it may sound, but Garuda’s collection of exclusive graphical utilities like Garuda Assistant and Garuda Gamer are still as notably homely as they were four years ago. I say notably because Garuda, the “KDE Dr460nized” edition in particular, has a reputation for being a beautiful desktop. It’s a deserved reputation, but the Garuda-exclusive apps feel like an exception.
The looks aren’t unforgivable; it’s not as if they’re difficult to navigate. Considering Garuda’s emphasis on performance and efficiency, it makes sense to make these utilities, well, utilitarian. So while it would have been nice to see a graphical renovation, I can’t blame the developers—volunteers, you can’t forget—for keeping it simple.
While I have my qualms about its current state, I’d still recommend Garuda as a Linux distro optimized for performance. I do feel the comforts of familiarity daily driving it again. Still, to be honest, I’m not sure I’m really done distro-hopping. There are horizons I’ve not explored yet. I’ve never given openSUSE a fair shake beyond some VM testing.
If you want to try out Garuda Linux yourself, get the ISO from the Garuda download page.
