Arch Linux
Arch Linux is a rolling, community-funded distribution that installs a minimal base and leaves the desktop to the reader. Packages come from pacman, init is systemd, and no desktop environment is included by default. Minimum RAM is listed as 512 MB; the newest ISO snapshot in our data is 2021.02.01, dated 1 February 2021 with kernel 5.10.11.
Arch Linux's first release is dated 11 March 2002. The model is rolling: there are no numbered distribution releases with a new package set, only installation media rebuilt at intervals, and the archive keeps dated snapshots from 2017.01.01 to 2021.02.01. Inside the newest one, glibc is 2.32, X.Org Server 1.20.10 and systemd 247, with an archinstall 2.1.1 entry in the ISO menu and pacman packages in plain tar format. Nothing is installed beyond the base system, which is why the ISO is 1,564 MB and why the minimum RAM figure of 512 MB says little about a finished desktop. Wayland is recorded as mixed, since the base system does not choose a session for the user. The distribution targets advanced users: the wiki carries the installation procedure, and every component from bootloader to display server is a decision the reader makes. Community funding keeps the project independent of any vendor, and the rolling model means a system updated regularly never needs a reinstall.
Key facts
- First release: 11 March 2002.
- Newest ISO snapshot: 2021.02.01, dated 1 February 2021 with kernel 5.10.11.
- Rolling model; pacman packages, systemd 247 in that snapshot.
- No desktop environment by default; glibc 2.32 and X.Org Server 1.20.10 on the ISO.
- Minimum RAM: 512 MB; ISO 1,564 MB.
- Snapshots in the archive run back to 2017.01.01.
Best for: Experienced users who want to assemble their own system from a minimal base and keep it current through a rolling package stream.
Recent releases
| Version | Released | Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| 2021.02.01 | 1 February 2021 | 5.10.11 |
| 2021.01.01 | 1 January 2021 | 5.10.3 |
| 2020.12.01 | 1 December 2020 | 5.9.11 |
| 2020.06.01 | 1 June 2020 | 5.6.15 |
| 2017.11.01 | 1 November 2017 | 4.13.9 |
| 2017.01.01 | 1 January 2017 | 4.8.13 |
Package snapshot (2021.02.01)
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| glibc | 2.32 |
| X.Org Server | 1.20.10 |
| Package manager | pacman |
| Init system | systemd 247 |
| Installer | archinstall 2.1.1 (в меню ISO) |
| Package format | pacman (PKG tar) |
| Linux kernel | 5.10.11 |
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FAQ
Does Arch Linux have versions?
No. The model is rolling: packages update continuously and no numbered release changes the system. What the archive records are dated ISO snapshots such as 2021.02.01.
Which desktop do I get?
None. The dataset lists the desktop as absent, so GNOME, KDE Plasma or anything else has to be installed after the base system. This is also why Wayland is marked as mixed rather than yes.
How much RAM does the installation need?
512 MB is the recorded minimum for the base system. A desktop built on top will need more, but the dataset holds no figure for that, so none is quoted.