Why I prefer Manjaro over Ubuntu ?

Beginning with Linux

What is Linux?

Linux is basically a kernel - a program that links the hardware and software components in some complicated way (references available at the end of the blog). It was developed by Linus Torvalds and team in 1991. Linux based operating systems are getting popular rapidly especially with the release of more user-friendly distributions, charismatic UI, beautiful themes and with its Libre nature.

Linux is not an OS, it is a kernel. Various Linux distributions have been developed using the Linux kernel. A dedicated blog for the same can be read here. Linux distributions can be broadly classified as Debian-based or Arch-based.

Some Debian distributions : Debian, Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Parrot OS, ... Debian list

Some Arch distributions : Arch Linux, Manjaro, Garuda, ... Arch list

Ubuntu

Ubuntu has grown immensely popular over time. It is a general purpose linux based Operating System. Often, the first OS used by many programmers after Windows is Ubuntu. It was developed by Canonical Ltd), and is open source. It has a vast number of users across the world. Its package manager is APT(Advanced Packaging Tool). It also gives PPA for easy updation and installation of software packages.

Manjaro

Manjaro is an Arch-based linux distribution. It comes in various desktop environments - Xfce, Gnome, KDE Plasma, etc. It gained its popularity out of the tag that it is a descendent of Arch Linux. Manjaro has the support of AUR(Arch User Repository). It is also backed up by the collection of repositories such as Snap and Flatpak, which are available on a few other distros as well. Manjaro was developed by a team of developers independently and not under the ownership of any business corporation thus does not intend any monetary advantage through this project. It's package manager is pamac.

Ubuntu vs Manjaro

Ubuntu is decently good! It's community is good no doubt, however Ubuntu doesn't have a satisfyingly good documentation. Ubuntu generally has few bugs which sometimes end up ruining the user's experience, like brightness control issue, shortened battery life, issues with NVIDIA GPU. It releases system updates once every 6 months and LTS version after every 2 years.

Manjaro has got most of it right somehow! It has a vast community as it is a sub-branch of the professional Arch community. So manjaro has two very well-organized documentatios to refer to - Manjaro documentation and Arch wiki. It has adopted a Rolling-Release Development Model, which means instead of replacing the core system, it is updated and upgraded continually. Compared to Ubuntu, Manjaro has a relatively small number of bugs creeping in its codebase. I have hardly got a couple of errors after the initial boot, but once they were resolved, they never showed up, thankfully! Once you set your kernel to the latest LTS version and boot from that, its unlikely that you will have bugs.

TL;DR Go ahead with Manjaro!


For students concerned if they'll be able to do their academical work, assignments, etc from Manjaro - let me tell you, you can do all your college work from Manjaro even if your instititute asks you to do it on Ubuntu. The only difference that might exist for you is that of terminal commands, package names and the way of installation(easier with us). It ain't difficult. Manjaro is much easier to use than Ubuntu. You only need to browse for an equivalent command in manjaro and you're done. Cup-of-tea!

What to do next?

Install Manjaro!

Assuming your current OS is Windows 10/11, A step-by-step tutorial for the same is hereby attached for you to safely dual boot your machine with Manjaro Linux.

How to Install Manjaro Linux [Beginner’s Guide]

Conclusion

Switching to Ubuntu from windows is cool, but don't stick to it for long unless you have a good reason to do so. You have a better alternatives. My choice was Manjaro after a few recommendations and self-exploration. I suggest you to try or explore different linux distributions on your own.

Thank you!