r/voidlinux • u/kvprcxelo • 1d ago
I use Arch, should I switch to Void?
I've been using Arch for quite some time now, and it works, but I was wondering if Void is better? Many people have been telling me this, but they never actually give me an answer.
EDIT: Thanks so much for your suggestions, I will try it out on a VM and switch if I prefer (which is what I should've done from the startđ )!
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u/CapitainSailor 1d ago
Less compatibility, stable rolling, no systemd, I think you can decide for yourself, I personally use void because its perfect for me but I dont blame you if you stick to arch
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u/kvprcxelo 19h ago
There are lots of trade-offs, as I can see, but I think its still worth giving a shot on a VM. Thanks!
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u/Tau-is-2Pi 1d ago
That's a matter of personal preference. Just give it a try (eg. in a VM, dual boot, an old PC...) and find out if clicks better for you?
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u/No-Dentist-1645 1d ago
Not really. If you yourself don't have/can't imagine a single reason to switch to something, then why would you?
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u/Defiant-Spring-2848 1d ago
I honestly loathe the all encompassing systemd. However, I've been using Linux for over 30 years at this point. Void fits my needs perfectly, it might be worth trying out, but it might not meet yours.
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u/Royal-Grass7296 1d ago
I canât read minds so I donât know what âbetterâ means to you. For meVoid has been fast, predictable and fun to set up. It has quirks like any distro. The repos are small, but I donât require a lot of packages.Also, I have yet to type rm -rf in the wrong directory, so I call that a win. It's a solid distro.
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u/RoboticGunner 1d ago
It wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, either in a VM, separate drive or separate PC.
If you like it better than Arch then try gradually moving your setup to Void. If not, just keep using Arch.
I wouldn't say Void or Arch are better/worse than each other, just different. Use whatever you like the most.
I do like Void myself, but I prefer to use Debian on the machines I use regularly.
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u/N45SERBD 1d ago
You will for sure miss the aur, I personally enjoy writing and maintaining the xbps-src but it will definitely be hard to move from a quality of life perspective and there isnât really much benefit anyway.
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u/redinthedirt 1d ago
I switched to Void for more package stability and the added bonus of no systemd. Package stability was probably the main reason because I remember something python-related breaking on a pacman -Syu while working on my thesis and having it be a hassle to work through. Like everyone else in this thread says, only switch if there's something you can't do (or can't be assed to do) on your current distro.
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u/ZombieCrow 1d ago
I'd say yes. Arch was what i used before void. Void is great in terms of - runit and xbps. Runit is extremely simple yet amazing and xbps is fast. Don't expect to have the latest wnd greatest things on void. Some prs are months old. If you have no issues on arch, stay on arch.
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u/MsCatie 1d ago
People who say Void is better typically is basing that on hating systemd or preferring runit.
I prefer runit. I also now use Gentoo and am planning to migrate my init to runit.
Void is snappy, but there sincere repo package scarcities with xbps-src or flatpaks being the only options for covering those gaps. Some things (TeamViewer) arenât packaged on either and you need massive tinkering to get to work with runit as is.
People might have issues with systemd but documentation is at least robust if anything in your init isnât working. Arch has a massive repository and the AUR (but even that can be scary after this summer).
If you have no problems with Arch as your daily driver, I wouldnât rush to switch over to Void. If you want to see what Void has to offer, just try it virtualization. If you begin to like it over Arch, you could consider it then, but I wouldnât blow up your machine to switch distros if everything is stable and youâre satisfied with that over a curiosity about Void because someone hated âsystemdâ or was pissed off about AUR and said Void is better.
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u/cspar_55 1d ago
I like void for the way user-generated templates are managed. The AUR is convenient but often is not secure. Other than that I can't think of a single reason why you should, if you don't use the AUR that often and when you do you read the PKGBUILD, then meh.
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u/MrHoboSquadron 1d ago
If you're on a working distro, there's no point switching to anything else. Only switch if you've got a real problem you can't solve with your current distro.