Meet ArcoPlasma, the Linux distro for control freaks

First things first: ArcoPlasma (which is a spin of ArcoLinux) isn’t best suited for those with little to no Linux experience. I had a few issues with the distribution (such as the db.lck file blocking updates — which was an easy fix if you know what you’re doing), so keep that in mind as you read on. 

Even with those issues, I found ArcoPlasma to be a pretty groovy desktop OS.

What are ArcoLinux and ArcoPlasma?

ArcoLinux is an Arch Linux-based project focused on education and customization. ArcoLinux offers multiple ways to install the operating system, including 17 different ISO options catering to various user preferences and skill levels. 

Also: How to install Arch Linux without losing your mind

ArcoLinux doesn’t assume anything about the user and offers both easy and advanced routes to installing the OS. The advanced installation is quite an impressive feat and allows you to select everything — from the kernel used all the way up to the desktop environment (and everything in between).

ArcoPlasma is a specialized version of ArcoLinux that delivers a polished, feature-rich KDE Plasma desktop environment. Thanks to KDE Plasma, ArcoPlasma offers users a sleek, elegant interface that is intuitive and highly customizable.

When all of that combines together, you wind up with a pretty impressive desktop operating system.

What makes ArcoPlasma special?

Also: 10 Linux apps I can’t do without — and why

It’s all in the details… and the Arch Linux Tweak Tool.

Tweaking ArcoPlasma

I could go on and on about KDE Plasma, but needless to say, it’s beautiful. ArcoPlasma delivers the usual KDE Plasma elegance that is sure to please and impress everyone.

The big-ticket item, however, is called the Arch Linux Tweak Tool.

The Arch Linux Tweak Tool (ATT) is a powerful application that was designed for customizing ArcoLinux but eventually expanded to other Arch-based distributions, including vanilla Arch Linux, EndeavourOS, Manjaro, and several others. 

Also: Bluestar Linux is a gorgeous MacOS-like take on KDE Plasma that’s easy to use

Arch Linux Tweak Tool is to ArcoLinux (and ArcoPlasma) what YaST is to openSUSE. Think of it as the Settings tool for the system. With ATT, you can configure things like auto-start, themes, which desktop to install, fastfetch information, fixes, grub (bootloader), login, mirrors, packages, pacman, privacy, services, shells, terminals, terminal fun, and more. 

For those who only want to customize the desktop, use the default tool for that purpose (such as KDE Plasma System Settings). For everything else, use ATT. 

For example, if you go to the Desktop section of ATT and click the “Select a desktop” drop-down, you’ll see a long list of desktops you can install. I decided to test this and see how it would handle installing the Pantheon desktop. 

I selected Pantheon from the drop-down, clicked Install, and waited. After roughly 30 seconds, the installation finished, and Pantheon was listed as “installed.” I logged out, checked the desktop options on the login screen, and found Pantheon missing. However, in the desktop selection menu, I found GNOME had been installed and every option had been duplicated, so each was listed twice. 

Also: Archcraft is a solid, super-fast distro for anyone ready to move beyond beginner Linux

Out of curiosity, I selected GNOME from the list, and the desktop crashed before it could launch. I returned to KDE Plasma and installed other options to see if any would work. I also re-installed Hyprland and Pantheon (just to be safe). Ultimately, I determined that you should pick your desktop during the installation process because doing so with ATT doesn’t exactly deliver the desired results.

The included software

ArcoPlasma includes plenty of pre-installed applications. You’ll find apps for just about anything. Open the KDE Plasma menu, select All Applications, and start scrolling. You’ll find the list of apps goes on and on. 

Also: 6 features I wish Linux would borrow from MacOS

The list of pre-installed apps reminded me of what it was like during the earlier days when distribution installations spanned multiple disks and included far more software than was necessary. With ArcoPlasma, there’s lots of redundancy, such as the KDE Plasma office suite and LibreOffice, or KMail and Geary. There are also multiple music and video players and even several terminal apps.

For those new to Arch Linux, this means you might not have to install your favorite app right out of the box.

Mind your memory

When I install a Linux distribution for testing, I do so as a guest on VirtualBox with 3GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores. This was not enough for ArcoPlasma. I had to bump it to 5GB of RAM and 3 cores before everything ran smoothly. But once the desktop had plenty of resources, it performed as well as any KDE Plasma install I’ve experienced.

Who is ArcoPlasma for?

Because you’ll likely run into various issues, I can’t recommend this distribution for those with zero Linux experience. I would say that ArcoPlasma (and ArcoLinux) is really geared toward those with a good amount of Linux experience and who want to get their hands on an Arch Linux installation that includes the ATT app. If that sounds like you, give ArcoPlasma a go.

If KDE Plasma is your jam and Arch is your goal, you won’t be disappointed; so hop on over to the official download page and grab an ISO of ArcoPlasma.