I’ve already told you about Garuda Linux in my TOP of the must-have Linux distros, but this time, I’m going to dedicate a whole article to it because I think it’s pretty cool.
Based on Arch, Garuda Linux is a gem designed by a team of passionate developers from all over the world. It’s easy to install and understand, so even beginners will be able to test this Linux and, especially, choose the right desktop environment for it. Because, yes, Garuda is available in different “flavors”🙂.
The distro is, therefore, available in an impressive palette of flavors, each offering a unique experience. Among them, the Garuda KDE Dr460nized (Dragonized if you hadn’t noticed) shines brightly. This is the one I installed, and this edition immerses its users in a dark, hyper-modern, and fully immersive Plasma experience. The workflow is inspired by that of Macs, with an appmenu integrated directly into the top bar. It’s an edition specifically designed for those looking for a sleek and modern office environment, obviously without compromising on functionality. So, you either like it or you don’t.
For lovers of lighter and faster desktop environments, Garuda Linux also offers Xfce. Known for its stability and reliability, Xfce offers an engaging user experience while being economical with system resources. Perfect, therefore, for those looking to combine performance and aesthetics without overloading their machine.
There’s also Garuda Linux Sway, which offers a complete and easy-to-use setup with intuitive keyboard shortcuts, in an alluring “Nordic” aesthetic. Using Wayland’s best native alternatives, Sway ensures a smooth transition to the Wayland composer, combining beauty and speed.
There is also a GNOME version that is perfect for those who don’t want to lose the habits they had with Ubuntu. A Cinnamon version that also reminiscent of GNOME 2 in its appearance but obviously with more flexibility and speed. Garuda is also available in KDE Lite for those who like minimalist approaches with only the bare necessities when it comes to pre-installed software.
There’s also the i3WM version, which is a lightweight window manager, controlled exclusively by keyboard. The Garuda version includes a simple setup with LXappearance to manage GTK themes, ideal for those who appreciate a small memory footprint. Not to mention the Qtile version, which is a dynamic and extensible window manager that is easy to customize. Garuda Qtile uses jgmenu for convenient application launch without having to remember keyboard shortcuts.
Finally, Garuda is available in a Hyprland version. It’s a dynamic wlroots-based Wayland “tile” composer that doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics for performance, delivering an engaging visual experience and cutting-edge functionality.
With all that, you’re spoilt for choice.
But aesthetics are not its only quality. Garuda is robust thanks to the use of the Btrfs file system. It’s clearly the file system of the moment, known for its error tolerance, repair capabilities, and native compression capabilities with zstd. Garuda is also able to protect you from yourself thanks to its automatic snapshot system. That way, no more cold sweats after a wrong move. You can go back easily with backups that can be accessed directly from Grub.
What’s more, Garuda comes equipped with everything you need: a built-in AppStore, a Game Center for gamers, tools for Grub, network management, and hotspot creation. It’s all there!
In terms of maintainability (it’s hard to write this word ^^), Garuda works on a rolling release principle. In other words, you get the latest updates all the time. The kernel has been optimized to perfectly meet your needs, whether you’re a hard worker, a gamer, or a pinpin who uses your Linux to watch videos.
In short, to sum up, Garuda Linux is:
✅ Easy installation and a diverse choice of office environments.
✅ Meticulous aesthetics and top performance.
✅ A Btrfs file system for increased security and efficiency.
✅ Practical tools for an optimal user experience.
✅ A distribution that is constantly up-to-date and optimized for different uses.
There you have it; you know everything about Garuda Linux. Now having tested it for a while, it’s an excellent Linux, even if I’m not a fan of the default theme with the Dragon, but hey, that can be fixed easily. All the tools offered are quite “simplistic” and therefore easy to use.
If you’re interested, it’s here. There’s a bootable ISO for each flavor so you can just test it in Live version. And if you like it, you can install it permanently on your computer.