I'm currently using CachyOS and I really enjoy it, but I'm interested in building my own super lightweight and fast system to maximize my hardware's performance for gaming and other software. I have a few questions to kick things off. First, is Arch Linux a good option for this kind of setup? If I decide to go with Arch, should I install it manually and keep only the essentials, or does the installer handle that for me? Also, what are the best practices for optimizing every part of my system to achieve my goals? I've heard that ditching the graphical login and using TTY can help, and that using a window manager like DWM or Awesome can improve speed. I'm looking for tips on how to really get the most efficiency and performance out of my system.
2 Answers
If you're after minimal resource usage, have you considered Gentoo instead? But honestly, maybe try to get comfortable with TTY and basic commands before jumping to an even steeper curve like Gentoo. Just don’t stress too much about the GUI; it’s okay to want a graphical interface as well! Start with something user-friendly while you get the hang of things, then you can dive deeper later on.
Yes, starting with Arch can definitely make sense, especially if you're looking for a challenge. Going for a manual installation is a great way to learn how everything works, but if you just want the end result, the installer has options for a minimal setup too. For optimizations, things can get pretty broad, but I'd say running a window manager instead of a full desktop environment is a good move if you want to save RAM. As for removing the GUI login, it doesn't really make a noticeable difference in performance once you're logged in, so that might be overkill.
Got it! I just want to make sure I'm maximizing everything for my hardware. How do I find the right balance between performance and usability?
Balancing performance and usability really depends on what you expect from your system. Since you want to game, keep some essential GUI tools, but you can always try lightweight alternatives.
Thanks for the suggestion! I guess I should practice with the basics before going deeper. I appreciate the advice!