The Arch ecosystem is expansive, continuously welcoming new variants that strive to make their mark. Among them, Manjaro and EndeavourOS stand out as well-established and trustworthy alternatives for those seeking an out-of-the-box Arch experience without the hassle of extensive setup.
However, there are dozens of other less-famous names, such as the next one I will introduce you to. Please welcome Liya Linux.
Liya Linux Highlights
Liya is a new Linux distro based on Arch that has been around for about a year. Developed by a single person, its concept is similar to what EndeavorOS offersโan Arch desktop that’s easier to install but still caters to users who are comfortable using the command line.
The distribution comes in two versions, featuring Cinnamon and MATE desktop environments, with the first one being the primary option.
Under the hood, Liya bets on the Btrfs file system by default, which is great. The installation process was seamless due to the well-integrated Calamares installer. After installation, you get this.
So far, Iโve been impressed. The desktop looks good. I like very much the Papirus icon theme, used here by default, and the Cinnamon desktop environment was very responsive. Unfortunately, my initial positive opinion started to change after this point. Hereโs what I mean.
After checking the pre-installed software, Iโand likely many other Linux usersโfound that most of the apps don’t align with what I typically use.
The default browser provided is Brave, which is excellent software, yet many might anticipate finding Firefox. For office tasks, ONLYOFFICE is included, which performs well, but most users might expect to see LibreOffice as the standard offering.
Moreover, the official site’s statement, “Its core values include a bloat-free environment,” left me a bit puzzled. In the default installation, you’ll find a whole host of wide-ranging apps for just about anything, like Winetricks, Deluge, Geary, Proton VPN, BleachBit, Pace, Timeshift, Gufw Firewall, Pika Backup, Redshift, Emote, Ulauncher, and so on.
I wouldn’t really say it’s “bloat-free.” It seems like the developer packed in all their favorite apps without considering the general audience’s preferences and expectations. Sure, I can remove all those apps and install what I like within 10 minutes, but that kind of goes against the whole point of it.
Anyway. I went ahead and tried to update the system using the well-known sudo pacman -Syu command, considering the installation ISO was a bit outdated. As expected in the Arch ecosystem, I had about 1.5 GB of updates to install, which is perfectly normal.
However, I ran into another issue: the package signing keys from the official Arch repositories weren’t imported. For those familiar with Arch, you’ll know there’s a straightforward fix:
sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key --populateCode language: Bash (bash)This reset all the keys and rebuilds the database, after which everything goes as expected. However, the bitter taste in the mouth remains.
I finally decided to check out what sets Liya Linux apart. Installing a desktop environment on Arch and adding some apps (not to forget wallpaper) seems pretty basic and is not enough to consider it a unique Linux distribution.
So, I explored its repository, expecting to find some apps that help define its distinctiveness. However, I only found a limited selection of packages, almost all already available in Arch’s repos or AUR. But what caught my attention were the notable commit messages:
Somewhere around here, my adventure with Liya Linux ended. I think it becomes clear why. Here’s my conclusion.
Conclusion
Liya Linux represents another take on Arch on desktop. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. Yet, it seems it was crafted more as a personal project of its sole developer, tailored primarily to his tastes rather than for the community or mass use.
It’s also worth mentioning that the distro is a one-man-show project. Historically, such solo initiatives often lose momentum once the initial excitement wears off, potentially leading to abandonment (a prime example of this is Funtoo) or leaving the distribution unsupported.
As for recommendationsโthink twice before using Liya Linux. If you’re after a user-friendly Arch that still lets you get your hands dirty, EndeavourOS is the way to go.
In the Liya forum, the author explicitly states, “Liya Is Not For Users Who: Are distro-hoppers.” Ironically, those are the very users who might find it appealing.
Finally, while other reviews might offer a different perspective, we rely above all else on honesty and sincere opinion with a commitment to the readers. So, for now, it might be best to pass on Liya Linux. Perhaps another time.
Check out the official Liya’s website if you’re interested.
