Archcraft

Overview

Archcraft is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, using a rolling release model. Focused on simplicity, lightweightness, and aesthetics, it aims to provide users with a working window manager experience right out of the box. Developed by Aditya Shakya, it is now a community-driven project. It supports x86_64 and arm64 architectures (including the Raspberry Pi) and ships with lightweight window managers such as Openbox and bspwm by default, rather than a full desktop environment. Archcraft uses the pacman package manager and yay (AUR helper), comes pre-installed with lightweight applications such as Firefox, Alacritty, and Thunar, and takes up less than 500MB of memory. The latest version is Archcraft 2024.07.01 (July 2024), based on Linux kernel 6.9, with support for Wayland (beta) and ZFS.

Versions:

• Archcraft Standard: ships with Openbox and bspwm by default. - Archcraft XFCE/LXDE: Provides a lightweight desktop environment.
• Archcraft Wayland Special: Supports Wayland window managers (such as Hyprland and Sway).
• Archcraft ARM: Optimized for ARM64 and compatible with the Raspberry Pi.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • 2018: Created by Aditya Shakya with the goal of combining the flexibility of Arch Linux with preconfigured, lightweight, and beautiful environments to simplify user setup.
  • Inspired by BunsenLabs and Arch Linux, it focuses on window managers and minimalist design.
• Development History:
  • 2019: Archcraft 1.0 released, featuring Openbox and the Calamares installer.
  • 2020: Introduced the bspwm and Rofi application launchers, improving aesthetics.
  • 2021: Support for the ARM architecture (Archcraft ARM) was added, with Raspberry Pi compatibility. - 2023: Archcraft 2023.07 will be released, based on Linux kernel 6.4 and adding Wayland support (beta).
  • July 2024: Archcraft 2024.07.01 will be released, based on kernel 6.9 and featuring improved Openbox, bspwm, and ZFS support.
• Community and Support:
  • Community-maintained, hosted on archcraft.io, GitHub, wiki.archcraft.io, and Reddit (r/archcraft).
  • Supports English and some Chinese (setup via Openbox or bspwm), with documentation covering installation, configuration, and themes.
  • Reddit users call Archcraft "the perfect introduction to Arch Linux."
• Open Source Licenses:
  • GPL v3 (core), MIT (some themes).

Key Features

Archcraft is designed with lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, and pre-configured features at its core, making it suitable for low-end devices and aesthetically pleasing environments. Here are its key features:

1. Lightweight Window Manager
   • Openbox and bspwm are included by default, with Berry, Blackbox, 2BWM, CWM, Evilwm, Fluxbox, Xmonad, Qtile, i3wm, and others optional.
   • Support for Wayland window managers (Hyprland, Sway, beta).
2. Aesthetics and Themes
   • Flat and Pastel color themes are provided, with a variety of icons, wallpapers, and GTK styles (such as Nord and Manhattan).
   • Rofi is used as an application launcher, supporting search and window management.
3. Pacman and AUR Support
   • Use pacman to manage binary packages, and yay to access the AUR (49,000+ packages).
4. Rolling Update Model
   • Inherits Arch Linux's rolling update model, ensuring the latest software.
5. Hardware Compatibility
   • Supports x86_64 and arm64 (Raspberry Pi), with a minimum requirement of 512MB RAM and 2GB disk (4GB RAM and 20GB disk recommended).
6. Development Support
   • Pre-installed Python and Git, with support for Flatpak and Snap (installation required).

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Lightweight and Efficient:
  • Utilizes less than 500MB of RAM, surpassing Mageia's multi-desktop environment.
  • X Post claims "Archcraft is blazingly fast on older hardware."
• Aesthetic Design:
  • Pre-configured themes and the Rofi launcher surpass Arch Linux's headless foundation.
• User-Friendliness:
  • The Calamares installer and pre-configured features lower the Arch Linux learning curve.
• ARM Support:
  • Native support for the Raspberry Pi.
• AUR Ecosystem:
  • Inherits Arch Linux's AUR.

Limitations

• Learning Curve:
  • Window manager complex for beginners; knowledge of Openbox or bspwm configuration is required.
• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Arch Linux or Mageia, with limited Chinese documentation.
• Rolling Update Risks:
  • May cause instability; regular backups are required.
• Limited Pre-installed Software:
  • Requires manual installation.

Summary

Archcraft is a free and open-source Arch Linux derivative. The latest version, 2024.07.01, runs Linux kernel 6.9, uses Openbox and the bspwm window manager by default, and supports x86_64 and arm64 (Raspberry Pi). It focuses on being lightweight (less than 500 MB RAM), aesthetic (flat/soft themes), and pre-configured, and provides Calamares installer, pacman, and yay (AUR). Archcraft stands out for its lightweight and aesthetics, but has a smaller community and risky rolling updates.