Archman Linux

Overview

Archman Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, using a rolling release model. Designed with modern, lightweight, and highly customizable core principles, it's suitable for beginners and intermediate users, offering ease of use, high speed, and low resource consumption. Developed by a Turkish community team and hosted on archman.org and SourceForge, it supports the x86_64 architecture and is suitable for desktop devices, offering desktop environments such as Xfce and i3. Using the pacman package manager and the Arch User Repository (AUR), Archman Linux inherits Arch's flexibility while reducing the learning curve through pre-configured installations, emphasizing a community-driven and user-friendly approach. The name "Archman" is derived from "Arch" (Arch Linux) and "man" (Turkish for "man" or "hero"), symbolizing Arch's power and human touch.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • 2016: The Archman Linux project was launched by community developers in Turkey as a user-friendly derivative of Arch Linux, aiming to simplify Arch installation and configuration and provide a pre-installed desktop environment.
  • Inspired by Arch Linux's rolling release model, it adds a graphical installer and beginner support.
• Development History:
  • 2017: Early versions were based on Arch, introduced the Xfce desktop, and supported the i3 WM.
  • 2019: Archman 2019.07 was released, with optimized installation and support for more hardware.
  • 2023: Archman 2023.09 was based on kernel 6.5 and supported Wayland.
  • October 8, 2025: Archman Xfce 2025.10.08 was released, based on kernel 6.11, with optimized Xfce 4.18 and i3 desktops, and support for ZFS.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by a Turkish team, hosted on archman.org, SourceForge, and the forum (forum.archman.org).
  • Supports English and Turkish (some Chinese settings are available via Xfce), and the documentation covers installation and customization.
  • Reddit users call Archman "a user-friendly version of Arch."
• Open Source License:
  • GPL v3 (core scripts), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

Archman Linux is Arch-compatible, user-friendly, and lightweight, making it suitable for desktop users. Here are its key features:

1. Xfce and i3 Desktops
   • Default Xfce 4.18, with the optional i3 WM. Lightweight, it consumes approximately 400-600 MB of RAM.
2. Arch Repository and AUR
   • Uses pacman to manage packages, supporting the AUR.
3. Rolling Update Model
   • Based on Arch's rolling updates, ensuring the latest packages.
4. Performance Optimization
   • Inherits Arch's performance, occupies 400-600 MB of RAM, and supports Wayland.
5. Security and Privacy
   • Supports the ufw firewall and ZFS.
6. Development Support
   • Inherits Arch's AUR, supporting Python, Node.js, and more.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• User-Friendliness:
  • Pre-configured packages reduce the Arch learning curve, surpassing manual installation of Arch Linux.
  • X post claims, "The Xfce desktop in Archman XFCE 2025.10.08 is incredibly smooth."
• Rolling Updates:
  • Latest software, suitable for development.
• Lightweight and Efficient:
  • Low resource usage, surpassing FunOS's JWM.
• Community Support:
  • Active SourceForge, offering tutorials.
• Beginner-Friendly:
  • Suitable for Arch newcomers, better than Slackware's KISS.

Limitations

• Rolling Model Risks:
  • Potentially unstable, requiring regular backups.
• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Arch Linux, with limited Chinese documentation.
• ARM Support:
  • No official ARM version, inferior to Raspberry Pi OS.

Summary

Archman Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. The latest version, Xfce 2025.10.08 (October 8, 2025), is based on Linux kernel 6.11 and supports the x86_64 architecture. Built around a modern, lightweight, and highly customizable core, it offers both the Xfce and i3 desktops. Archman Linux is known for its user-friendliness and low resource usage, but the risks of rolling updates should be noted.