Garuda Linux: More than a Linux for gamers

Garuda Linux is a young operating system popular among gamers. The Arch Linux de­riv­at­ive offers 12 different desktop en­vir­on­ments and numerous graphical interface tools. Garuda Linux is updated according to the rolling release principle.

Garuda Linux is a de­riv­at­ive of Arch Linux that combines the func­tion­al­ity and freedom of choice of the min­im­al­ist Linux dis­tri­bu­tion with the graphical in­stall­a­tion aid Calamares, numerous desktop en­vir­on­ments and other user-friendly tools. The operating system is main­tained by an in­ter­na­tion­al team working with Indian developer Shrinivas Kumbhar (pseudonym: Librewish) and has been available as a rolling release since 2020.

The com­par­at­ively young dis­tri­bu­tion enjoys great pop­ular­ity among gamers wishing to use Linux. Garuda Linux uses Pacman as a package manager and gets its updates from the Arch re­pos­it­or­ies and Chaotic-AUR. The name `Garuda´ is borrowed from Indian mythology de­scrib­ing a mixture of man and eagle.

What sets Garuda Linux apart from Arch Linux is the choice of 12 different desktop en­vir­on­ments and window managers. Drag­on­ized, Drag­on­ized Gaming, and Drag­on­ized BlackArch are not the only three KDE variants. Others include Cinnamon, Gnome, or Xfce. In addition, the de­riv­at­ive boasts numerous graphical interface tools to simplify setup of the operating system for beginners. The Garuda Gamer ap­plic­a­tion is aimed at users who use their computer primarily for gaming. It sim­pli­fies and optimises the in­stall­a­tion of curated gaming software. The basis of Garuda Linux is the Zen kernel Linux 5.15.10 LTS Zen1.

Garuda Linux gained a repu­ta­tion for being well-suited for gamers because many options can be optimised for games or platforms like Steam. However, non-gamers may be equally happy using the Linux dis­tri­bu­tion as it in­cor­por­ates plenty of ad­vant­age­ous features of the cus­tom­iz­able Arch Linux while also providing graphical in­ter­faces. To ex­per­i­ence all the ad­vant­ages of a free system, without needing the know-how for manual in­stall­a­tion and main­ten­ance, Garuda Linux is a good al­tern­at­ive.

Compared to the min­im­al­ist­ic Arch Linux, Garuda Linux system re­quire­ments are a bit more extensive. Although exact re­quire­ments depend on the chosen desktop en­vir­on­ment, there are no major dif­fer­ences between the variants. The de­velopers them­selves estimate a minimum of 4 GB RAM and 30 GB storage space. However, 8 GB of RAM and at least 40 GB of storage are re­com­men­ded for smooth in­stall­a­tion and use. A disk with at least 4 GB is required to install Garuda Linux. Gaming desktops will need twice as much.

To gauge if Garuda Linux is the right operating system for your needs, take a closer look at its ad­vant­ages and dis­ad­vant­ages.

• Desktop en­vir­on­ment: With access to 12 different desktop en­vir­on­ments, most users will find an option that suits their needs. The spectrum ranges from slim options like Xfce to selected gaming en­vir­on­ments.
• User-friend­li­ness: Apart from the desktop en­vir­on­ments, Garuda Linux is not just nice to look at, but also user-friendly. Numerous graphical interface tools simplify working with the operating system, making it a suitable option for beginners. Calamares helps with the in­stall­a­tion and Pacman supports package man­age­ment.
• Choice: There is plenty of choice for adding different desktop en­vir­on­ments and software. It’s up to the user to decide which software they wish to install. This is where the Arch Linux approach comes into its own. Besides the re­pos­it­ory of the source system, packages can be obtained from Chaotic-AUR.
• Rolling Release: The rolling release model ensures that the system is always up to date. Updates, fixes, and new features are directly imported.
• Security: For security, Snapper is included. During in­stall­a­tion, the Btrfs tool is auto­mat­ic­ally con­figured and creates snapshots. So in case of an error during a rolling release, it is possible to reset the system to a previous state. Fire­Dragon is a web browser that protects user privacy.

• Scope: Compared to Arch Linux, Garuda Linux is large and has higher system re­quire­ments. Although you can design the system yourself, it will not be slim.
• Pre­in­stalled software: Garuda Linux does not come with much pre­in­stalled software. For users who prefer the Arch Linux approach this may be a challenge. Those who wish to get going straight­away after setup, may find they are missing the required software such as office programs.

Overall, Garuda Linux is a promising operating system that should satisfy gamers. However, users who prefer a different focus may want to consider al­tern­at­ive Linux dis­tri­bu­tions for laptop and PC. Manjaro Linux, for example, takes a similar approach, but doesn’t focus on gaming. Ubuntu, Debian, and spin-offs like Linux Mint or Ele­ment­ary OS 6 all have a large fan base.

In addition, there are strong Linux server dis­tri­bu­tions like the CentOS suc­cessors AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux.