# General Tips & Advice For New Users **URL:** \ **Category:** Hello\ **Created:** [September 10, 2022, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545 "2022-09-10T01:27:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/1 "2022-09-10T01:27:42Z")
Hello there. I’m a new user, having switched to EndeavourOS from Manjaro XFCE less than 24 hours ago. I’m currently running the i3 version of EndeavourOS and loving it so far. My Linux journey is a bit unconventional. I started out with Ubuntu but switched to Manjaro only after days of using Ubuntu. My experience with Manjaro isn’t bad in particular (I’ve never broken the system or anything during the one year I’ve used it), but after finding about the Manjaro team forgetting to renew their security certificates, I decided it was time to give another distro a go. After a bit of research, EndeavourOS seemed like the most logical choice. I even decided to give tiling window managers a go. So. It’d be really nice if y’all experienced users out there could share some of your Linux experience as well as some general tips and advice that would benefit beginners. How do we avoid breaking our system? What’s the thing about EndeavourOS that you enjoy the most? What Linux distro did you use before switching to EOS? Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Scotty\_Trees](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/scotty_trees/32/29792_2.png) [@Scotty\_Trees](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/Scotty_Trees)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:09am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/2 "2022-09-10T02:09:49Z")
> [@anthony93](#): > > after hearing the disturbing news about the Manjaro team forgetting to renew their security certificates I’m no Manjaro fan by any stretch, but their most recent certificate issue, while foolish and 100% avoidable, got blown out of proportion by many in the Linux community that latch onto any negativity whenever they can and run with it. There’s plenty of other discussions here about Manjaro, so I’ll just leave it at that. One of the most important things to remember is that it’s your system, so use it however you like and don’t worry so much about what others might think. I use Gnome, some prefer KDE or a WM, but we all use it how we like and that is all okay. Also, respectful and friendly behavior goes a long way here. I’ve been all over the place from Ubuntu, Fedora, PopOS, Solus, Manjaro, openSUSE, and EndeavourOS. there’s nothing wrong with staying on one or trying new ones out, just do whatever works best for you. I’ve never tried window managers much, but plenty of other users here could help you with that. It helps to have specific questions in mind when you need support, otherwise it’s a lot harder for people to help when they have to guess around things. One thing I really must stress, EndeavourOS is not beginner friendly. While the devs make the install user friendly that anyone could install it, to update, maintain, and use your system requires a lot of reading (EndeavourOS wiki, Arch wiki, etc). It also requires that you have a desire and a willingness to learn how your system works. The EndeavourOS community is friendly to all, beginner or expert, so feel free to ask when you run into problems. Just remember to search your problem first before posting so that eliminates duplicate threads. > [@anthony93](#): > > How do we avoid breaking our system? Never run partial updates. Always stay up to date, daily, weekly, or bi-weekly updating is fine. Read the [Arch Linux News](https://archlinux.org/news/) page. Also check this forum too before updating if you’re at all uncomfortable. Try to stick with the `linux-lts` kernel as it’s the least likely to cause issues. Only use `linux` kernel if you have newer hardware. Most users, including myself will say they like that EndeavourOS is very close to Arch, it’s easy installation, and most importantly it’s awesome and supportive community that really sets it apart from other distros. And lastly, I was dual booting PopOS and Solus for a while before I wanted to go to the bleeding edge which brought me to EndeavourOS. If you have any issues here, feel free to open a new thread, always provide as much information and logs if you can and always be patient with others since we all come here to help out on our free time to volunteer and help out in whatever ways we can. I’ll try to add some helpful links, but I bet a dozen other users here will soon offer even better tips than I ever could. And welcome to the purple side! :enos: ---
**Author:** ![Zircon34](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/zircon34/32/135623_2.png) [@Zircon34](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/Zircon34)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:10am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/3 "2022-09-10T02:10:49Z")
> [@anthony93](#): > > How do we avoid breaking our system Update consistently since it’s a rolling release distro, once a week should do it. ```auto sudo pacman -Syu ``` You can also use ```auto yay ``` But note yay will also update your AUR packages. If you can, install software from the arch repo. If necessary, additional software can be found in the AUR. Don’t download and install software from random site or from git. Flatpak work but most packages can be found on the AUR anyways. I would learn essential package management on pacman first. Like updating system, searching packages, etc. If you can avoid Nvidia, avoid it. It’s just a pain especially hybrid cards. Check the forum. Most problems can actually be fixed and you get help. If seeking help, make sure to post hardware infos, systems logs etc. You can click the top right help button and select log tool for more infos. [https://discovery.endeavouros.com/forum-log-tool-options/how-to-include-systemlogs-in-your-post/2021/03/](https://discovery.endeavouros.com/forum-log-tool-options/how-to-include-systemlogs-in-your-post/2021/03/) Couple of useful links: - Don’t hard reboot. Instead check this [[Tip] Enable Magic SysRq Key (REISUB)](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/tip-enable-magic-sysrq-key-reisub/7576) - Package management links from @Kresimir and useful links about AUR [KDE Plasma fresh other distro reinstall: 'Appstore' and non-aur repo doesnt work - #10 by Kresimir](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/kde-plasma-fresh-other-distro-reinstall-appstore-and-non-aur-repo-doesnt-work/19577/10) Welcome to this community and forum! 😁 Edit: i3wm is the best for sure 😇 ---
**Author:** ![Sharp](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/sharp/32/73066_2.png) [@Sharp](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/Sharp)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:21am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/4 "2022-09-10T02:21:34Z")
Welcome to the forum! ---
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:43am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/5 "2022-09-10T02:43:28Z")
Thank you for the detailed reply! > [@Scotty\_Trees](#): > > I’m no Manjaro fan by any stretch, but their most recent certificate issue, while foolish and 100% avoidable, got blown out of proportion by many in the Linux community that latch onto any negativity whenever they can and run with it. There’s plenty of other discussions here about Manjaro, so I’ll just leave it at that. Indeed, I’m aware of this tendency for people to latch onto negativity. There has also been a good amount of distro-bashing all over the linux community as well. But I suppose that’s just human nature. > [@Scotty\_Trees](#): > > One thing I really must stress, EndeavourOS is not beginner friendly Thank you for the reminder. I chose endeavour because I want to learn, and from your description, it seems like I have made the right choice 😀. [quote=“Scotty\_Trees, post:2, topic:31545”] > [@Scotty\_Trees](#): > > I’ll try to add some helpful links That would be much appreciated. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Scotty\_Trees](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/scotty_trees/32/29792_2.png) [@Scotty\_Trees](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/Scotty_Trees)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:49am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/6 "2022-09-10T02:49:59Z")
> [@Default command line way to install,remove,list packages](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/default-command-line-way-to-install-remove-list-packages/6935/8): > > Some pacman options worth remembering Options What it does -Syu perform a full update (you should use this when updating). -Syyu force download of package database and then update. This is typically only necessary after changing your mirror list. -Syuu will perform a full update, allowing downgrade of packages (use only when the update announcement tells you to, or when you’re trying to fix some problem and know what you’re doing). There is also -Syyuu -Syuw download the packages t… > [@AUR PKGBUILDs](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/aur-pkgbuilds/6669/18): > > The AUR is one of the safest ways to install software, just because it is so transparent. But it does not tolerate just looking up the package in Pamac and clicking on the Build button, or doing yay package\_name blindly. It requires that the user knows what’s going on. That’s why I recommend trying to build at least one package manually, to understand what’s going on, before using an AUR helper like pamac or yay. yay has a nice feature that allows you to inspect a PKGBUILD file before installin… > [@Manjaro to EndeavourOS experiences](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/manjaro-to-endeavouros-experiences/6398): > > I am glad that everyone is excited about EOS or whatever new distros you have found since leaving Manjaro. I would ask that we try to not turn this into a place to bash Manjaro(or any other distro). I am hopeful we can talk about how great our new homes are without going out of our way to attack or demean other distros. > [@A Complete Idiot's Guide To Endeavour OS Maintenance / Update / Upgrade](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/a-complete-idiots-guide-to-endeavour-os-maintenance-update-upgrade/25184): > > I’m a complete idiot - so here’s my guide for you! It has been asked a lot, and fairly frequently recently it seems, especially by new Endeavour/new to Linux users. It was recently asked that I post how I update - so here it is. “How do I maintain / update / upgrade my system?!? Help!!” This is my maintenance plan. I have been using the same install for almost 2 years now without any major issue. I’m VERY aware there’s more than one way to do this. And most importantly - Many of these c… These should get you started on how this forum generally conducts itself and how help can be found almost anywhere. Enjoy reading and if you like certain threads, you can always bookmark them for later use. ---
**Author:** ![smokey](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/smokey/32/133678_2.png) [@smokey](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/smokey)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/7 "2022-09-10T02:50:08Z")
Welcome @anthony93, pretty much follow whats being advised above ---
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/8 "2022-09-10T02:53:07Z")
Hello! Thanks for the reply. > [@Zircon34](#): > > If you can, install software from the arch repo. If necessary, additional software can be found in the AUR Indeed. I generally try to avoid AUR packages - a habit I have built from my one-year experience with Manjaro. > [@Zircon34](#): > > Don’t download and install software from random site or from git. Noted. Though I do install one or two software from git - mainly plugins for Neovim. I don’t use snaps or flatpaks also. > [@Zircon34](#): > > I would learn essential package management on pacman first. Like updating system, searching packages, etc. Definitely. When I was using Manjaro, I only use pacman as my package manager. In fact, I uninstalled pamac right after I ditched VSCode in favor of Neovim (I only use pamac because visual-studio-code-bin was only available in the aur, since I no longer use vscode, I no longer have a reason to use pamac) > [@Zircon34](#): > > If you can avoid Nvidia, avoid it. It’s just a pain especially hybrid cards. I’m typing this from a Thinkpad with an NVIDIA card, though I’m grateful I had the foresight to only use open-source drivers 🤣 > [@Zircon34](#): > > Check the forum. Most problems can actually be fixed and you get help. If seeking help, make sure to post hardware infos, systems logs etc. You can click the top right help button and select log tool for more infos. Noted. Thanks for the tip! > [@Zircon34](#): > > - Don’t hard reboot. Instead check this [[Tip] Enable Magic SysRq Key (REISUB)](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/tip-enable-magic-sysrq-key-reisub/7576) > - Package management links from @Kresimir and useful links about AUR > [KDE Plasma fresh other distro reinstall: ‘Appstore’ and non-aur repo doesnt work - #10 by Kresimir](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/kde-plasma-fresh-other-distro-reinstall-appstore-and-non-aur-repo-doesnt-work/19577/10) These links are helpful indeed. > [@Zircon34](#): > > Edit: i3wm is the best for sure 😇 I’m still trying to familiarize myself with it. Currently going through the user manual and trying to customize my config. ---
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:56am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/9 "2022-09-10T02:56:52Z")
Hi. Wow. This forum certainly knows a thing or two about making people feel welcomed. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:57am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/10 "2022-09-10T02:57:37Z")
Thank you. I hope to learn more about linux here. ---
**Author:** ![Zircon34](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/zircon34/32/135623_2.png) [@Zircon34](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/Zircon34)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/11 "2022-09-10T02:58:39Z")
> [@anthony93](#): > > I’m still trying to familiarize myself with it. Currently going through the user manual and trying to customize my config. This helped getting started with my config file, starting from scratch. The eos themed config is so nice, I would probably not start from scratch but could be done in a VM. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/j1I63wGcvU4/maxresdefault.jpg "i3wm: Jump Start (1/3)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1I63wGcvU4) ---
**Author:** ![ricklinux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/ricklinux/32/110798_2.png) [@ricklinux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/ricklinux)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/12 "2022-09-10T02:58:45Z")
> [@anthony93](#): > > How do we avoid breaking our system? Welcome @anthony93 Don’t try to over configure things. Just use it. Learn about packages before you want to install something. The i3 set up on EndeavourOS is very good. I don’t know why some people want to mess with that. Just keep your system updated within a reasonable time frame. Follow the forum and peruse the wiki. Use the tools that are available on EndeavourOS to help you learn. Ask for help when needed. I came from Antergos, Manjaro, and Arch. Been here from the beginning. I only know that EndeavourOS just works. Edit: I use KDE btw! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/13 "2022-09-10T02:59:56Z")
@Zircon34 I will check out this video right after I finish going through the user manual. Thank you for posting. ---
**Author:** ![anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/anthony93/32/92169_2.png) [@anthony93](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anthony93)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/14 "2022-09-10T03:04:45Z")
> [@ricklinux](#): > > Don’t try to over configure things Hahaha. This advice is so relevant, at least in my case. I’m a tinkerer, but it helps to be reminded of the old adage - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. > [@ricklinux](#): > > The i3 set up on EndeavourOS is very good I agree. When I installed i3, I thought I had my work cut out for me, but that wasn’t the case at all. The endeavour os theme looked very nice and modern. > [@ricklinux](#): > > I only know that EndeavourOS just works. That is certainly nice to know! ---
**Author:** ![smokey](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/smokey/32/133678_2.png) [@smokey](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/smokey)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/15 "2022-09-10T03:09:40Z")
> [@anthony93](#): > > I’m a tinkerer, In this case then I would suggest running a VM as well to test out different things before applying them to your system. ---
**Author:** ![shuvashish76](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/shuvashish76/32/90945_2.png) [@shuvashish76](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/shuvashish76)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 3:57am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/16 "2022-09-10T03:57:14Z")
Welcome to :enos: Personally, I switched to EOS because - [https://manjarno.snorlax.sh](https://manjarno.snorlax.sh) - [https://github.com/arindas/manjarno](https://github.com/arindas/manjarno) - I didn’t know that Manjaro isn’t Arch based. Quote : [Alhough Manjaro is Arch-based and Arch compatible, **it is not Arch**](https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/Manjaro:A_Different_Kind_of_Beast). So technically it’s not Arch based. But still I think Manjaro is a great distro for new to linux users. From my ~10 days EOS experience I’d say these 2 things are very important. - After installing or removing kernels manually, always remember to update grub: `sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg` - Always keep your live USB so that if something goes wrong you can [chroot](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/chroot) to your system & fix it. _(The opinion varies on this but, personally I think for most users it’s better to use LTS-Kernel.)_ ---
**Author:** ![kjw](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/kjw/32/9327_2.png) [@kjw](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/kjw)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 4:59am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/17 "2022-09-10T04:59:01Z")
Welcome to the forum @anthony93 :enos: :enos_flag: 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![pycrk](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/pycrk/32/71109_2.png) [@pycrk](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/pycrk)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 7:46am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/18 "2022-09-10T07:46:07Z")
Hi @anthony93, Welcome to the purple universe :enos_flag: :enos: :penguin_face: :rocketa_purple: ---
**Author:** ![torius](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/torius/32/64174_2.png) [@torius](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/torius)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 11:25am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/19 "2022-09-10T11:25:46Z")
Hello @anthony93, Welcome to Endeavour and have fun 🖖 ---
**Author:** ![shuvashish76](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/shuvashish76/32/90945_2.png) [@shuvashish76](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/shuvashish76)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 10:28am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545/20 "2022-09-12T10:28:26Z")
> **[10 Destructive Linux Commands You Should Never Run - It's FOSS](https://itsfoss.com/dangerous-linux-commands/)** > > Here are some common dangerous Linux commands that trolls try to trick you into running and messing up your Linux system. [Next page](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/general-tips-advice-for-new-users/31545.md?page=2)