It’s time to start from scratch on my desktop, things are getting wonky and I need a clean slate
Is there any reason to wait for the next release? It states on the main news page that the Dec. one is a refresh release… are there any big changes in a non-‘refresh’ release that would be worth waiting for?
I know this is a rolling distro and packages are always bleeding edge etc. I’m thinking more like… is it possible that the next release comes with a larger shift in the distro that would be more condusive to a fresh install? While wholely out of the question, something like retiring X11 from shipping with new installs is the scope of things I’m curious about
I am personally never opposed to a nuke/pave/fresh whenever the psyche or circumstance warrant it, version be dam***.
That said popcorn out for any developer responses since this is a great question re: start fresh with the newest and any philosophy behind that.
Before reinstalling, you may want to identify what you do to cause the wonkiness. I run Arch installs for years without signs of wonkiness. Maybe it’s Arch-based systems that get wonky?
Sometimes a spin may shift and you might not get a few new packages w/o manual action or configuration may vary, but otherwise with rolling release models, there’s no reason to wait.
And (speaking from personal experience), the more trash you make (by installing stuff), the more wonky/unstable things are likely to be. This is almost as true in Linux as it is in Windows.
The big thing is to make sure to backup before starting. Maybe have your package list ready to reinstall the packages you use that are not installed by default.
be careful of backing of ~/.config files sometimes the wonkiness can come from them.
Oh the wonk is all on me, this install instance has been transferred between 3 drives and 2 platforms over 3 or 4 years, with all kinds of experimentation and tons of software install-uninstalls. It has nothing to do with endeavour or arch lol it’s the 120 pound gorrilla on the other side of the keyboard
Yeah I’m not transferring them wholesale to the fresh install, just the ones that I know I want (bashrc, nanorc, aliases etc.)
Thanks for this handy guide. I’ve been doing most of these already. But just curious, what’s the difference between yay -Syyu and yay -Syu? I’ve done some digging and couldn’t find the answer. Thanks.
Linux, like any software, is just a tool. Use it however best suits your needs.
Some people use Linux to run the applications they need and don’t really fiddle with the system as long as the apps work the way they should. Other people tinker and play with the system. Each to their own.
