Ubuntu vs Arch：孰优孰劣？
Arch Linux Ubuntu
Ubuntu 与 Arch Linux 为用户提供了完全不同的桌面体验。


在两者之间做出选择，实在让人左右为难，尤其是在既想体验 [Arch Linux 的亮点](https://itsfoss.com/why-arch-linux/) 又想保留 Ubuntu Linux 的优势的情况下。


两种发行版本身都是用户的绝佳选择。不过，如何从两者中选出最佳的一种呢？


在这篇文章中，我将从各方面介绍 Ubuntu 和 Arch Linux 的不同之处，希望可以帮助你解决这一选择难题。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152800txaq8qdjsmj1oxaj.jpg)


### 1、目标用户


Arch Linux 旨在为那些喜欢鼓捣、喜欢折腾的用户提供 **DIY** 体验，自定义 Linux 系统的各种元素。


比如，构建软件包，以及自定义桌面。


Arch Linux 的上手体验取决于 [安装设置它](https://itsfoss.com/install-arch-linux/) 的用户。所以，Arch Linux 可以轻易迎合寻找不同包以及桌面环境等元素的用户。


而另一方面，Ubuntu 的目标用户是那些想使用 **操作方便，预先配置好的** Linux 系统。


这类用户希望系统预装必要的工具，确保一切都会按照预期进行。换言之，他们想要的是一个理想的系统，无需担心设置问题。


Ubuntu 也不希望用户花费大把时间来提升自己的体验，所以它选择以满足绝大多数用户的需求为基准。


### 2、系统安装


不得不说，Ubuntu 提供了简洁直观的安装方式，因为它提供的图形用户界面大大方便了安装。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152804vbhrihhbt1tbzqg7.jpg)


如果有需要，你甚至可以 [在 Ubuntu 服务器上安装一个图形用户界面](https://itsfoss.com/install-gui-ubuntu-server/)。


但要安装 Arch Linux，你就不得不使用终端（命令行）。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152805r8riigjg5vl3hj88.png)


还好，[Arch Linux 现在有了引导式的安装程序](https://news.itsfoss.com/arch-new-guided-installer/)，这使得通过终端安装 Arch Linux 变得更加容易了。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152805w8mmmwm7nno8mka8.png)


当然，还是 Ubuntu 的安装更为方便一些。


### 3、桌面体验


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152806brm54py7566lmm4f.jpg)


Ubuntu 旨在 **方便用户**。为此，Ubuntu 项目的领导者 Canonical 公司提供了自定义的 GNOME 桌面环境体验。


尽管你可能无法像在 KDE Plasma 上那样自由地定制桌面，你依然可以有很多其他选择。感兴趣的话，可以点击了解 [KDE vs GNOME](/article-14320-1.html)。


Ubuntu 也会定期收集用户体验反馈信息，尽可能地帮助用户提高工作效率。


Arch Linux **更加注重功能** 以及其他技术方面，而不是用户的桌面体验。用户体验完全取决于用户在安装 Arch Linux 时是如何设置的。


使用 Arch Linux 时，你能依赖的只有桌面环境提供的开箱即用工具，没有为用户量身定制的改进。如果你想体验一些不一样的东西，你就必须对系统加以调整。


![Arch Linux with GNOME](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152807mkskk2w9wrv9v94z.png)


不过，好在 Arch Linux 允许用户选择 KDE Plasma、GNOME 或者 [其他桌面环境](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/)，所以你可以充分利用这一优势，根据自己的喜好来选择桌面环境。


不仅如此，在安装 Arch Linux 时，你还可以选择平铺式窗口管理器。


总体来说，如果使用 Ubuntu，你的桌面体验和其他用户的体验别无二致，因为 Ubuntu 可以自定义的元素极少。


相反，如果使用 Arch Linux，你就可以 **自由定义桌面体验**。但请注意，这可能只适合 Linux 老手，如果你刚开始使用 Linux，恐怕做起来比较困难。


### 4、文件系统


大多数用户不需要关心他们的 Linux 发行版所使用的文件系统。


因此，Ubuntu 坚持使用 **ext4** 作为文件系统。ext4 具有现代计算机所需的全部基本功能，是一种非常优秀的最常见的文件系统。


然而，如果你不想使用 **ext4**，而想选择具备其他各种优势的文件系统，那么你可以考虑 Arch Linux。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152807wcn6gjj8ojtoogtj.png)


你可以选择 btrfs、ext4、xfs 或者 f2fs。针对这些文件系统的优势，本文不再详述，但是如果你选择 **ext4** 之外的文件系统，请确保你知道自己在做什么。


### 5、软件生态


Ubuntu 支持的软件更多，这就是为什么 [大多数主流 Linux 发行版](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-distributions/) 都是基于 Ubuntu 的。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152808nx4n77nlx75gynun.png)


相应地，许多工具在开发时也是首先支持 Ubuntu，而后才是其他发行版本。


此外，在 Ubuntu 上安装软件包也非常容易。你可以通过 Ubuntu 官方仓库安装软件包，也可以使用 PPA，或者是软件中心（包括 Snap 应用）。


也可以使用 [Flatpak](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-flatpak/) 来安装软件。如果你的 Ubuntu 没有 Flatpak，你可以 [前往 Flathub 安装它](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/)。


如果你使用的是 Arch Linux，那么你也可以通过官方仓库安装许多软件。


可惜的是，相较于 Ubuntu，一些应用开发者可能不会正式支持 Arch Linux。


此外，你会发现，Arch Linux [安装和管理软件包都需要使用 pacman](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-command/)。使用哪个图形界面的安装程序进行软件的安装和管理，取决于你所选择安装的桌面环境。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152809l294q9i2rlwrzl2d.png)


举个例子，如果你安装的是 GNOME 桌面，你可以使用 GNOME 的 “软件” 应用；如果是 KDE Plasma 桌面，可以使用 “发现” 应用。


这些软件包管理器都不会内置 Snap 或 Flatpak 支持，所以你只能根据需要自行安装。


为了获取更多的软件，你可以使用 [AUR](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/)。请注意，AUR 是社区构建的软件仓库，所以官方建议你不要完全依赖它。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152811w9hkx48s8sarjfir.png)


即便如此，AUR 也经常被看做是 Arch Linux 的优势之一，毕竟社区提供的软件包比 Ubuntu 提供的更为丰富。


你可以通过使用一些 [AUR 辅助工具](https://itsfoss.com/best-aur-helpers/) 来提升体验质量。


总体来说，如果你想仅靠一个工具就能轻松安装并且管理软件，那么 Ubuntu 当属不二之选。


### 6、极简 vs 臃肿


极简还是臃肿，这完全取决于个人的偏好，因为在配置 Arch Linux 时，一切尽在你的掌握之中。所以你可以在满足需要的情况下，只安装最少数量的包。


相比之下，Ubuntu 预装了许多软件。在一些人看来，这些软件都很实用。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152813ftnvmidavln1s1ut.png)


当然，如果你不需要，也可以卸载。


不过，还有一些人认为，这些软件没什么必要，只会显得 Ubuntu 十分臃肿。


因此，你需要好好考虑一下，看自己究竟是想要预装的必备软件呢（Ubuntu）？还是拒绝臃肿，只取所需呢（Arch Linux）？


### 7、自由 vs 限制


![Arch Linux ](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152814o5662favv922to63.png)


就像前文所提到的，Arch Linux 允许你控制系统的一切，它赋予用户极大的自由度，让用户可以尽情定制体验。


这不仅仅局限于桌面环境或是平铺式窗口管理器，而是更多。


例如，你还可以选择自己喜欢的音频服务器，比如 PulseAudio 或者 pipewire。


你也可以选择特定的 Linux 内核，比如提供了安全性更高的加固版本、能够提升用户体验的 Zen 内核或者某个长期支持版本的 Linux 内核。


不同于 Arch Linux，Ubuntu 一直坚持使用经过全面测试的 Linux 内核，而且默认使用 PulseAudio 作为音频服务器（笔者写这篇文章时情况如此）。


但说到底，哪个能满足你的需求，哪个才是最好的。


### 8、社区支持


Ubuntu 拥有坚实的用户基础，可以提供广泛的社区支持。与其相关的论坛和门户网站有很多，可以指导 Ubuntu 用户，帮助解决遇到的难题。


![itsfoss community](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152814bfus7fkpfefy7cfc.jpg)


你也可以在论坛（包括 [It’s FOSS 社区](https://itsfoss.community/)）发布问题，寻求帮助。


Arch Linux 用户比较少，所以不提供类似的社区支持。不过，Arch Linux 的维基提供了几乎涉及各个方面的高质量技术文档，算是弥补了这一不足。


![arch wiki](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152815q7c74z4ddt87ncmd.png)


如果你想探索，[Arch Linux 维基](https://wiki.archlinux.org/) 有着最丰富的技术文档。


### 9、发布周期


Ubuntu 提供 [长期支持版本](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/)，在五年或更长时间（针对企业）提供小的更新维护。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152816bn02w9pp88w8kpx3.png)


Ubuntu 还提供了非长期支持版本，可以得到九个月的更新维护，而每半年发布一个新版本。非长期支持版本适合那些想体验最新软件包与功能的用户，每次升级都可能伴随着重大更新。


长期支持版本更适合于那些不希望每次更新都有破坏性变化的用户。


更多信息可以参考我们的文章：[Ubuntu 发行周期与生命周期结束](https://itsfoss.com/end-of-life-ubuntu/)


Arch Linux 属于 [滚动发行版](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/)，所以不用担心发布周期的问题。只要有更新，无论大小，都会发送给用户。


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152816arnaaywpsrrszgyg.png)


这可以确保你一直在使用最新和最强的软件包。这有时是件好事，但当它破坏一些东西时，对一些用户来说可能会很不方便。


### 10、硬件兼容性


![](/data/attachment/album/202204/18/152817owwdgs1o8nid8t5m.png)


Ubuntu 是一款面向台式电脑的主流发行版，所以在发布之前，它需要测试与各种硬件的兼容性。


我可以打包票，**Ubuntu 开箱即用的硬件兼容性非常优秀**。


Arch Linux 不像 Ubuntu 那样进行过大量的测试，所以它不一定能在你的硬件上正常运行。


不过，正因为 Arch Linux 有着最新最强的 Linux 内核包，所以有时它的表现要优于 Ubuntu。


如果你不太清楚自己硬件的兼容性，你最好请教一下周围的人，确保你在安装 Arch Linux 时不会出现别人已经遇到过的问题。


因此，选择 Ubuntu，你就可以高枕无忧了，除非你使用的是非常尖端的设备。


### 11、稳定性


如果你不想让你的系统崩溃，或是不想遇到错误，**Ubuntu 应该是更好的选择**.


Arch Linux 的话，情况就不好说了。它可以工作得很好，也可以因为一次更新而倒下。


Arch Linux 本身并不算稳定，你需要自行维护它，确保在自定义以及更新过程中不会出现任何问题。


### 再三考虑: 你该选哪个？


考虑到稳定性、兼容性、软件生态以及上手速度等因素，对于那些只想顺利完成工作而不想麻烦折腾的人来说，Ubuntu 是一个完美的选择。


而对那些想要定制桌面体验而适应自己工作内容，以及寻求最新功能和最强性能的用户来说，Arch Linux 最合适不过了。


如果你想探索未知，Arch Linux 可以给你带来非常奇妙的体验。但对于一些人来说，Arch Linux 使用起来可能比 Ubuntu 要困难许多。


那么，考虑到以上所有因素，**你觉得自己会选哪个？** 期待你能在下方评论区留言。


### 常见问题解答：如果你还没决定到底用哪一个


可能有些人还会有一些问题，可以参考一下内容：


**Arch 比 Ubuntu 更好吗？**


对，也不对。就技术层面来讲，Arch Linux 确实更好，但是你也需要考虑它的稳定性、软件生态以及维护它所需要的学习时间。也就是说，在得出答案之前，你需要根据自己的喜好，再三考虑一番。


**哪个更快？Ubuntu 还是 Arch？**


Arch Linux 更快，因为它安装的东西很少。不过，根据你的配置不同，情况可能也会有所不同。


注意，Ubuntu 与 Arch Linux 相比，速度并不会差很多。只不过因为它开箱即用的包会更多，所以有些人会认为 Ubuntu 比较臃肿。


**我是不是应该从 Ubuntu 转到 Arch 呢？**


如果你想优化体验，想要一直获取最新最优秀的软件包，同时又不会担心稳定性，Arch Linux 会比较适合你。


如果你只是为了完成工作，需要的是一些基础功能，Ubuntu 就够用了。




---


via: <https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-vs-arch/>


作者：[Ankush Das](https://itsfoss.com/author/ankush/) 选题：[lujun9972](https://github.com/lujun9972) 译者：[aREversez](https://github.com/aREversez) 校对：[wxy](https://github.com/wxy)


本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出


OK
Ubuntu and Arch Linux offer entirely different desktop experiences.

It is often tough to choose one of them as your daily driver, especially when you cannot ignore the [benefits of Arch Linux](https://itsfoss.com/why-arch-linux/) and Ubuntu.

They are both incredible choices for what they are. But, how do you choose what is best between these two?

Here, I highlight various differences between Ubuntu and Arch Linux that can help you decide.

![ubuntu vs arch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/ubuntu-vs-arch.jpg)

## 1. Targeted Users

Arch Linux aims to provide a **Do-It-Yourself (DIY)** experience to tinkerers looking to customize various elements of their Linux system.

Things like building packages to customizing the desktop, everything counts.

The out-of-the-box experience depends on the user who [installs and sets up Arch Linux](https://itsfoss.com/install-arch-linux/). Hence, it can easily cater to users looking for different packages, desktop environments, and more.

On the other hand, Ubuntu targets users who want a **hassle-free pre-configured setup** for their Linux system.

These users want essential tools installed, ensuring it all works as it is supposed to. In other words, the user gets an ideal desktop experience without worrying about setting it up.

Ubuntu does not want users to put more effort into improving their experience. Instead, they present it as they think would suit most users.

## 2. Installation

Undoubtedly, Ubuntu provides a more straightforward installation method, given that you get a GUI to help install it to your desktop.

![try ubuntu install ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/try-ubuntu-install-ubuntu-800x530.jpeg)

You can even [install a GUI on the Ubuntu server](https://itsfoss.com/install-gui-ubuntu-server/) if you want.

With Arch Linux, you will have to rely on the terminal (or the command-line) to complete the installation.

![arch linux boot menu install](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-linux-boot-menu-install.png)

Fortunately, [Arch Linux now has a guided installer](https://news.itsfoss.com/arch-new-guided-installer/), which makes it easier to follow through installing Arch Linux via the terminal.

![arch install terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-install-terminal.png)

Still, Ubuntu takes the lead with the convenience.

## 3. Desktop Experience

![ubuntu 20 04 ux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/ubuntu-20-04-ux.jpg)

Ubuntu is tailored to **provide convenience** to its users. To achieve that, Canonical provides a customized GNOME desktop environment experience to make things easy.

While you may not get the same level of customization that KDE Plasma provides, you still have plenty of options, to begin with. If you are curious, you may check out our [KDE vs GNOME comparison](https://itsfoss.com/kde-vs-gnome/) for more details.

Ubuntu also takes regular user experience feedback from its users and tries its best to offer the best workflow/productivity.

Arch Linux focuses** more on functionality**, and other technical aspects, over the desktop user experience. The end-user experience entirely depends on how you set things up when installing Arch Linux on your system.

You will have to rely on what the desktop environment offers out-of-the-box; there are no custom-made improvements for you. If you want something different, you will have to tweak things to make it happen.

![arch linux gnome](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-linux-gnome.png)

However, the ability to opt for KDE Plasma, GNOME, or any [other desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/) can give you some advantages as per your preferences.

Not only that, but you can also choose window tiling managers when installing Arch Linux.

Overall, with Ubuntu, you get a particular type of desktop experience offered to every user, with little to no ability to customize it.

But, Arch Linux gives you the **freedom to define how you want the desktop experience**. Note that this might be a good thing for experienced Linux users. But, if you are new to Linux, this can be overwhelming.

## 4. File System

Most users do not need to worry about the file system used by their Linux distribution.

Hence, Ubuntu sticks with **ext4** for its file system, a robust file system with all the essentials needed for a modern computing experience.

However, if you want to choose a different file system for various benefits over the most-commonly used **ext4**, Arch Linux can come in handy.

![arch linux filesystem](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-linux-filesystem.png)

You can choose between btrfs, ext4, xfs, and f2fs. The benefits of these file systems are beyond the scope of this article, but make sure that you know what you are doing if selecting anything else over **ext4**.

## 5. App Ecosystem

Ubuntu offers support for a wide range of applications. Undoubtedly, this is why [most of the popular Linux distributions](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-distributions/) are based on Ubuntu.

![ubuntu software center](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/ubuntu-software-center.png)

And, keeping its popularity in mind, various tools primarily support Ubuntu among other Linux distributions.

Not just the choices of apps/packages, but it is also effortless to install packages available for Ubuntu. You can install packages through its official repositories, use PPAs, or its software center (with Snap integration).

While it does not have [Flatpak](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-flatpak/) built-in, you can [set it up to install apps from Flathub](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/).

Arch Linux also gets you access to countless applications through its official repositories.

However, some app developers may not officially support Arch Linux compared to Ubuntu.

Additionally, you will notice that you need to utilize [pacman to install/manage packages](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-command/). The GUI to install/manage applications will depend on the desktop environment you select to install.

![arch install terminal software](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-install-terminal-software.png)

For instance, you can access GNOME’s software center if you install GNOME. And, Discover for KDE Plasma.

You will have no Snap or Flatpak integration built-in, so you must set it up as required.

To get access to more packages, you can use [AUR](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/). Note that it features community-builds for packages and may not be officially recommended for everything.

![Install Skype AUR package](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/sky-aur-install-800x560.png)

Despite that, it is often considered a strong point for Arch Linux because the number of packages offered overall could be more extensive than what Ubuntu features.

You can use some [AUR helpers](https://itsfoss.com/best-aur-helpers/) to improve the experience.

Overall, if you want a single portal to easily manage/install software, Ubuntu

## 6. Minimal vs Bloat Experience

This is purely based on preferences. Just because Arch Linux lets you control everything when you set it up, you can choose to install a minimum number of packages.

In contrast, Ubuntu comes pre-installed with several utilities. For some, Ubuntu can come in handy for the presence of valuable tools.

![ubuntu utilities](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/ubuntu-utilities-800x520.png)

Of course, you can uninstall packages that you do not need.

However, some users might find it unnecessary (or bloat).

So, you will need to decide if you want the necessary tools pre-installed (Ubuntu) or prefer a distro that lets you install only the tools you need (Arch) without any bloat.

## 7. Freedom to Choose vs Restrictions

![arch linux neofetch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-linux-neofetch.png)

As I mentioned, Arch Linux lets you control everything; it gives you plenty of freedom to customize your experience.

Not just limited to the desktop environment or tiling window managers, but more.

For instance, you can select the preferred audio server between PulseAudio and pipewire.

You can also choose a specific Linux Kernel, like a hardened version for additional security, a zen variant for an enhanced experience, or the LTS version of the Linux Kernel.

In contrast, Ubuntu sticks to the Linux Kernel, which has been thoroughly tested and uses PulseAudio as audio server by default (at the time of writing this).

Ultimately, what you want will influence what’s best for you.

## 8. Community Support

Ubuntu, with its vast user base offers massive community support. There are numerous forums/portals to guide Ubuntu users and help troubleshoot issues.

![itsfoss community](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/itsfoss-community.jpg)

You can also ask around the forums (including our [It’s FOSS community](https://itsfoss.community/)), to get quick help.

Arch Linux does not offer that kind of community support, given its userbase. However, the Arch Linux wiki provides excellent documentation on almost everything to compensate for that.

![arch wiki](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-wiki.png)

[Arch Linux wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/) is probably one of the most extensive documentation if you want to explore yourself.

## 9. Release Schedule

Ubuntu offers a [Long-Term Support version](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) that receives minor updates for five years or more (for enterprises).

![ubuntu info](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/ubuntu-info.png)

It also provides non-LTS versions that receive updates for about nine months while having a new release available every six months. The non-LTS version suits users who want the latest updates/packages, with potentially significant changes with every upgrade.

The LTS version is better suited for users who do not want experience-breaking changes with every update.

For more information, you can explore our resource on [Ubuntu’s release cycles and end of life](https://itsfoss.com/end-of-life-ubuntu/).

Arch Linux does not bother with any of these; instead, it relies on a [rolling-release schedule](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/). You receive updates as they come, whether it’s minor/major.

![arch info](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/arch-info.png)

This ensures that you are using the latest and greatest packages all the time. This can sometimes be a good thing, but it can be inconvenient for some users when it breaks something.

## 10. Hardware Compatibility

![hardware compatibility illustration](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/03/hardware-compatibility-illustration.png)

Ubuntu is a popular distribution aimed at desktops. So, it is tested for compatibility with a range of hardware before releasing a version.

So, it is safe to say that **Ubuntu offers good hardware compatibility out of the box**.

In the case of Arch Linux, it does not get tested as extensively as Ubuntu. So, it may/may not work with the hardware you have.

However, just because it features the latest and greatest Linux Kernel packages, it could prove to work better than Ubuntu in some cases.

If you are confused about the compatibility of your hardware, I would suggest asking around to make sure that there are no known issues with the system you want to run Arch Linux.

With Ubuntu, everything works unless you have bleeding-edge tech.

## 11. Stability

If you do not need your distro to fail or encounter an error, **Ubuntu should be a better choice**.

In the case of Arch Linux, the answer is not straightforward, and it can work well or go down with an update.

Arch Linux is not inherently stable, and you need to maintain it yourself to ensure that nothing breaks with customization and updates.

## Final Thoughts: What Should You Pick?

Keeping stability, compatibility, app ecosystem, and the learning curve in mind, Ubuntu is perfectly suitable for anyone who wants to get things done on their computer instead of tweaking the experience.

Arch Linux comes on top for users looking to customize their desktop experience to suit their workflow and choose to have some of the latest and greatest stuff.

Arch Linux can be an exciting experience if you are looking for an adventure, but overwhelming for some compared to Ubuntu.

So, considering all that, **what do you think you will choose?** Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

## Frequently Asked Questions: If You Still Haven’t Picked One

Some of you still might have questions to come up with a conclusion, here’s an FAQ to address that: