About Manjaro

'Manjaro Linux targets beginners and advanced users at the same time. We provide user interface tools and scripts to make life easier. Manjaro supports NVIDIA's Optimus technology out of the box...' Philip Müller - Manjaro Developer

Overview

Manjaro is a user-friendly Linux distribution based on the independently developed Arch operating system. Within the Linux community, Arch itself is renowned for being an exceptionally fast, powerful, and lightweight distribution that provides access to the very latest cutting edge - and bleeding edge - software. However, Arch is also aimed at more experienced or technically-minded users. As such, it is generally considered to be beyond the reach of those who lack the technical expertise (or persistence) required to use it.

Developed in Austria, France, and Germany, Manjaro provides all the benefits of the Arch operating system combined with a focus on user-friendliness and accessibility. Available in both 32 and 64 bit versions, Manjaro is suitable for newcomers as well as experienced Linux users. For newcomers, a user-friendly installer is provided, and the system itself is designed to work fully 'straight out of the box' with features including:

• a pre-installed desktop environment
• pre-installed graphical applications to easily install software and update your system
• pre-installed codecs to play multimedia files, and
• a suite of pre-installed popular applications such as Skype, Firefox, and Libre Office.

For more experienced - and adventurous - users Manjaro also offers the configurability and versatility to be shaped and moulded in every respect to suit personal taste and preference. Furthermore, a minimalist NET-Edition is also available in both 32 and 64 bit versions. Stripped of any pre-installed software, this provides a base installation on which to build your own system; starting from a command line, be completely free to chose your own greeters, desktops, hardware drivers, software applications, and so on!

Features

Manjaro shares many of the same features as Arch, including:

• Speed, power, and efficiency
• Access to the very latest cutting and bleeding edge software
• A 'rolling release' development model that provides the most up-to-date system possible without the need to install new versions, and
• Access to the Arch User Repository (AUR).

However, Manjaro boasts a few extra features of its own, including:

• A simplifed, user-friendly installation process
• Automatic detection of your computer's hardware (e.g. graphics cards)
• Automatic installation of the necessary software (e.g. graphics drivers) for your system
• Its own dedicated software repositories to ensure delivery of fully tested and stable software packages, and
• Support for the easy installation and use of multiple kernels.

File:Xfce.png

Latest Stable Release

The latest stable Manjaro release is 0.8.2, released on the 10th November 2012. Both 32 and 64 bit versions of Manjaro 0.8.2 are available in the following flavours:

• XFCE 4.10
• KDE 4.9.2
• Gnome 3.4.2 / Cinnamon 1.6.4
• LXDE 0.5
• NET-Edition

Openbox, IceWM, Fluxbox, and Razor-QT are also available for installation from the Official Manjaro repositories.

Latest Testbuild

The latest testbuild of Manjaro is 0.8.3pre2, released on the 6th December 2012. One of the more immediately noticeable differences of this release is that the installation files for both the 32 and 64-bit versions of the XFCE flavour have been reduced quite substantially in size to under 700MB. Both 32 and 64 bit versions of Manjaro 0.8.3pre1b are available in the following flavours:

• XFCE 4.10
• NET-Edition

Of course, upon installation, it is possible to install a wide selection of alternative desktop environments from the Official Manjaro repositories. Other notable changes from Manjaro 0.8.2 are as follows:

• Manjaro exclusive: new Greenbird theme has been introduced
• Manjaro exclusive: patches and fixes have been developed for the latest software packages (e.g. Xorg-Server 1.13.0-4.1)
• New user-friendly LibreOffice installer has been introduced
• All software package lists have been optimised
• The CLI installer has been further improved with enhanced EFI support and the introduction of the new RSync option as an alternative to the Unsquash installation method
• The second-stage testing repositories have been enabled by default
• Pulse Audio – and its related unmute bug – has been removed and replaced with ALSA
• The keyboard layout bug has been fixed
• The Catalyst-Legacy video driver is no longer available

Recommended System Requirements

Recommended rather than minimum system requirements have been provided in order to ensure that you get the most out of your Manjaro system. Although many distributions will list the bare minimum specifications necessary to run, it wouldn't be a particularly fun or useful experience to actually use them! As such, it is recommended to have at least:

• One gigabyte (GB) of memory
• Thirty gigabytes (GB) of hard disk space
• A one gigahertz (Ghz) processor
• A high definition (HD) graphics card and monitor
• A broadband internet connection

Reviews

0.8.0

• "Manjaro Linux! "ARCH... The way it SHOULD BE!"" - by LinuxSpatry (Youtube Video)
• "Manjaro Linux 0.8.0 - The Noobie's Arch System" - by PuppyLinuxWorld (Youtube Video)

0.8.1

• "Manjaro Linux 0.8.1 - The Full Video.." - by PuppyLinuxWorld (Youtube Video)
• "Manjaro Linux 0.8.1 Review - Arch made easy" - by QuidsUp (Youtube Video)
• "Manjaro Linux 0.8.1 XFCE Review: Fast, complete and looks awesome!" - by arindam sen (MyLinuxExplore Blogspot article)

0.8.2

• "Manjaro 0.8.2...Arch Made For Non Geeks!!" - by SneekyLinux (Youtube Video)
• "Manjaro Linux 0.8.2 - Arch Linux for ALL Go Get It NOW!" - by PuppyLinuxWorld (Youtube Video)

Further Information

• The Manjaro page at Distrowatch.com

The Manjaro Development Team

Core Team

Roland Singer - Project Leader, Designer, Developer, Web Developer, Packager

Guillaume Benoit - Server Manager, Packager, Moderation

Philip Müller - Mirrors Manager, Packager, Developer, Web Developer

Website and Artwork Team

Tillman Ebert - Web Developer, Web Consultant, Designer

Wlad Meixner - Web Developer, Web Consultant

Forum, Community and Support

Allesandro Calo - Community, Forum, Website

Carl Duff - Community, Wiki, Documentation

See Also

• Manjaro FAQ