Manjaro is based on another Linux distribution called Arch, which is optimized for advanced users familiar with the Linux back-end. It focuses on ease of use for both beginners and advanced users, without eliminating all the good things that make Arch great.
In addition, Manjaro’s features allow you to automatically detect your system hardware and install the appropriate software as if it were a Windows-based machine. It is backed by a large repository of software developed specifically for this distribution, and by a community that will gladly help any user. It offers three “official” flavors: the XFCE edition is fast and light, the KDE heavier, more media-focused and visually appealing, and the GNOME with a highly customizable user interface.
Characteristics of Manjaro
Manjaro Linux offers multimedia support as standard, a robust hardware detection solution, support for multiple kernel versions, and a graphical installation process. The rolling release development model means that the user does not need to reinstall the system every release. Installation is done through a simple graphical installer called Thus (since version 15.09 Calamares has been used as an alternative installer) or through a semi-graphical terminal interface that allows greater customization.
The hardware is automatically detected and the required drivers are installed also automatically. The package management is handled by pacman but adds a graphical interface to search and install packages, Pamac in the case of editions based on Gtk and Octopi in those based on Qt. Both include an available update notifier and are AUR compliant.
There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions and it is binary compatible with Arch Linux. It can be configured as a stable system (semi rolling-release, by default) or as a bleeding edge system in line with Arch.
The repositories are managed with their own tool called Boxlt designed in the git style.
More recent analyzes conclude that Manjaro is one of the easiest Linux distributions for the end user, without giving up the advanced features of its father, Arch, and that its stability is comparable to that of the most popular distributions, although there are still some fringes to be resolved.
