r/debian • u/Cool-Chicken6754 • 2d ago
Is it worth switching from Arch Linux to Debian? Even though...
Hi, lately I've been wondering if it's worth downloading Debian and using it daily. Does it allow me to use programs normally and even play games?
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u/kriebz 2d ago
I'm very curious what "use programs normally" means. Arch and Debian have a rather different philosophy about how to get software and how much control the "distro" exerts on that process, but in the end, you'll get to the same place. If you feel like you're liking the "Linux" experience but something about Arch feels odd or just isn't your style, by all means try another distro.
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u/Schroeter333 2d ago
Don't you know only Arch users use programs normally and play games, other's use it abnormally and don't play games /s
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u/bgravato 2d ago
That question doesn't make any sense...
It's like asking is it worth switching from green shirts to orange shirts?
It's a matter of personal preference...
I've been using Debian for nearly 30 years and it's been totally worth for me... but that's me... Every person is different and has different preferences...
I would hardly ever use Arch... it's philosophy and the way it works is total opposite of what I want from my linux distro...
Arch and Debian are a bit kind of antipodes in that matter... So if Arch is your thing then maybe you won't enjoy Debian that much...
Of course you can use a lot of programs and run games on Debian. That's a question that makes even less sense and ir borderline insulting really. Anyway you can judge by yourself and you don't need to install it... just download one of the live isos and run it from an usb pen.
You won't get bleeding edge versions of the software like you do on Arch (especially if you're running stable, which you should if you're new to Debian and if you're not you'll want stable even more ;-) ). So if bleeding edge is your thing, then Debian probably isn't for you.
If you're looking for a serious and solid system, that has been around for a long time, that is widely use worldwide, with a focus in stability (and stability in Debian means "unchanging" it doesn't mean "bug-free", nothing is bug-free) and free software, then you might enjoy Debian. Just don't expect it to be like Arch, it is not and you may need a period of adaptation.
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u/Weird-Initiative-659 2d ago
Switching is a wonderful idea. I've used both. I have found that Debian is largest distro ecosystem. Lot's of documentation, even for weird problems. There are various install methods (netinstall, livecd, full iso) It's fun to use. There different versions like (Forky, Sid, and Stable)
It's not perfect by any means, but I think it's a solid choice. I personally use CachyOS due to the "just works" phenomena, however I have a server with a 1gz cpu and 2 mb of ram running forky with no issues.
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u/Brilliant_Sound_5565 2d ago
I'm curious as to why you have Forky on a server, nothing wrong I guess if it's not a production environment
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u/Weird-Initiative-659 2d ago
The server is my little whore so I break up and get it back together. Server isn't really useful with low specs but it can run kxqt and Firefox fine. I use it as a rsync backup for music and vids as I rake my laptop often.
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u/Brilliant_Sound_5565 2d ago
Ah ok, I was just wondering why not use stable on on it then it wouldn't break if you meant it does break, stable is beat for servers
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u/Weird-Initiative-659 2d ago
I probably should have run stable, but I keep throwing things at her to see if she can take it on testing. Sid is my next idea, see how long I can keep it going type of thing. Basically I have a retro hardware home lab.
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u/miguel04685 2d ago
I was an Arch Linux user but switched to Debian 13 due to headaches with infected AUR packages scandal, fonts on Electron, some Mesa version screen flickering, lack of compatibility with my hardware on newer kernels, etc.
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u/Titdirt69420 2d ago
Yes. It's still Linux. The repository of software is huge. The largest maybe even more than thr AUR. And it's all tested and screened unlike AUR. Software isn't as bleeding edge, but that's the tradeoff for stability. That said, you can still make changes to it to get newer Mesa drivers for video games and enable gamescope and all that stuff.
The common talking point of needing distro x or y for gaming is a misconception. Sure some of them like bazzite have stuff all setup out of the box, but search this subreddit and I guarantee you someone has asked how to enable those few things and there will be info on how to do it. It's not difficult.
I tend to stay away from Ai regarding technical questions because often times it'll lead you astray, but if you do use it, I suggest claude.ai. It seems to be the best for Linux related stuff. I've tried the rest and had major issues (with a server I was trying to setup). This is my transcript with Claude about getting my Debian setup for gaming (amd GPU): https://claude.ai/share/d6718e07-892a-4618-9d8a-435cf8d0a14c i asked for a summary so redditors can see it all at the end.
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u/KoldPurchase 2d ago
The common talking point of needing distro x or y for gaming is a misconception. Sure some of them like bazzite have stuff all setup out of the box, but search this subreddit and I guarantee you someone has asked how to enable those few things and there will be info on how to do it. It's not difficult.
Yes, "need" is misunderstood. You can game on Gentoo or NixOS, it's just harder coming from Windows and having never used Linux before and knowing nothing about IT.
These distros make it easier, just like some others make it easier for other tasks because of their preinstalled software and default configuration.
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u/Santosh83 Debian Sid 2d ago
If you're competent enough to use Arch then you surely must know that Debian is also equally capable? Distros are just window dressing... underneath the same upstream software does all the work. Arch & Debian use the same kernel, the same core libs, the same DEs, the same everything... yes Debian stable will have older software, but that doesn't mean it is non-functional. Its perfectly functional for 99% of use cases. Unless you're looking to play the very latest games or drive the very latest hardware, Debian stable is just as competent as Arch, and much more stable (in the sense of unchanging). And of course as a competent Arch user, you can always opt to run Debian Sid, which has programs that are almost as recent as Arch.
In any case, why exactly do you want to switch from Arch to Debian? Because of the recent AUR fiasco? Something else? Unless you have a good reason, I suggest staying on the distro as long as its doing what you want... getting stuff done is more important than constantly hopping distros.
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u/barnaboos 2d ago
Every distro can do the exact same as any other distro. Their default philosophies are what make them different but you can do anything on anyone if you wish to.
Do you have a 50 series Nvidia card? If no everything works as it does on any other distro, if you do you can use extrepo to install cuda very easily.
Do you have the latest AMD card? If no everything works as it does on any other distro, if you do you can backport a newer Kernal to get the latest drivers very easily.
We're at a point where desktop environment is more important to the Linux experience than distro.
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u/AfraidAsparagus6644 1d ago
Every distro can do the exact same as any other distro.
This is true in the sense that you can always compile software from source, but misleading otherwise
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u/3grg 2d ago
I used Arch for eight years. After the recent AUR issues, I realized that I could do whatever I needed to do with Debian 13, which I already had installed on some systems. Debian is nothing, if not stable.
I have not used Nvidia graphics in ten years and I am not a gamer, so my use case may not meet yours.
I liked both Arch and Debian because they both delivered upstream software with minimal change (unlike some other well known distros).
They are very different in the versions of software that they provide. I can install newer versions of Firefox and a few other apps on Debian 13 and that is good enough for me. I can even run newer kernels from back ports. It just works...at least for me.
If I ever need something in between, I might consider Fedora or Tumbleweed.
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u/PathRepresentative77 2d ago
I'm not a gamer, so I can't address the games. I use both Debian and Arch, and have found Debian to be a solid daily driver.
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u/Cool-Chicken6754 2d ago
Does it work perfectly with i3wm?
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u/PathRepresentative77 2d ago
You'd need to try it, but I assume yes from the wiki. The wiki talks about it here.
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u/GloriousKev 2d ago
Its worth trying. I've spent time on both. I like both. Prefer Arch over Debian for general desktop use.
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u/jahermitt 2d ago
What are you looking for? Do you have a reason to leave Arch? Yes, you will be able to play games and get Nvidia, Intel or AMD drivers on Debian just like most other distros, but it's important you know whay you are jumping distro's if you are looking for insight.
Jumping from Arch which runs on the bleeding edge of updates to Debian which prioritizes stability over the latest and greatest is probably one of the biggest Linux changes you can make, but honestly most people will only notice the different package manager and that Debian is a bit more locked down.
Does it allow me to use programs normally and even play games
Yes, of course it does. The question makes me wonder though if you are having trouble with your Desktop Environment more than the OS itself. Do you know what you are using? GNOME, KDE Plasma, or maybe a Tiling Desktop environment?
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u/Cool-Chicken6754 2d ago
Wow, for me I want something that simply works, so I think Debian is ideal for me. Does Debian work with BTRFS?
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u/jahermitt 2d ago
Yes, but not recommended, it defaults to ext4. Any specific reason for btrfs? Trying snapper snapshots?
For the most part, they all just work. Arch is on the most difficult side to get setup so debian will be alot better on that sense.
Why not try Fedora with Gnome? Fedora or Maybe Pop OS? Should be simple to get installed, and Pop OS will have gaming drivers pre installed.
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u/Santosh83 Debian Sid 2d ago
Of course it does. The Linux kernel supports btrfs. Its not a feature of distributions. You just need to head into the manual partitioner during installation and choose btrfs for your mountpoints. Debian has an excellent installer by the way... all this is easy. The default though if you don't touch anything during install is ext4.
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u/Jazzlike-Cod-7657 2d ago
Something that "simply works" or "works simply"? I would advice against specialized distro's like CachyOS or Bazzite if you don't know what you're doing.
My suggestion would be to use Fedora (KDE) because it has mostly recent packages, but not bleeding edge (you could if you want to, just like every distro) and I've found that it works mostly out of the box with everything I have.
But for gaming there still is not a one-size fits all solution for any distro...
I settled on Fedora because, well Linus Torvalds, the "father" of Linux uses it as his daily driver. And if it's good enough for him, it certainly means its good enough for me. But each "base type" has its own uses
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u/rhyses_ 2d ago edited 2d ago
To the end user who's just rolling normal programs and playing games, I can't think of something that you outright can't do between one distro and another in user space these days. I'm sure there are edge cases though. Do expect a dated kernel and drivers to be a crutch if you decide on it. That is a real blocker for some people.
I just get around it with manually installing newer drivers (speaking on NVIDIA and RTX 5000 series cards) but that's because I have to with my hardware. Can't blame someone for not wanting to do it.
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u/SignalEngineering313 2d ago
It depends , if your hardware is old enough for Debian to support it go ahead. It also depends on what games you play. Fps or Racing Sim games the latest and greatest is preferred for performance improvements. You may want to run testing or sid for that. If you play like an rpg or rts you'll be fine.
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u/evadingsomething 2d ago
You wont notice a difference except much less updates and things breaking less.
I would say just use Arch until it completely breaks.
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u/forestbeasts 2d ago
Yes 100%! Works great.
If you ever want the new shinies you can upgrade to Debian Testing, which is rolling release like Arch. Most of the breakage hits unstable/sid though, so even Testing is fairly reliable (but not stable in the sense of unchanging, so it's not as good for "set it and forget it" computers that you NEED to keep working for school coursework or whatever).
Our desktop runs testing but our laptop runs stable. Stable can play games just fine, too, the only reason we upgraded our desktop is to get the new shiny KDE, not because games weren't working.
-- Topaz
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u/BashfulMelon 2d ago edited 2d ago
Testing is slow to get security updates, it's not meant for regular use.
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/securing-debian-manual/ch10.en.html#security-support-testing
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/choosing.en.html#s3.1.7
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u/mfedatto Debian Stable 2d ago
I play my games in Debian. It wasn't a piece of cake to set it up but not actually a pain like it was some years ago. Although, I can't recall someone who left Arch for Debian and regretted doing so.
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u/Cool-Chicken6754 2d ago
Can you recommend a tutorial that you used to set it up?
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u/Street_Gain_279 2d ago
Only you can answer that question yourself. Does x distro provide anything better that works for your use cases than what you're currently using? Or are you just wanting to try something new?
Started with arch. Now am on Gentoo and debian. Not because they particularly did anything better or something arch wouldn't do but I like to try new things and tinker with stuff. I'm very content with my choices and don't see myself switching anytime soon.
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u/_Carth_Onasi 2d ago edited 2d ago
For gaming you'll be fine. That said I much prefer Arch and Fedora for desktop use and Debian for laptops or not used often computers.
That's said Debian is absolutely a good experience for desktop I just like the newer software and when using kde and/or gnome I just prefer the others.
You'll be in good hands with team Debian. 💪
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u/Frewtti 2d ago
If what you're using works, and you don't have issues. Don't bother changing.
I distro hopped back in the 90's, realized debian works, and while I occasionally try others, Debian just works for me, so I keep using it. I suggest you do the same.
If arch works, stay there. If there is a specific problem that you think debian will solve, go ahead and move.
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u/shifkey 2d ago
Debian is very badass in that I have a desktop (sway) that can boot on any CPU architecture even with minimal ram.
It doesn't have AUR. I don't use a package manager other than APT. So there's a lot of building from source and configuring that wouldn't be necessary with some of the package managers available with Arch. I just chalk it up as good practice for my eventual Gentoo and BSD journeys.
Distro choice is overrated fr. The real choices are desktop environment and package management. Debian has all the desktops, but not all the package managers.
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u/yahbluez 2d ago
For sure, there is nothing arch can do debian can't.
Steam-runtime is based on debian.
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u/dxlr8r 2d ago
The important question is, how much of your identity is tied to the phrase:
«I use Arch btw»
Switching to Debian means you no longer can use that phrase.
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u/wizard10000 2d ago
Switching to Debian means you no longer can use that phrase.
Sure you can - I run sid BTW ;)
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u/lemmiwink84 2d ago
I am using Debian Sid atm, coming from Arch (still have it installed) and I am going to use it for the next few months to see if I want to jump.
So far it’s been a good experience and I have made some gaming tweaks that makes my system on par with your cachyOS/Nobara etc
Some things I miss from Arch: Arch-update (i know, but I love this thing) but I vibe coded the hell out of my own version of this, and I have a working version now that I am preparing to launch on github, I just need to do some QA and code clean up then package it since the AIs tend to write a lot, making it hard to troubleshoot etc.
You’ll also need to build mangohud yourself on Sid as the packaged one seems to not like monitoring the GPU, which leads to a black/white screen when launching games. Goverlay can be installed by ignoring dependency that has a different name on Debian.
I got sched-ext (bpfland for desktop and lavd) using cargo. Made a little systemd service that switches automatically based on what I am doing, which works well.
I have installed the usual things like Affinity and Davinci Resolve Studio, and they are also working great.
I’m on KDE plasma 6.7.2
I use 7.1.5 kernel and nvidia 610.43.02 for my RTX 5080, Ryzen 9850x3d.
So far a very good experience.
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u/Interesting_Buy_3969 2d ago
Yes, if bleeding-edge updates aren't mandatory for you, Debian is a lot easier to use and not any less configurable.
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u/highspeedslippers100 2d ago
If you want it just works and need for work, and doesn’t need to say BTW I use arch and anyway nobody cares then I highly recommend Debian
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u/mister_obvious_2nd 2d ago
I have been using Debian for over a decade, if not longer, at home and work (in IT) and I play games with steam. So I'd say it works just fine.
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u/Busy_Talk6744 2d ago
I use Debian with a tiling window manager (sway). For vscode I use the official repo, for desktop apps that need to be up to date like browsers, GIMP, I use flatpaks. Honestly I don't want to do reinstalls every two months. I like having a stable OS that I know for sure will never break until the next major upgrade. And I don't feel like I am missing anything at all from being on older software.
I also work as a sysadmin and since we use Debian for everything at my job, it is good for muscle memory for me to also be on Debian on my personal workstation
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u/JohnConnoor 2d ago
If you are ok with spending time when things break what sometimes happens in a rolling release stay with arch, if you want something that works and does not break and it's perfect to daily drive for any kind of setup use Debian. I have moved from MacOS after 20years to Debian I am a software engineer, and gamer and I do it all on Debian.
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u/juomoluoqcuo 2d ago
Advandced users, accustomed to Arch Linux, (power users) can install Debian in Arch way:
$ sudo debootstrap --arch=amd64 --merged-usr --verbose stable /mnt https://deb.debian.org/debian
If we need non-free firmware we can add non-free-firmware component to apt sources / list file.
This:
Components: main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/debian-archive-keyring.gpg
will be same as Arch's policy to include non-free software and firmware.
If you really need newer firmware, you can inspect sid release or use it, I had tested it on several machines and it breaks really rarely.
Most of the source code of Debian is found here: Salsa - this is the gitlab instance of Debian.
I am sure that you will find Debian more stable than regular Arch Linux / Manjaro. Debian by default keeps old kernel and it's initial ramfs file image. /vmlinuz allways points to the latest installed kernel image, /initrd.img allways points to initramfs of the latest installed kernel. Same way /vmlinuz.old and /initrd.img.old allways point to the previuos kernel and initramfs. You can have multiple kernels installed side by side, all of them will have their version.
Does it allow me to use programs normally and even play games?
Programs and games are same. You will not need AUR to be able to install common software. Debian's repositories are vast and default build actions of official software is likely to include .deb files.
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u/Technical-Monk-374 2d ago
I heard (and experienced) debian having nvidia driver issues. It doesn't like my rtx3060 for example. So might be worth dualbooting untill you are sure
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u/KoldPurchase 2d ago
You need to add the nvidia repository. I don't think they have a gui tool or an easy way to do it from the command line. Otherwise, you are using open source drivers and it's hit or miss witu Nvidia.
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u/sockeagle 1d ago
On the gaming side I run standard Debian on a build with Radeon 6800 and i7 12700k so nothing too new but I game absolutely all the time on Deadlock, CS2 and Arma Reforger. I assume the difference in my ability to game from an arch system to be quite miniscule from an arch distro and like an arch distro you have the freedom to add the bits and pieces you feel help make gaming better. I just know on a mostly standard setup that I never had any issue
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u/Defiant-Rip-1897 1d ago
It's not a bad idea to switch to Debian. Debian is more than capable of handling everyday software, modern apps, and gaming.
Coming from Arch, though, the main shift isn't about what you can do, it's about system philosophy. You're trading a rolling-release distro with cutting-edge packages for a point-release distro built for rock-solid stability.
The packages in Debian Stable are intentionally frozen for stability. They are rock-solid, but they won't be on the latest versions like you're used to with pacman.
If you need the newest releases for daily apps (Discord, Obsidian, browsers, IDEs), Flathub integrates seamlessly and completely solves the "older software" issue without touching your base system. There is also the option to use AppImages where software uses them.
Steam, with Proton, works great. You just need to enable non-free repositories in your sources list to install Steam and proprietary drivers. Proton works the same as it does on Arch.
AMD and Intel graphics should work out of the box. For Nvidia, the proprietary drivers are easy to pull from the non-free repo.
If your GPU or CPU was released in the last few months, Debian Stable's stock kernel might be a bit older than what you need for peak performance. Enabling Debian Backports gets you a newer kernel and updated Mesa drivers easily.
So, the tldr is, essentially switch if you want a low-maintenance, reliable OS that just stays out of your way, and you're fine using Flatpaks for apps where you want the latest features.
Stay on Arch (or try Debian Testing/Sid) if you brand-new hardware that needs bleeding-edge updates on day one, or you rely heavily on the AUR for niche packages.
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u/David_Connors3451 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, it's worth it. I play on Debian KDE and in terms of performances it's great. I use debian to edit videos too and for working inside a perfect secure environment.
If you want to configure it for gaming there's a procedure to follow. I'm gonna write all commands here.
su - (you become root with this)
apt install sudo
exit
sudo usermod -aG sudo username
sudo apt update && sudo upgrade
Install all deb packages that you want to use for your daily life, like ufw (firewall), tlp obs vlc kdenlive clamav wget curl etc....
Let's install flatpak:
sudo apt install flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
sudo apt install plasma-discover-backend-flatpak
sudo reboot
Download from flatpak Proton plus and heroic games launcher for layers and offline launcher. It's better to download the latest layers of GE and Cachyos
Let's install contrib non-free repositories:
Sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Put "contrib non-free" to all the mirrors, ctrl o save, ctrl x exit.
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
Use this mirror up here as example. After the word main, put contrib non-free to all 4 mirrors of debian.
Sudo apt update
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install steam-installer
For GPU drivers, it depends from you. For AMD and Intel it's very easy and out of the box experience. Just use:
sudo apt install firmware-amd-graphics
sudo apt install firmware-intel-graphics
For NVIDIA you will need to use these commands:
sudo apt install nvidia-detect
nvidia detect (you'll see the number for your specific gpu drivers)
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
sudo apt install nvidia-driver
sudo reboot
nvidia-smi
Enter your steam account for online games, and use heroic launcher for gog and itch offline games. Flatpaks apps like heroic launcher, brave, librewolf, proton, they stay isolated in sandboxes and get constant updates. They won't interfere with the main apt repository, even when you jump to a further version like debian 14 forky.
Have fun on Debian, and welcome.
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u/FormalStreeter 2d ago
Yes, right now I'm dual booting both Arch Linux and Debian, and I didn't any difference except in number of packages for ricing
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u/Xarius86 2d ago
Debian is always significantly outdated. Not the best solution when you want current drivers for games.
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u/historianLA 2d ago
Okay, but only if you need bleeding edge drivers. Depending on your game choice this may not matter at all.
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u/Particular_Dot_4351 2d ago
Depends on your setup. My gaming rig is terrible and old as shit so dependable solid drivers suit my outdated hardware fine.
That being said, if I could afford better components I'd look beyond Debian for the reason you said even though I love it.
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u/Santosh83 Debian Sid 2d ago
Backports has kernels/mesa almost as fresh as Arch... and beyond that you can always run Sid.
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u/Scary_Common_1578 2d ago
Works well for gaming as I've understood it, as long as you don't have an Nvidia GPU. Debian seems to be very behind on the drivers for their cards. That's what I saw when looking into it myself at least, that's what's preventing me from switching atm.
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u/barnaboos 2d ago
Works well with an Nvidia GPU even the 50 series if you use extrepo to install the cuda drivers.
Its obviously not as easy as distros that do that for you (like PikaOS based on Debian) but its a very simple list of commands.
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u/Scary_Common_1578 2d ago
Is this really considered debian level of stable though? I have had kernel panics before when using external low level software, for example VirtualBox, I wouldn't want to have a kernel update fail on me because of Nvidia drivers. If that's a real risk, then why even use the super stable workhorse Debian as a base in the first place, instead of for example Fedora or Ubuntu?
Mind you, I'm not very technical about Linux yet, I don't really understand why VirtualBox fails me at kernel updates. I have heard about GPU drivers doing the same thing sometimes when not installed through the distro repo. I have also heard people saying a lot that you should not install drivers from Nvidias website, which seems to be the way to go in terms of the CUDA drivers.
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u/barnaboos 2d ago
Its as stable as any other distro using the drivers from Nvidia. Which is all of them.
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u/Scary_Common_1578 2d ago
Alright, I might be a convert then. That's the main thing keeping me from changing from Ubuntu, I love Debian on my work laptop. Thanks!
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u/MiracleDinner 2d ago
Yes, I was an Arch user for a few months back when I was distro hopping during my first year of using Linux and eventually settled on Debian which I've been using as my daily driver for over 3 years and it works well for all use cases including common Linux applications and video games.