tl;dr
I want to improve my laptop. That doesn't always mean adding new features (in fact, it usually doesn't), and it also doesn't mean using the newest, flashiest, or most elegant solution available. Sometimes it simply means using the simplest tools that are needed and nothing more.
I know for a fact that I don't meet those criteria right now, and that's the reason I want to improve it. So let's start by examining what currently lies in front of me.
The GNU/Linux operating system I'm currently using is Arch Linux. It's the only distro I've really used daily, and I've never had a problem with it. The reason I chose it as my first distro was because it seemed difficult, I liked its minimalism, I wanted the newest packages, and I wanted to learn more about GNU/Linux.
But times have changed. Nowadays, I wouldn't consider Arch a minimal distro by itself (even though it can be one), I wouldn't say it is particularly difficult anymore, and it has already fulfilled its purpose of teaching me about GNU/Linux. The next step is moving towards a different level of distros. Some that come to mind are:
| source-based | binary |
|---|---|
| CRUX | NixOS |
| Exherbo | Void |
| Gentoo | Artix |
| KISS Linux (community) | GNU Guix |
| LFS | Obarun |
| T2 SDE | |
| Venom Linux |
systemd necessary
no glibc
I split all the distros I was able to find (that are actively maintained and somewhat aligned with my goals) into one of two categories: source-based and binary. If you know of a distro that is not listed but would be appropriate for this list, feel free to open a pull request. I'd be happy to learn about it.
As you may notice, for all of them (except NixOS) there is the option to run without systemd, and for most of them there is also the option to use a different C library than glibc. I haven't tried most of them yet, but this list also serves as a collection of distros I'd like to explore in the future.
To understand which of them interest me more than others, I first have to explain my needs and wants from a Linux distro.
By this, I mean that I should be able to change compiler flags and control everything else that comes with a source-based distro. In general, I prefer this approach over a binary-based distro.
The regular suckless and Unix philosophies also apply here. In particular, I mean that I should be able to understand the entire system without there being a black box. For that to be possible, the distro cannot be overly complex and should be kept minimal, with the system split into many small, understandable parts. Everyone should be able to maintain the distro. As far as I know, CRUX and KISS Linux do a good job of maintaining this philosophy.
The perfect world here would, of course, be LFS, but a distro does not need to be LFS to provide similar possibilities. The requirements should be that I can change the init system, coreutils, bootloader, desktop environment, etc. The distro should not get in my way or prevent me from doing something just because it could break things or because it is difficult to implement.
NixOS is a distro that enforces some of the strongest rules, but those rules are defined by the distro itself rather than by the user. The perfect solution would be something like NixOS, where I can still work around those rules when I specifically want to and disable the safeguards when necessary.
LFS is not installable on a new laptop within a reasonable amount of time. Gentoo probably isn't either, although it is by far not as time-consuming. NixOS is probably one of the fastest, because its entire configuration can be defined declaratively. Venom and Exherbo are probably also good in this regard.
If a new shiny technology appears or a new feature is suggested, the maintainers should be able to say no in favor of the distro's philosophy and minimalism. This also means having good quality control and enough testing to ensure that the project remains stable and sustainable.
There should be a balance between being on the bleeding edge and being outdated. As far as I know, T2 SDE does a very good job of maintaining package up-to-dateness.
To be fair, I don't know yet. All the interesting ones have the option to be used without glibc. NixOS and the unmarked distros are probably not the ones I'll choose in the future. I also won't daily drive LFS because of the time required to set everything up.
Of all the remaining options, Gentoo, CRUX, KISS Linux, and Exherbo seem especially interesting. I don't know exactly which one I'll choose, but it is very likely to be one of them. If you have any suggestions or personal experience using any of them, I'd be very thankful if you shared it with me.
For transparency: I wrote this post myself and then used ChatGPT to correct grammatical mistakes and improve the overall reading experience, since English is not my first language. The sources for the table were also partially researched with the help of ChatGPT and Claude Sonnet 4.6.
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