CachyOS vs. EdeavorOS: Which spinoff makes Arch Linux easier to use?

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ZDNET's key takeaways

CachyOS and EndeavorOS are both Arch-based Linux distros.
Both make using Arch Linux much easier, but one is faster than the other.
You can download and install both for free.

If you're either a fan of Arch Linux or are curious about the oft-lambasted-for-being-too-challenging distribution, then you may know there have been several distros spun off the original with the intent of making it more accessible to more people.

One of the most popular of the spinoffs is Manjaro. For the longest time, Manjaro was considered the best option for those wanting to try Arch, but not having it in them to use the archinstall script.

For the past few years, more spinoffs have arrived to challenge Manjaro as the leader of user-friendly Arch.

Two of those spinoffs are CachyOS and EndeavorOS.

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Both of these distributions share the goal of making Arch Linux easier, and both of them succeed. At the same time, these two distributions are quite different.

Let me see if I can help you decide which is the right one for you.

CachyOS

Let's start with CachyOS, since it's the newer of the two.

While CachyOS does want to make Arch Linux easier for users of all types, another one of its focuses is speed. Let me tell you… It succeeds. CachyOS is lightning fast; faster than most operating systems you've tried.

If you want to gain even more speed, you can opt to use the XFS file system (which is chosen during OS installation). Although using a journaling file system for a desktop OS is certainly a different choice than most distributions would make, it works for CachyOS. Remember, XFS has been around for decades, so it has the maturity to deliver on both desktops and servers.

The speed isn't the only benefit of using XFS. With this journaling file system, should you experience a power outage (or an accidental shutdown), you don't have to worry that your operating system or files/folders will suffer.

By default, CachyOS uses the Btrfs file system.

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If a zippy file system isn't enough to deliver the speed you need, there's also the choice of desktop environments. During the OS installation, you can choose from KDE Plasma, GNOME, XFCE, i3, Wayfire, LXQt, Openbox, Cinnamon, COSMIC, UKUI, LXDE, Mate, Budgie, Qtile, Hyprland, Sway, and Niri. You can gain even more speed by selecting a desktop environment like Xfce, LXDE, or Mate. I tested the KDE Plasma version and found it to outperform other distributions using the same desktop.

As well, there's the CachyOS kernel (linux-cachyos), which uses the BORE scheduler (Burst-Oriented Response Enhancer) for improved performance.

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Other features found in CachyOS include:

Packages are compiled with -O3 and x86-64-v3/v4 instruction sets, along with Link Time Optimization (LTO) and Profile-Guided Optimization (PGO) for even more performance
Provides a user-friendly GUI installer based on Calamares
A customized welcome application to simplify updates, package management, and system tweaks
Features built-in Btrfs and Snapper support for simplified system rollbacks
Comes with pre-compiled Nvidia and ZFS modules to prevent breakage during updates
Optimized for gaming
CachyOS Package Installer is a very fast GUI app store
Rolling release, which means everything is always up to date

Is CachyOS right for you?

If you want a greatly simplified Arch Linux installation that also happens to be incredibly fast and offers a plethora of desktop environments to choose from, CachyOS is what you want. On top of that, if you want Arch Linux that includes a GUI app installer, CachyOS is a good choice.

EndeavorOS

EndeavorOS is another Arch-based distribution that elevates the aesthetics of the desktop. Although it defaults to a gorgeous KDE Plasma desktop, you can choose between KDE Plasma, GNOME, Xfce, Cinnamon, MATE, Budgie, LXQt, and LXDE during installation.

Speaking of installation, if your computer uses an NVIDIA GPU, you'll be thrilled to know that, during installation, EndeavorOS automatically detects the GPU and installs the proper NVIDIA driver. That alone makes EndeavorOS worth using because getting the right NVIDIA driver can be a hassle.

Although EndeavorOS isn't as fast as CachyOS, it's no slouch. When I tested the KDE Plasma version, I was pleased with the speed of the desktop.

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Speed isn't the only leg up CachyOS has over EndeavorOS. Where CachyOS includes a GUI app store, EndeavorOS does not. The good news is that you can install the Octopi GUI with the command:

yay -S octopi

If I had to make one suggestion to the developer, it would be to include Octopi by default.

EndeavorOS also features:

User-friendly GUI installer (Calamares)
Bare-bones default installation for a clean base and no bloat
Specialized tools for easy management, such as the welcome app, yay, as well as tools for driver management
Support for Arch User Repository (AUR)
Welcoming and helpful community forum and subreddit
FirewallD is enabled by default.
Latest Release Highlights (e.g., "Mercury/Ganymede")
Newer Linux kernels, updated Mesa drivers, and improved NVIDIA support
Along with full desktop environments, there's also support for installing window managers, such as Sway, Qtile, BSPWM, Openbox, and Worm

Is EndeavorOS right for you?

If you want a beautiful Arch-based Linux distribution that ships with very little preinstalled software (so you can install only what you want) and don't want to have to fiddle with NVIDIA driver installation, EndeavorOS is what you want. Just remember to install the Octopi GUI right out of the gate to simplify app installation.

Which is right for you?

This all depends on whether speed or a clean base is what you're looking for. If you want pure speed, go with CachyOS. If you want a distribution that installs without bloat, then go with EndeavorOS.

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In truth, either one of these distributions is a great introduction to Arch Linux. However, if you've never touched Arch, I would go with CachyOS, simply because you can more easily shrug off the command-line interface.

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