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CachyOS March notes

I haven't tried out Winboat yet, so I'll be testing that out.
 
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CrimsonKnight13 said:
I haven't tried out Winboat yet, so I'll be testing that out.
Click to expand...
It can be interesting as long as you have the system resources to dedicate to a VM. I don't think you can do pass through or anything with it... though I might be wrong. Still its another easily integrated option.
 
ChadD said:
It can be interesting as long as you have the system resources to dedicate to a VM. I don't think you can do pass through or anything with it... though I might be wrong. Still its another easily integrated option.
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I use VFIO with PVE. On my desktop & laptop, I've been using VirtualBox. I'm going to test Winboat to see how well I can integrate Windows apps rather than using Bottles.
 
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Something to try, I still always stick with vmware workstation, however getting it to run on Arc based distro's requires some scripting to make sure everything works vs say Debian based that just comes in a flatpak and done. And I prefer it as it allows single USB device passthrough, such as Yubikeys or USB drives.
 
VirtualBox works great with USB passthrough. I used to prefer VMware Workstation until it stopped working properly with the Broadcom takeover.
 
MrGuvernment said:
Something to try, I still always stick with vmware workstation, however getting it to run on Arc based distro's requires some scripting to make sure everything works vs say Debian based that just comes in a flatpak and done. And I prefer it as it allows single USB device passthrough, such as Yubikeys or USB drives.
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I noticed that using EndeavourOS but it was pretty easy to figure out with just trivial searching. And I'm the biggest Linux noob. Although, I'll probably nuke the install from orbit and start over as I really want to stick with QEMU and try to keep everything FOSS. I also installed some things I didn't need to so will scrub and redo. It'll be good for me as well to continue learning how to work in the OS. 👍
 
Shotglass01 said:
I noticed that using EndeavourOS but it was pretty easy to figure out with just trivial searching. And I'm the biggest Linux noob. Although, I'll probably nuke the install from orbit and start over as I really want to stick with QEMU and try to keep everything FOSS. I also installed some things I didn't need to so will scrub and redo. It'll be good for me as well to continue learning how to work in the OS. 👍
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Never hurts to preserve /home & even easier if it's on a different partition.
 
I am not sure it's obvious to people that install and try out CachyOS, but some of the DE options don't load any configuration by default which is a bit odd. For instance, I tried installing Cachy with Openbox and none of the supporting stuff or configuration got installed along with it. Had a blank desktop with no taskbars or anything. Right-click menu only, and none of the things in the menu worked.

I think they've mostly focused on KDE which makes sense, but I tend to be someone that likes a lot of the alternatives instead
 
xx0xx said:
I am not sure it's obvious to people that install and try out CachyOS, but some of the DE options don't load any configuration by default which is a bit odd. For instance, I tried installing Cachy with Openbox and none of the supporting stuff or configuration got installed along with it. Had a blank desktop with no taskbars or anything. Right-click menu only, and none of the things in the menu worked.

I think they've mostly focused on KDE which makes sense, but I tend to be someone that likes a lot of the alternatives instead
Click to expand...
Agreed they should probably do a better job in their installer with a *This WM/DE is presented as it ships from the project, user configuration will be required to achieve a functional experience."
For most of the WM options installing them on cachy is no different from installing them on arch proper. I think they assume that Linux people know open box is a WM and you are going to have to edit your config files yourself... but a new user has no expectations in that regard. Just presenting openbox in a list of desktop options is probably unwise.

I would actually like a hidden drop down box. Have the list include all the DE/WM Cachy includes custom profile/dot files for. Then have a "Advance mode" drop down that would have to be clicked with a warning pop up that these options require user setup. In this list include the no DE option and things like openbox. At least a new user would have some warning that they are going to have to figure out how to edit config/dot files or get a very basic bare bones setup.

I'm not even sure which WM they are providing dot files for right now? Niri I think... I believe they stopped creating dot files for hyprland as well though they may ship some very basic hyprland dots.
 
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Yeah and I have used Linux for quite a while (and done some sysadmin stuff before), but very little with Arch. and all of my Openbox experience has been with distros that have pre-configured it out of the box, so having never run into a non-configured version it was a bit baffling. I agree about maybe only initially listing ones that are configured and requiring another click to list the ones that are not. Seems to me like including a very bare-bones default config wouldn't be a bad idea for them though, but maybe that goes against some idea about how they want to do things which is fair

I suppose just the idea of it being offered as an option in the list almost to me implies it will have some basic configuration, but that might just be me inferring something not intended

Overall wasn't a big deal regardless. I was just testing things out so I wiped it and installed a different WM/DE to try out the OS.
 
xx0xx said:
Yeah and I have used Linux for quite a while (and done some sysadmin stuff before), but very little with Arch. and all of my Openbox experience has been with distros that have pre-configured it out of the box, so having never run into a non-configured version it was a bit baffling. I agree about maybe only initially listing ones that are configured and requiring another click to list the ones that are not. Seems to me like including a very bare-bones default config wouldn't be a bad idea for them though, but maybe that goes against some idea about how they want to do things which is fair

I suppose just the idea of it being offered as an option in the list almost to me implies it will have some basic configuration, but that might just be me inferring something not intended

Overall wasn't a big deal regardless. I was just testing things out so I wiped it and installed a different WM/DE to try out the OS.
Click to expand...
I think not doing it is just more a function of not having the people to do it. Its a small project really with only a few people, no one is full time as far as I know. So the stuff they do provide tends to be stuff they are using.

If they stop using something support sort of goes away. For the most part its just an arch installer for things like open box. It seems like they are trying to tidy up their installer. I guess just being arch people they don't think much about having a 20 item list for DE/WM to install. They keep polishing, seems like its getting more new user friendly each month. I'm not sure having animated thumbnails for DEs at install is really a big deal, I agree that maybe being a bit more clear about what is cachy themed, what is bare bones, and what is going to need some serious config file editing to just use should be more the priority.
 
Shotglass01 said:
I noticed that using EndeavourOS but it was pretty easy to figure out with just trivial searching. And I'm the biggest Linux noob. Although, I'll probably nuke the install from orbit and start over as I really want to stick with QEMU and try to keep everything FOSS. I also installed some things I didn't need to so will scrub and redo. It'll be good for me as well to continue learning how to work in the OS. 👍
Click to expand...
My issue is Windows VMs under QEMU have horrible performance and frames, just a current limitation, as I like to use my VMs like a system, I do not want to RDP into them to use them, so vmware workstation it is for me.
 
MrGuvernment said:
My issue is Windows VMs under QEMU have horrible performance and frames, just a current limitation, as I like to use my VMs like a system, I do not want to RDP into them to use them, so vmware workstation it is for me.
Click to expand...
What vGPU are you using for them & have you tried VFIO? Different CPU type & options can help, too.
 
ChadD said:
I think not doing it is just more a function of not having the people to do it. Its a small project really with only a few people, no one is full time as far as I know. So the stuff they do provide tends to be stuff they are using.

If they stop using something support sort of goes away. For the most part its just an arch installer for things like open box. It seems like they are trying to tidy up their installer. I guess just being arch people they don't think much about having a 20 item list for DE/WM to install. They keep polishing, seems like its getting more new user friendly each month. I'm not sure having animated thumbnails for DEs at install is really a big deal, I agree that maybe being a bit more clear about what is cachy themed, what is bare bones, and what is going to need some serious config file editing to just use should be more the priority.
Click to expand...

Yeah honestly just the installer being transparent/upfront about exactly what to expect is all that's necessary. Quick, doesn't require a lot of opinionated choices or dev time or anything. Just setting expectations. Because if I had at least known what to expect, I could have either prepared for it or avoided it. Leave the responsibility to the user, but also leave them fully informed if possible
 
I'm well and truly over building Arch from scratch. Even the Archinstall helper library is a PITA these days when there's pre packaged, easy to install Arch variants available.
 
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MrGuvernment said:
My issue is Windows VMs under QEMU have horrible performance and frames, just a current limitation, as I like to use my VMs like a system, I do not want to RDP into them to use them, so vmware workstation it is for me.
Click to expand...
I haven't experienced that with Windows 11 and a NUC with an Iris 640. Granted, no games played, only web browsing. But that's all I'd ever use it for anyway. The 'break glass' NVMe that has Win 11 is bare metal for any games or apps that just don't work in Linux. The QEMU I'll switch to with my 'production' NVMe would only be for anything that EndeavourOS might not be able to run. So I wouldn't care about performance. However, I've already tested some impressive performance with VFIO and that Iris 640 I test with. QEMU, I think, would work for my purposes. Possibly maybe better than Workstation or Vbox. So the ask is, well, why wouldn't you just use your 'break glass' for everything? And, I'd tell you that the NVMe with actual Win 11 is mostly a dumping ground. Usually reserved for 'community' games and questionable apps. We'll leave it at that. 😁
 
I've been meaning to ask what the user experience on Catchy is vs Bazzite. I've been too lazy just to put it on a stick and test it. Is it a Big Picture first deal or is it a desktop first deal like Mint but gaming centric?
 
MikeTrike said:
I've been meaning to ask what the user experience on Catchy is vs Bazzite.
Click to expand...

Bazzite was less stable for me the last time I tried it about a year ago, and it's only going to get worse now that Microsoft fired their hardware interface lead contributor.
 
Axman said:
Bazzite was less stable for me the last time I tried it about a year ago, and it's only going to get worse now that Microsoft fired their hardware interface lead contributor.
Click to expand...
Cool. I'll probably wait and then just try to roll SteamOS.

Screenshot_20260322-164905.png
 
MikeTrike said:
I've been meaning to ask what the user experience on Catchy is vs Bazzite. I've been too lazy just to put it on a stick and test it. Is it a Big Picture first deal or is it a desktop first deal like Mint but gaming centric?
Click to expand...
Cachy isn't actually a gaming distro. Its a deskto distro first.
However they do release a handheld ISO that I believe loads into big picture mode. (I mean you can make any Linux distro load into big picture if you like just as on windows).

Anyway its a Standard Linux distro developed to be highly optimized for performance, mainly on modern hardware though they offer CPU optimized packages going back to first gen Ryzen and 10th gen or so Intel.

I mean from their website.
"CachyOS is a performance-focused Arch Linux distribution that rebuilds packages with modern CPU optimizations, ships a custom-tuned kernel, and provides a polished installation experience. Built for users who want Arch's rolling-release model with measurable speed improvements out of the box."

They do make gaming very straight forward. They maintain a "gaming meta" package which includes everything you need for Linux gaming. When you first boot into a cachy desktop you will have the Cachy hello program pop up. This program has a tweak section you can use to pick and choose some of the distros enhancements. It also has easy update clicks and options to click to regenerate keys (something you have to do in arch based distros now and then) as well as a Rank mirrors option. Which is a good idea so your updates download as quickly as possible.

The gaming meta installs. Steam, Heroic, and Lutris launchers. A cachy optimized version of Wine, A cachy optimized version of Proton... and a handful of 32bit libraries and fonts that can make your life easier when trying to run some games (mainly older titles that have crappy 32bit launchers that also look terrible if you don't have the windows font they call). If you want to game install the gaming meta package as soon as your in, and your golden. Most games should just work via steam, and via Heroic (for Epic and GOG game stores). Lutris people generally prefer for installing games from files you already have. Though you can technically do that in Steam and Heroic, or yourself via wine. Lutris and Heroic are both nice for supporting and direct downloading various versions of proton or wine.

I haven't used Bazzite. As I understand it its a "atomic" version of Fedora. Meaning the core system files are read only. This can be nice if you want a pure game box that does little else. It can be nice in that technically as you can't edit many core components you can't F them up. In theory. Of course being Linux it still as I understand it respects /usr config files including udev rules. So technically you can still very much fuck your install up, though those sort of things are easier to clean up. I can't speak from experience. IMHO as it is atomic and relies on flatpaks for most things I can't imagine it would be a good desktop option. Under the tv home made steam machine type machine maybe it has a use. Though personally I would still just run cachy.
 
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MikeTrike said:
I've been meaning to ask what the user experience on Catchy is vs Bazzite. I've been too lazy just to put it on a stick and test it. Is it a Big Picture first deal or is it a desktop first deal like Mint but gaming centric?
Click to expand...

Bazzite is a gaming-first, immutable spin of Fedora that can be used as a desktop but isn't really designed to be. CachyOS is a general-purpose desktop distro whose tweaks on top of Arch happen to make it performant for gaming (and other stuff).


MikeTrike said:
Cool. I'll probably wait and then just try to roll SteamOS.

View attachment 793029
Click to expand...

CachyOS is not immutable (if that matters). KDE Linux (which is not the same as KDE Neon) is still in development and probably shouldn't be installed by regular users.
 
ChadD said:
Cachy isn't actually a gaming distro. Its a deskto distro first.
However they do release a handheld ISO that I believe loads into big picture mode. (I mean you can make any Linux distro load into big picture if you like just as on windows).

Anyway its a Standard Linux distro developed to be highly optimized for performance, mainly on modern hardware though they offer CPU optimized packages going back to first gen Ryzen and 10th gen or so Intel.

I mean from their website.
"CachyOS is a performance-focused Arch Linux distribution that rebuilds packages with modern CPU optimizations, ships a custom-tuned kernel, and provides a polished installation experience. Built for users who want Arch's rolling-release model with measurable speed improvements out of the box."

They do make gaming very straight forward. They maintain a "gaming meta" package which includes everything you need for Linux gaming. When you first boot into a cachy desktop you will have the Cachy hello program pop up. This program has a tweak section you can use to pick and choose some of the distros enhancements. It also has easy update clicks and options to click to regenerate keys (something you have to do in arch based distros now and then) as well as a Rank mirrors option. Which is a good idea so your updates download as quickly as possible.

The gaming meta installs. Steam, Heroic, and Lutris launchers. A cachy optimized version of Wine, A cachy optimized version of Proton... and a handful of 32bit libraries and fonts that can make your life easier when trying to run some games (mainly older titles that have crappy 32bit launchers that also look terrible if you don't have the windows font they call). If you want to game install the gaming meta package as soon as your in, and your golden. Most games should just work via steam, and via Heroic (for Epic and GOG game stores). Lutris people generally prefer for installing games from files you already have. Though you can technically do that in Steam and Heroic, or yourself via wine. Lutris and Heroic are both nice for supporting and direct downloading various versions of proton or wine.

I haven't used Bazzite. As I understand it its a "atomic" version of Fedora. Meaning the core system files are read only. This can be nice if you want a pure game box that does little else. It can be nice in that technically as you can't edit many core components you can't F them up. In theory. Of course being Linux it still as I understand it respects /usr config files including udev rules. So technically you can still very much fuck your install up, though those sort of things are easier to clean up. I can't speak from experience. IMHO as it is atomic and relies on flatpaks for most things I can't imagine it would be a good desktop option. Under the computer home made steam machine type machine maybe it has a use. Though personally I would still just run cachy.
Click to expand...
I'll likely stick with Bazzite for now because I've got it running fine on two machines, I've done a bit with other desktop distros booting directly to big picture and that technically works fine, Bazzite just feels more polished there for what I feel are obvious reasons. Install + Login = Basically Done

My goal is console-esque Gaming first, and web browser streaming second, so desktop mode shouldn't take center stage.
 
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BlueLineSwinger said:
CachyOS is not immutable (if that matters). KDE Linux (which is not the same as KDE Neon) is still in development and probably shouldn't be installed by regular users.
Click to expand...
The reason I'm seeking immutable is I need something that's more Xbox like for my family to use. Bazzite is the closest experience so far, and I'm just about certain I'll buy an official steam machine for the living room clean that up even more.

I've got about 15 years of comfort in Linux, a lot of it older with centos on the CLI, and the rest mostly Debian based. I just have very limited experience/visibility with the newer gaming variants that showed up in the wake of SteamOS.
 
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I installed CachyOS a couple of weeks ago. I have steam os my Legion Go 2 and ALLY X and I am tired of windows.
After installation I tried to access my windows drives and realised microsoft had enabled bitlocker on my three other drives with out prompting me.
I figured I was screwed because I had disabled secure boot... Luckily I was able to recover the encryption keys off my Microsoft account.

Microsoft finally pushed me over the edge. I have all of my kids pictures/home movies on that machine. I had them duplicated on a couple of drives.
Encrypting all of my drives with out prompting is absolutely insane. I have literally ZERO reason to encrypt my disks.
I have everything backed up on a 8tb spinner, so I formatted my SSDS as BTRFS and decided to not keep a windows install.

I have ran Linux on and off since the 90s. I had no reason to think that installing it on an unused SSD would be a risk to my data outside of being retarded in the partition manager.
 
oh my god, back when i was doing desktop support we had a major issue with Windows turning on bitlocker without consent. it was a nightmare for a while, apparently it still is too. damn
 
I think you can install plasma or cinnamon with openbox, and an option for openbox in those DEs will appear at the login screen. Might be a separate package you need.

It is certainly barebones by default. The default menu would work, but I think the terminal, etc, in the menu is set for programs which are not installed by default (although they are commonly used in minimal installs).
 
Nobu said:
To quote Linus: 🖕
Click to expand...
MikeTrike said:
Ditto.
Click to expand...

It's just a weird take. I want to see how Omarchy handles this, since it uses systemd, which leaves Artix as the one Arch-based distro, which itself hasn't taken a position on age verification. But they are early adopters of XLibre, so I think we can predict where they're going.
 
Like I give a shit what Lunduke and his cult says. He's a tool and lives off click bait headlines.

That's not to say the CachyOS moderators did a great job here either. They definitely handled the situation very wrong off the bat and that allowed Lunduke and his cult to assault them and really cause things to spiral out of control. I saw the original thread and it was bad, really bad.

Situations like this don't have to happen but people on both sides need to calm the hell down before engaging each other. Discussion is good. Attacking and threats are not.

The CachyOS leaders should put out a statement of their own regarding the matter at this point.
 
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