ArcoLinux information confusion
The short version: As a new user, choose the ISO image “arcolinuxl-v23.03.01-x86_64.iso“ (2.4 GB. MD5 hash value BE43EE6827C285C610648793EFCFAF45).
A new version, 23.03.01, of ArcoLinux (an Arch Linux derivative) was released. The official release date was 2023-03-01.
As a new user, which edition should you choose?
A name change in 2021 invalidated the existing information (e.g., blog posts and videos), causing a lot of confusion, especially for new users. “ArcoLinux” was renamed to “ArcoLinuxL”. Thus, as a new user installing it for the first time, choose something with “L” (but not “LTS“). There is a corresponding video for the 2021-05 release. From the blog post: “ArcoLinux ISO becomes ArcoLinuxL ISO”.
Note that, confusingly, the primary place uses “XL”, whereas the actual download places uses “L” (prefix “arcolinuxl”, without the “X”). “X” is for “extra” (or perhaps the “X” in ArcoLinux; it isn’t clear) and is used as amplifiers for “L” (“large”) and “S” (“small”). It is, for instance, in the infographic (also in a larger version).
Other items
ArcoLinuxLTS is ArcoLinuxS with a more stable (older) Linux kernel.
Download location
Download it from SourceForge or a mirror. A way to find it is through www.arcolinux.info (requires some JavaScript to work) → menu “DOWNLOADS” (second item) → ARCOLINUXL / XL (the first item). It isn’t ARCOLINUXD (“D”), ARCOLINUXS (“XS”), ARCOLINUXS-LTS (“XS-LTS”), ARCOLINUXS-ZEN (“XS-ZEN”), or ARCOLINUXB.
What do those letters stand for, L, S, D, and B??
The single-letter abbreviations contribute to the obfuscation and confusion.
| Abbr. | Meaning | Confuser | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | Large | AKA XL (for “extra large”) | Newcomers to ArcoLinux start here. Comes with a set of preinstalled applications that the maintainers think are the best. Sometimes designated as the “flagship”. |
| S | Small | AKA XS (for “extra small”) | Without preinstalled applications. Or perhaps “S” is for “ship”, as a normal ship, smaller than the flagship (“L”); who knows? |
| D | Decide | AKA XD. What is “X” for? | Decide as in deciding the desktop environment. Or perhaps “D” as in “desktop”. Who knows? |
| B | Build | 1) AKA XB. What is “X” for? 2) “B ISOs” for “build ISO images” (especially when capitalised as on the web site) reads as “BIOS“, even if it is a misspelling (“BISO”). The space is not noticeable. |
B as in build your own ISO image |
References
ArcoLinux has 4 major editions. The content of L, S, D, B, LTS, is elaborated a little bit more.
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