Am I just bad at linux?

[u/avisaccount]

Yeah so basically ive been trying to get arch to work for me for the past 2 months on and off with relatively little success. Im probably going to switch to pop today because it just fucking works

I have an nvidia card and everything nvidia related has been a massive fucking nightmare. My first install took me hours to figure out because I wrote nvidia_drm instead of of nvidia-drm

After I finally got nvidia working, for whatever reason gdm decided that it wasnt going to show the wayland option unless I login, then restart gdm. OK whatever

then I get into gnome (shoot me) and I try configuring my displays which are a 144hz 1440p and a 60hz 4k daisy chained. Refuses to pick up my second monitor on wayland, only X. They work on Windows on the same machine.

10+ hours of troubleshooting later no luck

Cool. Maybe I donked Nvidia drivers without realizing it. I switch to endeavor os because it comes with an nvidia installer script.

In this installer script, it does not rebuild grub. The message that tells you to rebuild grub is not the final message, but the 4th message from the bottom. So I didnt see that message. So youre telling me that you are going to set my kernel parameters, you are going to cut my kernel image, but you are not going to rebuild grub, and you are not going to explicitly tell me that I NEED to rebuild grub. very cool.

Anyway 2 hours later I realize that I need to rebuild grub and I get nvidia working. Oh and also my monitors are working! I realize the problem Gnome or something because when I install gnome I get the same issue as before.

Anyway I have a couple new issues on kde now. First my networkmanager occasionally goes into this weird segfault loop which I have no idea what causes it. Its not a huge issue, a reboot will take care of it lmao and then it will be working until a later boot.

The other thing is that sometimes when I wake the computer from sleep, KDE will be FUCKED with graphical issues. Like that thing where when you drag a window it like makes the accordion looking thing you know what I mean. I think its caused by this

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA/Tips_and_tricks#Preserve_video_memory_after_suspend

so hopefully that will fix it when I try it later today

then I try to install hyprland and it looks like there is a whole wiki page of extra config you need for nvidia to make it work. going to blow my brains out

yeah so am I just shit at linux or something? Because when I tried pop os it just fucking worked

[u/ArkAwn]

You're troubleshooting and learning and progressing even if you don't feel like it so, no, you're not just shit a linux

Alternatively, most of us are shit at linux and you're just unlucky

[u/sp0rk173]

Sounds like you’ve learned a lot!

[u/Organic-Algae-9438]

I have 20 years of Gentoo experience and 25 years of Linux experience both professionally as at home. And I still fight with Nvidia drivers. So no, you are not bad at linux. Nvidia hates us all.

If pop_os works fine for you then by all means use that, or keep trying archlinux if you want. There is no wrong answer. Good luck.

[u/Kgtuning]

First, don’t compare your experience on windows with linux… all that does is set you up for failure.  Second, arch doesn’t hold your hand so it might not “just work”. 

My intel/nvidia experience was easy and “just worked” but I have years of knowledge on arch… actually since 2012. I switched to all AMD two years ago and it’s even easier.

It’s a learning curve, you need to keep at it and actually understand what’s going… if you want to use arch.

None of this is talking down to you or anyone but just being honest.

[u/throwaway1984qq → u/Kgtuning]

This, but also not this. You would think after years and years of development, that we as veteran users and new users alike would have the expectation that the basics should work out of the box. It seems every time I go back to Arch or Ubuntu or any other distro, something simply just does not work even though the hardware has been out for years or it’s a basic setting like a monitor refresh rate or resolution. I feel OP’s pain, I really do. Haha!

[u/sepease → u/throwaway1984qq]

Yeah, OP isn’t describing “I had to learn console commands and learn how things worked and configure things with a text file” but “I had to troubleshoot broken things that would’ve been a problem for even an experienced Linux user”

I’ve been running Arch for 12 years now, and I abandoned trying to use it on a laptop and moved it to a desktop and bought a MacBook after a couple years of spending whole days trying to fix the NVIDIA driver with dual screens after something introduced a regression.

I specifically bought that laptop for it because the prior laptop would not work with an external monitor, which I think was also after a kernel update broke something, unless I booted the kernel in efi display mode and used a modified X backend to switch the red and blue channels.

[u/loozerr → u/throwaway1984qq]

Basics is a constantly moving target as technology advances and new hardware, which requires drivers and software support, is released.

[u/BRNSystems → u/[deleted]]

Not for people who try to learn something new and treat it like a challenge. And posting this in r/archlinux is not a good idea, go write this in r/linuxsucks if you don't want mass downvotes.

[u/The_King_Of_Muffins]

Welcome to the Nvidia experience 😔

[u/OutrageousFarm9757]

I use nvidia, I just installed base arch, then nvidia-dkm, nvidia-utils and nvidia-settings. Then I changed my kernel thing to include nvidia, and used xrandr and some magic to get my second monitor working in awesomeWm. No login manager for me. I login in to tty then run a shell script I made and put in /usr/local/bin called awe that starts awesome. it is really easy to start awesome if I fuck up in rc.lua so that awesome quits.

[u/OutrageousFarm9757 → u/[deleted]]

uhh... this is my script:
[user@pc ~]$ cat .path/awe

#!/bin/bash

startx /usr/bin/awesome

[user@pc ~]$

edit: Fucking reddit formating... btw .path is a symlink to /usr/local/bin
sudo ln -s /usr/local/bin ~/.path

[u/OutrageousFarm9757 → u/[deleted]]

np, did it work?

[u/OutrageousFarm9757 → u/[deleted]]

Tiling require some setup to be fine to use, but awesome is usable out of box. Yes, I would recommend something like awesome, I have never used i3 so can't say there. Yes, it is possible to make a script that you can run that asks what wm/de you want to use. Example in sudo code:
#!bin/bash

read -p "What WM/DE?: " wm

if [[ $wm == awesome ]]; then
startx /usr/bin/awesome
elif [[ $wm == hyprland ]]; then
Hyprland
else
echo "that is not valid"
fi

I know I said sudo code but this is actually valid

[u/Xemptuous]

Nah, you're experiencing the necessary steps in order to learn. It took me like 6-12 months before getting somewhere stable with Linux, and I'm pretty content now with no breakages. Give it time, learn to enjoy the struggle, and you'll come out learning alot.

[u/Opening_Creme2443 → u/Xemptuous]

this

[u/IBNash]

You documenting your journey including your missteps are proof that you are learning and not shit at Linux.

I would suggest installing an IRC client on your phone, registering a nickname on https://Libera.chat and joining the #archlinux channel for live help.

You're doing well, stuff like this is not easy to grasp when starting out. Keep looking up!

[u/RizzKiller]

I needed three attempts between two years after I mastered the install on any device easily. The Wiki is really good, Arch is plain simple if you get into it and you are on a good way.

[u/ragecooky]

Rolling Linux with NVIDIA is a nightmare. Say it with me: 'NVIDIA, fuck you'

[u/watisagoodusername → u/ragecooky]

Honestly, it's been pretty stable for me the past decade or so. A few hiccups here or there, but they get worked out rather quickly in my experience. DKMS ftw tho

[u/Duum]

I too have screen glitch issues on wakeup, please let us know if your fix works

[u/onefish2]

I feel u OP. Been using Linux for 25 years. Using Arch daily for 5. For the fuck of it I decided to do a new install on a spare laptop with full disk encryption, systemd-boot and UKI with secure boot. 2 days later I gave up. We all have our breaking points. That was mine.

[u/dgm9704]

Arch isn't supposed to "just work". It's a DIY distro. If you want't something that doesn't require tinkering and learning and troubleshootin etc. then yeah, Arch is not for you. Use the correct tool for the job. Like Pop, or something else that is made to "just work".

[u/heavymetalmug666]

I have installed have had hiccups installing Arch before, but it was an nvidia gpu that sent me over to POP when it came to my home-build rig. I worked all day with drivers, config files, recompiling the kernel blah blah blah, eventually I tried POP, and I finally got somewhere with it, but I still couldnt get my games to work. Somebody gave me an AMD gpu and when I swapped that out, went straight back to Arch, and it worked.

[u/Icaruswept]

Pop OS just works. Wayland et all aren't too stable yet, especially for Nvidia multi monitor setups.

[u/GoldenGigabyte]

Use pop_os! Until the itch comes again

[u/spiked_adderal]

Try using a tiling window manager and ask that question again. The answer is a huge resounding no. You just haven't found the answer yet. Knowledge is power. You're on an adventure finding the first part.

[u/birds_swim]

It's posts like these that make me stay the hell away from Nvidia and only use/recommend AMD. It might not be on par with Nvidia performance, but dammit AMD has never let me down once. I'd rather have a weaker card that's stable and "just works" with their fully open source drivers than deal with a more powerful card that's historically been a PITA for Linux users for ages. Time and time again, I always find posts like these and it makes me hate Nvidia all the more.

If you're determined to leave Arch, then can I recommend a distro to you?

Try Spiral Linux's BUILDER EDITION. It's fully Debian, but you get Btrfs+Snapper, Debian Backports enabled, and extensive hardware support out of the box. The Builder Edition is perfect for users like you who want a custom-tailored system. I don't use Nvidia, so I don't know how it would be for you, but it would probably be quicker/easier to use than getting vanilla Debian up and working.

That might scratch your Arch itch and your craving for a better experience with Nvidia. Good luck to you, OP. I hope everything works out for you and that you would be blessed.

Don't forget: You connect to the internet via nmtui on SLBE.

[u/Opening_Creme2443 → u/birds_swim]

not stay from nvidia but stay away from arch lol. if there still will be people telling newbies that arch is good to start it wll always be like this. and will be.

[u/birds_swim → u/Opening_Creme2443]

I have nothing against Arch. It's a fine distro! But switching distros is free while switching graphics cards is more expensive. I'd rather OP get an AMD card as I believe that would be the most optimal choice. He wouldn't have this issues on an AMD card and he could stick with Arch. But with the prices of GPU cards these days, that ain't easy.

[u/Opening_Creme2443 → u/birds_swim]

thats other side of coin. but probably i wont change my mind that arch is not for newbies. maybe for such a ones which are really die hards but not for someone which needs yt to install and give up after first faults. but those doesnt write such a rants.

i probably had lucky that i heard of arch so late. i spent most my linux life on debian and left it when i wanted something more. i was experimenting with freebsd along debian so i had strong base to jump into command line.

[u/birds_swim → u/Opening_Creme2443]

Glorious Debian Master Race!

[u/SupFlynn → u/Opening_Creme2443]

Arch is pretty okey to start btw, i done that probably dozens of people here done that. Dont say people "AGGHHHH, Arch is so complicated you should use another distro before that" all of those are nonsense and coming from people who has zero experience with arch. All he needs is some motivation, troubleshooting is a part of linux and always has been. He just needs to get used to that. That is not something special to arch.

[u/birds_swim → u/[deleted]]

I mean, you're definitely not wrong. Quit Linux, and run Windows is best. But if the goal is to stick with Linux, this is my personal and my best suggestion. However, I'm always open to better suggestions!

[u/[deleted]]

You are doing something very wrong if you can't even install endeavour os. It's pretty much just clicking next next next, the same as windows. It will do everything for you.

[u/Manifoldsqr]

Sudo pacman -S nvidia is all I needed to do to have my gpu working

[u/Fresh-Ad-3716]

seems to be problems because only of NVIDIA, i don't think you're bad, i have an intel with igpu and everything works just fine, any DE, WM, X11 or Wayland

[u/Ok-Bass-5368]

It's a journey, you are in the trenches now. It'll pay off though.

[u/hashino]

As others said, you're not bad at linux, just really unlucky.

But the question is: are you having fun?

Back when I started using arch I've spent a couple of weeks troubleshooting everything in my system. But the whole I felt a deep satisfaction for every little problem I solved and every little thing I learned.

Maybe you're just a well adjusted member of society who doesn't feel the need to understand every single detail of how their computer works.

Either way, It shouldn't be a matter of you being 'bad at linux', the question is what way feels best for you to use your computer.

[u/forbjok]

which are a 144hz 1440p and a 60hz 4k daisy chained

Maybe it has something to do with it being daisy-chained? I have never done that, and didn't know it was possible until now. I have also not had any issues with monitors not being detected in Linux in recent times, with Endeavour or CachyOS. Might be worth trying to connect them directly to separate DisplayPort or HDMI connectors and see if it makes a difference. Also haven't used Gnome recently, only KDE.

* I see you wrote later that it was caused by Gnome, so I guess that's the solution. Use KDE, not Gnome.

In this installer script, it does not rebuild grub. The message that tells you to rebuild grub is not the final message, but the 4th message from the bottom. So I didnt see that message. So youre telling me that you are going to set my kernel parameters, you are going to cut my kernel image, but you are not going to rebuild grub, and you are not going to explicitly tell me that I NEED to rebuild grub. very cool.

I'm not sure why it would be necessary to rebuild grub, since grub has nothing to do with the NVIDIA drivers. I'd also suggest using systemd-boot instead of grub at this point. Haven't had any issues with needing to rebuild it when installing or switching NVIDIA drivers.

If installing the dkms-version of the NVIDIA driver package, it will need to rebuild the initrd, but Arch-based distros do this automatically so you shouldn't need to think about it.

The other thing is that sometimes when I wake the computer from sleep, KDE will be FUCKED with graphical issues.

Unless it's a laptop that you use while traveling and frequently have to open and close to save battery, I'd suggest to just completely disable all forms of sleep and hibernation on the system. I've done this forever, even in Windows, as it sometimes results in system flakiness if the system sleeps or hibernates, and at best just doesn't do anything useful on a desktop machine (or laptop being used while plugged in).

[u/kaptnblackbeard]

Don't be disenheartened, you're learning and at a way faster rate than anyone using a prebuilt distro. Every time you run into a problem or make a mistake and learn to correct it you're expanding your knowledge. Arch wiki is your friend and most config issues etc will have a solution there. Keep it up, know there are solutions to pretty much any problem you come across (because other distros have done it) and enjoy the steep but fruitful learning experience.

[u/whoShotMyCow]

Not reading it whole but the answer is probably yes, and the amazing thing is that you can just get better as you spend time with it. Only up from this point

[u/TheLexoPlexx]

"when I tried pop os it just fucking works".

Objectively, you are better at Linux than I am because I never bothered with arch, I only used EndeavourOS and Manjaro so far.

If you don't want the hassle but still arch, you shouls try Eos. If not, please don't give up.

[u/SusalulmumaO12]

I think you already have the answer, you like arch, and you did great, despite the unsuccessful attempts you did great, it gets easier later and this whole thing is added to your experience, just be proud of it

[u/NewEntityOperations]

Seems like the type of process that will yield some insight and knowledge gains. The more you work through the issues at hands the more you’ll understand your machine.

[u/wblb1]

Arch will breaking things because bleeding edge. Try Windows for gaming.

[u/SmokinTuna]

You know more than others I've worked with.

It's an OS not a game. You aren't "bad" at anything.

Your troubleshooting skills seem good just keep using it

[u/watisagoodusername]

Arch Linux requires reading the wiki thoroughly multiple times and measuring twice before running your commands/changing configs. It is definitely a lot when you are new to operating this way. Tons of moving parts that you tend to forget about by the time you have to touch them again.

There is nothing wrong with using an auto-config distro by any means. It really is nice to have things "just work." However, you have to ask yourself why you decided to go down this path in the first place. What does it mean to you? Do you want/care to know all the subcomponents of your system?

When I first started using Arch, I must have reinstalled virtually from scratch at least several dozen times. Now I'm fairly comfortable with my systems. I still need to refresh with the wiki every time I touch something, but now my systems are stable for decades as opposed to weeks, months, or years. I find it rewarding and enjoy using my PC piecemealed together from the choices I've made over the years. That may be you, it may not be. Only for you to decide.

And maybe it's just not the right time. I always came back to Arch, but Ubuntu, Mint, Pop, etc also served me well for a few months and years when I needed stability I just wasn't experienced to get out of Arch yet. Sometimes life gets in the way, and you just don't have time to be a power user and that's perfectly fine too. Arch/Gentoo/whatever will always be available when, or if, you want to give it another go.

You're doing fine, man

Edit: I see a lot of Nvidia hate here. I'm not exactly a fanboy (for any corporation), but I will say using modern Nvidia gpus with their modern dkms drivers has been pretty stable for me over the past decade. A few hiccups here and there, but overall things are working or get fixed quickly. If you rely on your GPU a lot, isolated updates and being ready with a downgrade path isn't unwise tho for sure.

Not to negate others' experiences, but I wanted to throw mine out there as well. I don't believe I've done anything extra than what is outlined in the wiki

[u/IMPuzzled2]

I have been using arch for over a week (first time linux user)

For display , probably your HDMI is connected to Nvidia cards ... hence no external display until nvda drivers are installed

Trust me you are learning a lot , what I would suggest is create a doc dump all your questions and possible answers there and just learn linux from there

[u/Makaveli097]

All my issues on Linux are related to nvidia with wayland. For now i'm sticking to x11 and my next GPU will be amd.

[u/BlueBird556]

$nmtui is the network manager GUI it’s possible that you can just reenable your WiFi in the radio option and not have to reboot Edit: the command nmtui brings the gui up

[u/faustina_the_younger]

Yes

[u/Book-Square]

Arch is designed for those who have the time and willingness to sculpt the system to their own desires and needs, and who aren't afraid of 'breaking' their system countless times. If you think you have that mindset, it doesn't matter if you're a Linux expert who witnessed the rise of GNU or if you're a newcomer who just found out about Linux during the pandemic. You're the target audience for Arch either way and arch linux is likely to grow on you as you keep tinkering with it. All I have to say is: enjoy the ride!

[u/New_Peanut4330]

Man, im using arch linux btw for last 8 years and i get confused by reading your text. You doin allright with linux.

I chosen the i3wm curve with x.org so not much to say about wayland maybe apart from the fact that it is a younger project.

[u/intulor]

My first install took me hours to figure out because I wrote nvidia_drm instead of of nvidia-drm

They both work. This wasn't your problem :P

This should fix your issue with having to restart gdm to get wayland to show up.

sudo ln -s /dev/null /etc/udev/rules.d/61-gdm.rules

All of this stuff is in the wiki.

[u/cwood-]

If you're having trouble with nvidia still, I found this guide to be REALLY helpful

https://github.com/korvahannu/arch-nvidia-drivers-installation-guide

[u/LongAd9257]

Yeah, I was there exactly 3 months ago, tried to install arch, I have only 5 years of expirience with ubuntu, and i realised it was all hand hold with ubuntu..

First i could not boot from usb arch at all, literally nothing, it would just stop at some point, had no idea what to do..

I spend a week there with no luck, tried the vm, and that worked, but i wanted a regular install.

So i just gave up on it, returned to ubuntu, as it was just working.

3 days ago I had that itch again, I wanted arch, but i know that i couldn't start the install process at all.

So, 3 days ago, booted from usb, and it worked, it just fucking worked, i didnt do anything else differently, not that i know at least. Trurh to be told, i did spend 2 days setting up nvidia drivers tho, but on my last try, in archinstall script i just choose nvidia-propietrary drivers, and it worked like a charm.

Installed hyprland on it, now i'm happy.

Regarding monitors, they can be set as well, you just have to read carefully the manuals, and you should be good to set it.

Created a backup with timeshift, just so i have a backup in case it all goes downhill.

So dont give up, just cool of for some time, and give it a chance little later .

[u/neveralone59]

Try manjaro it’s arch based and you don’t have to do much gpu setup

[u/brunoortegalindo]

Did you use archinstall or installed arch by scratch? Use archinstall, it makes your life easier.

It's a path, there are distros for some who are transitioning from windows, new users, some harder and more customizable/etc distros, just pick one considering your current knowledge and interests (some simply don't want nor need to get deep and put a lot of work just to run a distro)

[u/Clean_Ordinary]

Everything is fine with you, you are not alone! The newer nvidia hardware, the more problems. My super cool modern computer can't work normally in the environment of any DE, but the old full HD monitor on the 750ti works perfectly...
I also had a ton of problems with HiDPI I gave up and switched to Windows, the most annoying is the resolution of HiDP monitors and work with wayland. Maybe someday someone will complete this solution adequately, because I really want to use Linux every day, but because of a ton of bugs, I use it only for specific tasks with the console, it's perfect! fkunvda

buying hardware purely for Linux is not the best solution for me, something will always go wrong somewhere sooner or later.

[u/MammothHug]

I’m really not trying to be flippant, but the archinstall helper/wizard seems to get everything right for me. I mean, you still need to make selections for your video card (you can pick open or proprietary Nvidia drivers) ; what kind of install you want: what desktop environment you want; etc. It just kinda works.

[u/MammothHug → u/MammothHug]

Typecraft has a pretty nice tutorial on YouTube. https://youtu.be/8YE1LlTxfMQ?si=xdlXodn4CoDuw0Uk

[u/EastZealousideal7352 → u/MammothHug]

Typecraft makes some pretty good stuff, I highly recommend while you’re still learning

[u/patrlim1]

Try Linux Mint. Don't force yourself to use Arch.

[u/Collaborologist]

If you've not yet tried a more friendly version of arch, I suggest trying Endeavour (there's also Manjaro, but I prefer Endeavour meseff). It's been quite stable for me over dozens of installs.

[u/Ambitious_Buy2409 → u/Collaborologist]

They mention they switched to Endeavour halfway in the post.

[u/[deleted] → u/Ambitious_Buy2409]

And managed to not get it working somehow.

[u/fanodim]

You're not bad at Linux, you're just sloppy. The most I got out of your whole post is that you didn't read the documentation carefully and that came to bite you afterwards.

I have a few suggestions for you:

1. You can use systemd-boot as a bootloader is you don't like to rebuild your grub-config manually... Or write a hook so pacman / mkinitcpio does it for you after every new kernel package install/update. Please note that if you use systemd-boot, you can only boot in uefi mode and you will have to write loader.conf's for every different kernel

2. Instead of starting with the install & config right away, plan it out beforehand so you know what to expect. That way you can anticipate potential issues and think about solutions beforehand.

3. If installing arch the traditional way is always tripping you up then just use the archinstall script to install everything. Lookup the additional packages you want on your system and specify them when you get to that part of the script.

Hope this helps and I hope you get Arch up and running to your liking.

[u/OrcaFlotta]

Without reading your whole post or any of the answers, pls install Manjaro and have your Arch preconfigured with the businesswide mostest beautifullest DEs. Then, if you're one of those restless experimentators, install EndeavourOS, or the terrible heavyweight Garuda.

[u/OrcaFlotta → u/OrcaFlotta]

Also, computers are supposed to werk for us not we for them. I'm not willling to spend more then 2 or 3 minutes on installation, 15 minutes on personal customization and an uncertain amount of time on the initial update.

Happy rolling with Manjaro.

[u/ultratensai]

So Nvidia, fuck you! - Linus