Every time the Raspberry Pi project releases a new version of its famous mini-computer, several Linux-based distros begin their adaptation and update processes. RaspArch is one such variant: a version of Arch Linux compatible with the ARM architecture, whose latest build has been specially prepared to run on the recent Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, as well as the Raspberry Pi 2.
The Raspberry Pi Is More Accessible Than Ever
We are at one of the best moments to enter the world of the Raspberry Pi. Its latest versionits latest version managed to improve specifications and keep the original price, there are more economical alternatives like the Raspberry Pi Zero, and its software repertoire is gigantic. The official Raspberry Pi portal offers free resources such as Raspbian, a Debian-based distro that we can consider "official" for these mini-computers; however, there are other alternatives out there. One of them is Arch Linux, and under the wing of Arch we find a kind of fork known as RaspArch.
RaspArch: Arch Linux for the Pi 3
According to its official page, the latest version of RaspArch is 160312 (the third official build available to the public), and it was specially created to run on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The base of the operating system is under 250 megabytes, but once components such as the LXDE desktop environment, the main browser (Firefox), and a graphic editing system (GIMP) are added, the final image size barely exceeds half a gigabyte. One of the most notable changes in this new build is the adoption of the Linux 4.1.19 LTS kernel.
It should be noted that RaspArch users on a Raspberry Pi 2 can update the operating system with "sudo pacman -Sy", followed by "sudo pacman -Syu". Finally, it is worth remembering that Arch Linux has never been a distro aimed at novices, and the RaspArch developer maintains that same vision, but the main idea here is to experiment and learn new things. If you have never installed RaspArch before, the entire process is available on its page.
