After years of using openSUSE Tumbleweed, I decided it was time for a change. Don’t get me wrong—Tumbleweed is an excellent distribution, and I’ve been generally happy with it. But lately, my i5 7th generation laptop with 12GB RAM has been feeling sluggish, especially with the overhead of a rolling release system. I needed something lighter, faster, and more optimized for my aging hardware.
Enter CachyOS.
.-------------------------: cahya@cachyos-x8664-cahya
.+=========================. -------------------------
:++===++==================- :++- OS: CachyOS x86_64
:*++====+++++=============- .==: Host: Inspiron 7460
-*+++=====+***++==========: Kernel: Linux 6.17.3-3-cachyos
=*++++========------------: Uptime: 31 mins
=*+++++=====- ... Packages: 1269 (pacman), 2 (flatpak)
.+*+++++=-===: .=+++=: Shell: fish 4.1.2
:++++=====-==: -*****+ Display (LGD053C): 1920x1080 in 14", 60 Hz [Built-in]
:++========-=. .=+**+. DE: KDE Plasma 6.4.5
.+==========-. . WM: KWin (Wayland)
:+++++++====- .--==-. WM Theme: Breeze
:++==========. :+++++++: Theme: Breeze (Dark) [Qt], Breeze-Dark [GTK2], Breeze [GTK3]
.-===========. =*****+*+ Icons: breeze-dark [Qt], breeze-dark [GTK2/3/4]
.-===========: .+*****+: Font: Noto Sans (10pt) [Qt], Noto Sans (10pt) [GTK2/3/4]
-=======++++:::::::::::::::::::::::::-: .---: Cursor: capitaine (24px)
:======++++====+++******************=. Terminal: konsole 25.8.2
:=====+++==========++++++++++++++*- CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7200U (4) @ 3.10 GHz
.====++==============++++++++++*- GPU 1: NVIDIA GeForce 940MX [Discrete]
.===+==================+++++++: GPU 2: Intel HD Graphics 620 @ 1.00 GHz [Integrated]
.-=======================+++: Memory: 2.01 GiB / 11.45 GiB (18%)
.......................... Swap: 4.00 KiB / 11.45 GiB (0%)
Disk (/): 12.31 GiB / 463.76 GiB (3%) - btrfs
Local IP (wlan0): 192.168.1.91/24
Battery (DELL CYMGM68): 100% [AC Connected]
Locale: id_ID.UTF-8
Why CachyOS?
I’d heard about CachyOS—an Arch-based distribution heavily optimized for performance. With its custom kernel, optimized packages compiled with modern CPU instructions (x86-64-v3/v4), and focus on speed, it seemed like the perfect candidate. My hardware supports x86-64-v3, so I figured I might as well take advantage of those optimizations.
The Download Experience
First pleasant surprise: downloading CachyOS was significantly faster than openSUSE here in Indonesia. I don’t know if it’s because of better CDN distribution or mirror locations, but the ISO came down much quicker than I’m used to with openSUSE images. Small win, but appreciated!
Installation: A Few Bumps
The installation process through the Calamares installer was mostly straightforward, but I hit my first confusion at the bootloader selection screen. CachyOS offered systemd-boot as an option alongside the familiar GRUB.
Having used GRUB exclusively throughout my Linux journey, I wasn’t sure what to make of systemd-boot. What are the differences? Which should I choose? After some hesitation, I stuck with GRUB—better safe than sorry when you’re dealing with something as critical as your bootloader.
Another thing that caught me off guard: CachyOS requires an internet connection during installation. Unlike openSUSE, which allows you to do a complete offline installation from the DVD/USB, CachyOS pulls packages during the installation process. I understand this keeps the ISO smaller and ensures you get the latest packages, but openSUSE’s offline installation option is definitely more convenient, especially if you have unreliable internet.
First Boot: KDE Plasma Impressions
Once installed and booted up, I was immediately struck by how modern and polished the KDE Plasma desktop looked. Compared to openSUSE’s somewhat “old-style” KDE implementation, CachyOS’s desktop felt fresh and contemporary. The default theme, the layout, the overall aesthetic—everything felt more refined. It’s still the same KDE Plasma underneath, but the presentation makes a real difference.
Learning New Commands
This is where the learning curve kicked in.
Coming from openSUSE, I was deeply familiar with zypper. Need to install something? sudo zypper install package. Update the system? sudo zypper dup. Simple, straightforward, and it worked.
On CachyOS, I’m now dealing with:
- pacman for official repository packages
- paru for AUR (Arch User Repository) packages
- flatpak remains the same, thankfully
The syntax is different, the flags are cryptic (-Syu, -Rs—what do these even mean?), and there’s the whole concept of the AUR to wrap my head around. When installing packages from AUR, paru shows you the PKGBUILD script for review, then actually builds the package from source on your machine. This is very different from openSUSE’s pre-built binary approach.
Commands I’m still adjusting to:
sudo pacman -Syu # Update system (was: sudo zypper dup) paru -S package # Install from AUR pacman -Ss package # Search packages (was: zypper se)
It’s manageable, but definitely a transition period.
Software Discovery: The GUI Gap
Here’s where I miss openSUSE the most: software discovery and management.
On openSUSE, I had KDE Discover right there—a clean, integrated GUI where I could browse, search, and install software from both the main repositories and Flatpak. Everything in one place, all graphical, no command line needed for day-to-day tasks.
CachyOS? Not so much. While Discover is available, it doesn’t support AUR out of the box. I found myself doing more manual work—searching through terminal commands, trying to remember package names, and reading through AUR build scripts.
(I later discovered I could install Pamac, a GUI tool that handles official repos, AUR, and Flatpak all in one place—but this wasn’t obvious or included by default.)
However—and this is important—when I do install or update packages, it’s blazingly fast.
openSUSE’s package management has always felt sluggish here in Indonesia. Downloads are slow, and there’s no automatic rerouting to the fastest mirror like some other distributions offer. With CachyOS, updates are quick, installs are snappy, and the optimized packages really do make a difference in day-to-day responsiveness.
The Verdict (So Far)
After a few days with CachyOS, I can see both pros and cons:
Pros:
- Noticeably faster and more responsive system
- Modern, polished KDE desktop
- Faster downloads and package installation in Indonesia
- Access to huge AUR repository
- Optimized packages for better performance
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve (new commands, package management)
- Requires internet for installation
- Less user-friendly software discovery (without additional setup)
- PKGBUILD review process can be intimidating for newcomers
Am I switching permanently? I don’t know yet. I’m committed to trying CachyOS for a couple of months before making any final judgments. The performance improvements are real and noticeable, but I need to see if the learning curve and workflow changes are worth it in the long run.
For now, I’m enjoying the speed boost and the challenge of learning the Arch way of doing things. openSUSE Tumbleweed served me well, but maybe it’s time for something new.
I’ll report back in a few months with a full verdict! (If I don’t forget)
Have you made a similar distribution switch? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below!
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