CachyOS is a user-friendly Arch-based distribution focused on performance optimizations.
Unique aspects of the distribution are claimed to be:
- CachyOS repositories – enables CachyOS to create performance-focused packages and exert more control over the package ecosystem compared to distros that solely rely on the Arch Linux repositories. Packages have been rebuilt with flags optimized for performance, stability, and security.
- Better compatibility for NVIDIA users and users of older AMD cards.
- Employs its own method to detect your graphics cards.
- Prioritizes resources for your games and programs.
- Supports multiple bootloaders, including GRUB, rEFInd, and SystemD-boot.
- Can warn users of risky updates over the terminal
| Working state: | Active |
| Desktop: | KDE Plasma |
| Init Software: | systemd |
| Package Management: | Pacman |
| Release Model: | Rolling |
| Platforms: | x86_64 |
| Home Page: | cachyos.org |
| Developer: | Peter Jung, Vladislav Nepogodin, Piotr Gorski |
| This article is part of our Big List of Active Linux Distributions. |
What's a Linux distribution ("distro")? |
| A distro provides the user with a desktop environment, preloaded applications, and ways to update and maintain the system. Each distro makes different choices, deciding which open source projects to install and provides custom written programs. They can have different philosophies. Some distros are intended for desktop computers, some for servers without a graphical interface, and others for special uses. Because Linux is an open source operating system, combinations of software vary between Linux distros. |
Cachy isn’t bad as far as Arch distros go, it’s missing some essential basic dependencies though IMO and it is pretty rough around the edges lacking the polish of PikaOS, Ultramarine, Deepin, or several other distros I could mention. If you’re hell bent on an Arch based distro Cachy is one of the better ones, otherwise I’d put it fairly low down on my top 10.
Packages have been rebuilt with flags optimized for performance, stability, and security.
What a terrible waste of time. There are so many better Arch-based distributions I’ve tried.
CachyOS is the best community powered distro I have tried, especially for gaming. It’s fast, works out of the box, even with weird graphics set ups, and has not yet fallen over, unlike Manjaro with which repeatedly broke after system upgrade and had to be re-installed, and vanilla Arch which has a giant, cliff shaped learning curve to get configured and optimised. It’s my go-to OS now for almost everything.
I’ve been using Manjaro since 2017. I’ve never had a single broken system after a system upgrade while I’ve been using the stable software repositories.
My hybrid graphics seemed to be a problem for Manjaro. It never recognised the cards properly, whereas CachyOS set them up perfectly from the get go on my gaming laptop.
Anecdotal evidence. I’m also using hybrid graphics on Manjaro. As I said, rock solid under Manjaro. Also anecdotal evidence.
For me, the actual hybrid-GPU support comes from the Linux kernel, NVIDIA drivers, and PRIME, not the distro itself.
CachyOS has a small community compared to Arch or Manjaro. And it’s policy to ship with aggressive CPU optimizations and custom kernels just causes issues.
My 2c
I just put CachyOS (using Surface Arch kernel) on a Microsoft Surface tablet. Absolutely sweet as could be and everything works. Only hiccup was WiFi adapter random disconnects due to power saving. Once I’d disabled WiFi power saving, it was fine. I don’t really understand the anti-Cachy pile-on on here. It’s a great OS and not just for gaming.
There is no ‘anti-Cachy’ pile on, just users expressing their opinions. I use CachyOS sometimes.