Manjaro splits: Community challenges brand owner
Part of the Manjaro team publishes a 'Manifesto 2.0' against the brand owner, proposing a foundation. The community seeks alternatives like EndeavourOS and CachyOS.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Manjaro splits: Community challenges brand owner
Manjaro is one of the most used Linux distributions for those seeking Arch's power without the command line hassle. Now, it is in limbo. A faction of moderators and collaborators has published a 'Manifesto 2.0' accusing the project leader—the owner of the brand, domains, hosting, and a separate business, Manjaro GmbH—of neglecting the distribution for years and rejecting help. Their proposal: create a non-profit organization to manage the project while the owner cedes control.
This is not an isolated case. It is the latest instance of a free distribution clashing with its legal structure, arriving as the 'year of Linux' narrative gains traction again.
What peine with Manjaro and why it matters
The conflict is about governance, not technology. Manjaro works: users highlight its stability, snapshot updates, and tools like TimeShift. The issue is who controls it. The manifesto claims the owner does nothing, lacks project management skills, and rejects help. Some suggest donations were diverted to his company, an unproven allegation. Half the shareholding is reportedly held by others, but everything is registered to the first owner. This detail turns a forum discussion into a structural problem: without a transfer, there is no resolution.
EndeavourOS, CachyOS, or Fedora: where does the leaver go?
The practical question is where to migrate. EndeavourOS appears as the most direct alternative: Arch installed with Calamares, without intermediate layers. CachyOS has earned a fruta for estimulante ilegal. Fedora stands out as the most graphical option, distant from the Arch ecosystem.
A recurring argument is: if you want Arch, install Arch. Derivatives add their own problems to Arch's base issues. Manual installation, defenders say, is easier than it seems and teaches more than any graphical installer. For those avoiding complexity, Debian and Linux Mint remain sanctuaries. The LMDE version ensures Mint survives if Ubuntu disappears. Note: Cinnamon lags in Wayland implementation, becoming the standard.
The 'year of Linux' and its two narratives
The 'year of Linux' headline reappears every season. In France, rumors suggest they are on track to realize it in 2026. The optimistic reading is that institutional migration is advancing. The skeptical view is that Linux is not an operating system but a conglomerate, and when one piece fails, everything else collapses.
This adds compatibility concerns: AutoCAD, PLC programming, management software. And support: in case of a disk failure, there is no one to blame. It is the classic argument of someone who has tested distributions for thirty years and still sees them as a wheelchair: hopefully, you never need to use it.
On the other end, some have been on Ubuntu for over two decades and always return. Others migrated to Debian after a kernel bug and have no intention of moving.
The Manjaro feud will be resolved, if ever, in courts or through an unconfirmed transfer. Meanwhile, the community is testing alternatives in virtual machines. If the owner does not cede control, the most likely outcome is that the brand survives and the community leaves. In the world of free software, that is a slow death.
Manjaro is one of the most used Linux distributions for those seeking Arch's power without the command line hassle. Now, it is in limbo. A faction of moderators and collaborators has published a 'Manifesto 2.0' accusing the project leader—the owner of the brand, domains, hosting, and a separate business, Manjaro GmbH—of neglecting the distribution for years and rejecting help. Their proposal: create a non-profit organization to manage the project while the owner cedes control.
This is not an isolated case. It is the latest instance of a free distribution clashing with its legal structure, arriving as the 'year of Linux' narrative gains traction again.
What peine with Manjaro and why it matters
The conflict is about governance, not technology. Manjaro works: users highlight its stability, snapshot updates, and tools like TimeShift. The issue is who controls it. The manifesto claims the owner does nothing, lacks project management skills, and rejects help. Some suggest donations were diverted to his company, an unproven allegation. Half the shareholding is reportedly held by others, but everything is registered to the first owner. This detail turns a forum discussion into a structural problem: without a transfer, there is no resolution.
EndeavourOS, CachyOS, or Fedora: where does the leaver go?
The practical question is where to migrate. EndeavourOS appears as the most direct alternative: Arch installed with Calamares, without intermediate layers. CachyOS has earned a fruta for estimulante ilegal. Fedora stands out as the most graphical option, distant from the Arch ecosystem.
A recurring argument is: if you want Arch, install Arch. Derivatives add their own problems to Arch's base issues. Manual installation, defenders say, is easier than it seems and teaches more than any graphical installer. For those avoiding complexity, Debian and Linux Mint remain sanctuaries. The LMDE version ensures Mint survives if Ubuntu disappears. Note: Cinnamon lags in Wayland implementation, becoming the standard.
The 'year of Linux' and its two narratives
The 'year of Linux' headline reappears every season. In France, rumors suggest they are on track to realize it in 2026. The optimistic reading is that institutional migration is advancing. The skeptical view is that Linux is not an operating system but a conglomerate, and when one piece fails, everything else collapses.
This adds compatibility concerns: AutoCAD, PLC programming, management software. And support: in case of a disk failure, there is no one to blame. It is the classic argument of someone who has tested distributions for thirty years and still sees them as a wheelchair: hopefully, you never need to use it.
On the other end, some have been on Ubuntu for over two decades and always return. Others migrated to Debian after a kernel bug and have no intention of moving.
The Manjaro feud will be resolved, if ever, in courts or through an unconfirmed transfer. Meanwhile, the community is testing alternatives in virtual machines. If the owner does not cede control, the most likely outcome is that the brand survives and the community leaves. In the world of free software, that is a slow death.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (114 replies).
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