I’m not going to lie, I’m a sucker for a pretty desktop, and within the realm of Linux, there are puh-lenty of them. On top of that, even a bland Linux desktop can be customized until it could very likely become prom queen.
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And then there are other desktop distributions that go above and beyond to set themselves apart to become something totally “other.” That’s exactly what Garuda Linux has done for a long time, but the most recent release (Broadwing) is truly something special.
Garuda is based on Arch Linux and offers several versions, such as dr460nized, Hyprland, i3, and Sway, but it’s the default version I decided to take on this time.
I was not disappointed.
I’ve experienced the dr460nized version before and it’s a work of art, so I expected the Broadwing base release not to fall short. Garuda Broadwing uses the KDE Plasma desktop, complete with the Catppuccin theme which makes this release as beautiful as any on the market.
The developers have customized the KDE Plasma desktop with a top bar and a dock, so it slightly resembles the macOS desktop (only with a lot more panache). It’s one of the few desktops that ship with a dark(ish) theme that I don’t mind.
It really is beautiful.
Not Just a Pretty Face
But Garuda isn’t just a pretty face. This is a full-fledged desktop environment that is ready for any type of user. From average users to developers, Garuda has something for everyone. Even during the initial setup, you can add printer, scanner, and Samba support; add additional wallpapers; include pentesting software; and configure a large number of aspects, making the Garuda Setup Assistant one of the best welcome apps on the market.
The latest release includes the following features:
- Kernel 6.13 for enhanced responsiveness and reduced latency.
- Introduces Garuda Rani (Reliable Assistant for Native Installations), which is the new welcome app.
- A new Garuda Mokka edition (the version I tested).
- Dr460nized (KDE Plasma) received improved Panel Colorizer integration.
- Hyprland has an updated screenshot script and special workspaces
- i3 includes FontAwesome support and an improved CPU temperature display
- Sway gets a new greet, lock screen, and revamped Waybar.
You can read all about the latest changes in this official Garuda announcement.
But what’s it like using Gardua Broadwing (Mokka edition)?
The first thing that impressed me was the onboarding app (Figure 2), where I could select from a list of kernels (even the Linux Hardened kernel), select from several office applications (office suites and finance apps), choose my browser of choice, choose an email client, add various communication apps, media players, and graphic tools, and even choose any development tool I might need.
Figure 2
This onboarding app is about as complete as you can imagine and it makes onboarding Garuda painless.
The end result was an exciting desktop that was as functional as it was beautiful. And when you’ve taken care of the onboarding, you’re then greeted with yet another Welcome app which is even more impressive than the first (Figure 3).
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Figure 3: Welcome to Garuda, part 2.
The goodness of Garuda keeps going and going and going.
The new Welcome app gives you quick access to various features, such as maintenance, system settings, gaming apps, and so much more. Scan through that app, do whatever you need, and then close it to see all the beauty that is Garuda Mokko. Click the Garuda icon at the top left of the display to reveal the main menu (Figure 3), which further highlights the aesthetic of this desktop distribution.
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Figure 3: This desktop is just stunning.
Keep in mind that Garuda is an Arch-based Linux, so it’s not going to be as user-friendly as a distribution based on Debian or Ubuntu. And even with this being a KDE Plasma desktop, you’ll need to jump through a hoop or two to get the Discover package manager front end to work. Said hoop is installing Flatpak, which can be done with the sudo command:
sudo pacman -S flatpak
Once you’ve installed Flatpak, you can open Discover and find all the Flatpak apps you need. If, however, you want to install from the standard repositories, you’ll either have to use the command line or a GUI like Octopi.
As far as the basic apps, you’ll find the Firedragon browser, Snapper tools (a powerful snapshot management tool for Btrfs and LVM volumes), an AppImage launcher, and so much more.
Who Is Garuda Broadwing (Mokka Edition) for?
I wouldn’t say that the Garuda Broadwing Mokka edition is for everyone. No matter how beautiful it is, it’s still Arch Linux, which does require a bit more Linux experience in order to enjoy the desktop without a certain level of frustration. I’ve also found this release is a bit more demanding on system resources, which are listed as:
- Storage: A minimum of 30 GB storage space is required.
- RAM: At least 4 GB of RAM is recommended.
- Video Card: A video card with OpenGL 3.3 or higher is required.
- System Architecture: A 64-bit system is necessary.
- Installation Media: A thumb drive of at least 4 GB is needed for regular versions, while the gaming edition requires 8 GB.
I ran my VM on 3GB of RAM and found it to be less than responsive. After bumping that up to 5GB with 2 CPU cores, it ran much better but still wasn’t as responsive as I would have liked. I’m chalking that up to running Garuda as a virtual machine (with VirtualBox).
My Final Take
If you’re not as concerned about aesthetics as I am, Garuda Broadwing might not be the distribution for you. If, however, you like to wow your friends and family with a gorgeous desktop, I would highly recommend you give this distribution a try. Of every distribution I’ve tested, this might be the most beautiful to date.
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