In my considerable experience installing GNU-Linux for beginners migrating
off Windows, Mint is by far the best choice. It just works, on every piece of
hardware I've thrown it at. When a newbie has that kind of first experience -
a computer that works better when GNU-Linux is installed and
not really an answer to your question but Parabola is sort of Arch-libre
anyway (not that I think you don't know that)
Mint has always rubbed me the wrong way.
"Can you install Linux Mint on my punkyouter if I give you this giant
zucchini?"
"No, but I can install the Cinnamon desktop if you're into flavours of
toothpaste!"
I don't know about Arch. I've never used it. What does that have to do with
Mint?
How about Arch? According to the few Debian channels,
main:DFSG libre software w/o contrib or nonfree deps
contrib: DFSG libre software but w nonfree deps
nonfree: DFSG nonfreeware
Backing to the Arch channels, which are "main", "contrib", or "nonfree"?
"core" is main and any others are
They have never done that to my knowledge. Don't you remember that the Mint
team doesn't care about this stuff? They've always thrown all software into
the same place with no regard for whether it's libre or proprietary.
But at least Mint must isolate nonfree into their nonfree channel, but
nonfree are still in their main channels, which I am disappointed to them.
Mint doesn't remove proprietary software. I think they even add extra.
http://packages.linuxmint.com
When I was in Linux Mint there were some nonfreeware like VirtualBox, Opera,
Spotify, that was previous edition, Betsy, aka LMDE 2, when they have
upgraded to Cindy they not yet removes VirtualBox, Opera, Spotify against
their main channels. I am now instead
