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Based in India, Garuda Linux is a newer distribution based on Arch Linux by way of Manjaro. It's designed to achieve several well-defined goals that together add up to a unique distribution.

To start with, one of Garuda's goals is ease of use. To this end, it includes handpicked themes and its own line of graphical setting tools, including windows for GRUB options and network assistance. At the same time, another emphasis is on performance, with Btrfs as the default filesystem, zstd for file compression, and the zram kernel modules, which create a ramdisk for increased speed. The emphasis on performance also includes Garuda's own Timeshift, a utility that saves up to five system snapshots and is partly intended to reduce the problems that occasionally crop up with a rolling release. Still another goal is gaming, as shown by a gaming-optimized kernel and the distro's repository for games.

These goals add up to a distribution with something for everybody. Garuda does seem, however, best suited to mid-level users, similar to Manjaro without being a derivative. It is also a suitable starting point for anyone who wants a friendly introduction to the world of Arch Linux.

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