For those who don’t know, “ricing” is when Linux users spend 37 hours configuring their desktop so they can flex a terminal screenshot and never actually get any work done. It’s a hobby, a procrastination strategy, and occasionally a productivity boost. The base distribution you pick matters more than people give it credit for.
I wanna start by listing out all the distros I’ve used, the good, the bad, the ugly, and what I recommend based on your situation.
NixOS
NixOS gives you complete control over your system through declarative configs. Your entire desktop (packages, themes, WM, fonts, keybinds, etc) can live in a single config file and be recreated instantly on any machine. The system config is written in .nix files, and if you haven’t written Haskell, Lisp, or OCaml before, it’s a pain to learn.
Perfect for people who:
- Obsess over reproducibility
- Rebuild their setup weekly
- Enjoy spending 4 hours configuring blur transparency
Steep learning curve, but unmatched once it clicks.
Arch
This is the classic Ricer distro, and also what I use.
This distro is a great middle ground for experienced ricers. It’s pretty minimal by default and only ships with a command line and some packages, no GUI. There’s also massive package availability through AUR, and honestly the best Linux docs ecosystem on the internet.
But from personal experience: using Arch as a daily driver is a pain. It’s probably what caused me to switch my primary OS to Mac. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve just updated my system packages and things like WiFi, font rendering, shortcuts, etc. got cooked.
Also, most dotfiles and customization guides are written for Arch first. If you are a beginner and insist on using Arch, I suggest you start with something like Archcraft first to ease into it.
EndevourOS
Directly based on Arch, you still get:
- Arch repositories
- AUR access
- Rolling release updates
But without the painful install process (and questionable life decisions) during setup.
I’d actually put this above Archcraft on the best choices for beginners getting into ricing since it’s more hands-on and doesn’t directly give you a pre-riced distro.
Debian
Debian isn’t flashy, but it’s stable, lightweight, and pretty lowkey for minimalist setups. A lot of tiling window managers actually prefer Debian because it stays out of the way.
This is for people who want:
- Conservative package updates
- Stable base system
- “Set it and forget”
Ubuntu
Ah, the classic. This was my first Linux distro (specifically Pop!_OS) and is the gateway drug for ricers.
Ubuntu used to dominate Linux ricing culture, but most of the hardcore ricing community moved toward Arch-based systems years ago.
Still, Ubuntu remains:
- Beginner friendly
- Polished
- Easy to customize
Great if you want a clean desktop without rebuilding your entire operating system for fun.