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ArcoLinux ended its distribution ecosystem in 2025. Its founder announced the shutdown in April, and the user-support period ended July 1, 2025. Existing users were directed toward Arch Linux, with an announced in-place transition intended to avoid a reinstall.
What happened to ArcoLinux?
In April 2025, founder and lead developer Erik Dubois announced that all projects in the ArcoLinux ecosystem would end. This went beyond stopping new ISO releases: the list included Arcoinstall, Carli, Alci, Ariser, associated tools, apps and scripts, and project infrastructure. Dubois described the decision as ending “all projects within the ArcoLinux ecosystem,” as quoted by FOSS Force.
ArcoLinux had been an Arch-based distribution with an educational focus: its projects and instructional material were designed to help users learn Linux. FOSS Force described it as an eight-year project. Dubois said his aim had been to help people become confident Linux users, tinkerers and developers.
The announcement said the websites would remain online for several years and that YouTube videos and GitHub repositories would remain available. Those were plans stated at the time, not a guarantee of present availability. Check the relevant resource before relying on it or downloading software.
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Is ArcoLinux still supported?
No. The reported support cutoff was July 1, 2025, and that date has passed. ArcoLinux should be treated as a discontinued project, not as a distribution with an active support period. Archived instructions or repositories may still be useful, but their availability and currency should be verified.
What dates matter?
- April 2024: ArcoLinux marked some GitHub repositories as deprecated and retained them as references while newer repositories were used for active work. This was a repository reorganization, not the later ecosystem shutdown. See the arcolinuxd-iso repository notice.
- April 2025: Dubois announced the end of projects across the ArcoLinux ecosystem, as reported by FOSS Force. The official ArcoLinux 2025 releases archive also carried farewell content.
- July 1, 2025: The announced user-support period ended, according to the FOSS Force report.
Do I have to reinstall ArcoLinux?
Not necessarily. The announced route for existing installations was a transition package intended to move them to Arch Linux without reinstalling. That describes the planned migration path; it does not guarantee a clean conversion for every ArcoLinux edition, package state or computer. Before changing a working system, back up important files and check the surviving official instructions for your specific installation.
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- BOOT SETTINGS VARY - Boot-menu keys and UEFI settings differ by manufacturer; consult the computer maker's instructions if the USB is not listed.
- BACK UP BEFORE INSTALLING - Disk-partition and installation choices can erase files or operating systems. Disconnect nonessential drives and preserve the USB until it is no longer needed for installation or recovery.
A clean installation is a different option, not a required part of the announced in-place route. If you choose to install from bootable media, a USB flash drive is one practical way to prepare it, but it is not required for an in-place conversion.
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Arch Linux was the destination announced for existing users. Whether to follow that path depends partly on whether you want to manage a rolling-release system yourself. The shutdown announcement establishes the intended migration direction; it does not establish which other current distributions are best for any particular user.
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- Consider the in-place route if you want to preserve your existing installation and can verify that the official transition instructions fit your setup.
- Consider a clean installation if you prefer to start over, but treat it as a separate migration choice and safeguard your data first.
- Consider another distribution if Arch Linux’s maintenance demands do not suit you. Choose based on your needs and verify current support and installation guidance directly with that distribution.
For the announcement and historical context, see Christine Hall’s FOSS Force report, the ArcoLinux 2025 releases archive, and the repository notice about the earlier deprecation.
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